Times are Tough
An the present time it is difficult to avoid hearing or reading about cutbacks, pull-backs or bailouts.
We have listened to economists and politicians telling us about recession for several years now. There would be cutbacks here, reductions there and job losses all around. At the same time prices were rocketing at every hands turn. The cost of utilities & fuel were rising faster that a space shuttle. Governments were run by blinkered leaders focused on builders, bankers and war. War that we did not agree with. War that we did not want. War that they had not thought through, bringing misery and destruction to people at home and across the globe. War that we the Joe and Joan Soaps will pay for over many a decade.
Twitter was on fire with anger and frustration at any mention of ECB, IMF & €85 billion #bailout causing blood pressures to soar. It reminded me of the torrent of hurt and disgust for both the Catholic Church and The Government at the time of the Abuse scandal.
With all the outbursts, I was surprised by so little reaction to an item I saw in the Irish times the other day:
THE IRISH GOVERNMENT has contributed almost €2 million to refurbishment work at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. The Irish College is a seminary and home to 60 seminarians, only half of them come from Ireland. The college is generally where Ireland’s Catholic bishops stay when they visit Rome on official business and sometimes when on private visits.
Where did the government find that €2 million? Does it come out of the €85 billion bailout?
steph said,
December 1, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Tough times indeed.
I was disgusted to read in the paper that the HSE recently destroyed €2m worth of unused swine flu vaccines… ordered last year but which went out of date in September
nick said,
December 1, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Yes, it’s funny how the Irish and British governments talk about the need for tough spending cuts on the one hand but somehow manage to fund all their favourite little projects on the other. And still swan about in luxury chauffeur-driven limos.
Grannymar said,
December 1, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Steph - Is that €4 million accounted for?
Grannymar said,
December 1, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Nick - Yes Nick, and we don’t even get to eat cake!
bikehikebabe said,
December 2, 2010 at 3:32 am
Plague be upon them for spending all that money to no good!
But I feel a kinship that Ireland is in the same boat as the U.S.
Brighid said,
December 2, 2010 at 5:30 am
I think TJ’s quote covers it best in America:
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
‘I believe that
banking institutions are more dangerous to
our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow
private banks to control the issue of their
currency, first by inflation, then by
deflation, the banks and corporations that will
grow up around the banks will deprive the people
of all property - until their children
wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers
conquered.’
Grannymar said,
December 2, 2010 at 2:55 pm
BHB - We are all in this together.
Brighid - Thomas Jefferson was a man before his time! Pity nobody listened to him.
Alice said,
December 3, 2010 at 4:38 am
Same sort of thing happens here all the time.
Grannymar said,
December 3, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Alice - Yes, Governments all over the world love to spend ‘our’ money without consulting us.