Comments on: Make politicians accountable for antiquated road network http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network The website of economist, author and broadcaster, David McWilliams Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:42:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: David McWilliams » A Blast from the Past http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-109939 David McWilliams » A Blast from the Past Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:53:55 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-109939 [...] The first article from the archives is about the search for some meaning at Christmas as the nation continued to splurge in late 2006 and the other article from that week about the state of the roads. [...] [...] The first article from the archives is about the search for some meaning at Christmas as the nation continued to splurge in late 2006 and the other article from that week about the state of the roads. [...]

]]> By: tony owens http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-29193 tony owens Sat, 19 May 2007 08:42:00 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-29193 I was 13 years out, in UK and EU and am now coming up to 2 years back. I did well abroad - made a little money, built on my decent Irish education, got a family. Back here, the public sector seems largely unchanged - introverted, slow, self-protecting and largely irrelevant to people like me. But also far too large and with low standards. I find labour relations in Ireland puerile - at a time when other countries are coming to terms with notions of personal brand, managing ones own career, taking responsibility, a part of Ireland still is focused on outdated notions like 'jobs', 'labour', 'management' etc. I happen to believe that the only worthwhile future for small island countries like ours is in innovation - turning knowledge into saleable services and experiences which are skillfully marketed to those likely to care. Yet the establishment view - Enterprise Ireland, IDA and much of the population, is that R&D investment equates to innovation investment. There are even those who still regard manufacturing in Ireland as sustainable, as long as it is hi-tech. Because the country is essentially uninterested in innovation and the establishment of business unrelated to property speculation, I now join the other knowledge workers who commute each Monday morning to other EU countries, to practice our professions in countries where our skills are valued. As the multinationals progressively decamp to lower cost Eastern European US-friendly locations, more and more of my cohort will tumble out of their jobs as they refuse to relocate to Poland, theCzech Republic etc. That community of managers with global experience, and the best available training in applied technology and marketing is the one I pin my hopes on. With honest and realistic support, people like that can drive the future wealth generation the island will need, post property bubble and after medical device manufacturing is a memory Tony I was 13 years out, in UK and EU and am now coming up to 2 years back. I did well abroad – made a little money, built on my decent Irish education, got a family. Back here, the public sector seems largely unchanged – introverted, slow, self-protecting and largely irrelevant to people like me. But also far too large and with low standards.
I find labour relations in Ireland puerile – at a time when other countries are coming to terms with notions of personal brand, managing ones own career, taking responsibility, a part of Ireland still is focused on outdated notions like ‘jobs’, ‘labour’, ‘management’ etc.
I happen to believe that the only worthwhile future for small island countries like ours is in innovation – turning knowledge into saleable services and experiences which are skillfully marketed to those likely to care. Yet the establishment view – Enterprise Ireland, IDA and much of the population, is that R&D investment equates to innovation investment. There are even those who still regard manufacturing in Ireland as sustainable, as long as it is hi-tech.
Because the country is essentially uninterested in innovation and the establishment of business unrelated to property speculation, I now join the other knowledge workers who commute each Monday morning to other EU countries, to practice our professions in countries where our skills are valued. As the multinationals progressively decamp to lower cost Eastern European US-friendly locations, more and more of my cohort will tumble out of their jobs as they refuse to relocate to Poland, theCzech Republic etc. That community of managers with global experience, and the best available training in applied technology and marketing is the one I pin my hopes on. With honest and realistic support, people like that can drive the future wealth generation the island will need, post property bubble and after medical device manufacturing is a memory

Tony

]]> By: The Willinator http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-29109 The Willinator Thu, 17 May 2007 23:32:06 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-29109 David, I just watched big pre- election leader debate on TV tonight (RTE 1 Primetime). I was hoping your theme of accountability would figure largely in the debate but unfortunately I was disappointed. Enda Kenny never pushed the accountability theme. This is a really important issue for many people I know. Accountability will drive better service. On Crime in the debate: Bertie admits that “it’s a disgrace” that a criminal in a high security prison is able to phone liveline show. I agree Bertie, but last I heard the Governor of Portlaoise is still in a job! SACK HIM, he needs to know that if he doesn’t sack his prison wardens for giving room service to gangland crime bosses that he will loose his job. Anyone every walked into a garda station and notice how slow they are to come to the counter? They are lazy bas tards. Make the ones we have – work, never mind getting another 2,000. Local Government: County Engineer allows city water supply to become contaminated by incompetence and inaction. SACK HIM NOW! (After 5 years working in private industry I am now working in local authority for past six months. It’s a joke how little work im given. There is no hurry on anyone) Health: 40% of employees are administrators. Will some get the f… in there and start handing out p45’s…. Pay for the redundancies. You will be saving money after year 3 I could go on and on. For me it’s not about spending billions on more this and more that. It’s about proper management of resources and accountability in Government. Just like your article and the example of the road network. Debate Winner: Miriam O’Callaghan. I thought she looked pretty hot! David, I just watched big pre- election leader debate on TV tonight (RTE 1 Primetime). I was hoping your theme of accountability would figure largely in the debate but unfortunately I was disappointed.

Enda Kenny never pushed the accountability theme. This is a really important issue for many people I know. Accountability will drive better service.

On Crime in the debate: Bertie admits that “it’s a disgrace” that a criminal in a high security prison is able to phone liveline show. I agree Bertie, but last I heard the Governor of Portlaoise is still in a job! SACK HIM, he needs to know that if he doesn’t sack his prison wardens for giving room service to gangland crime bosses that he will loose his job.
Anyone every walked into a garda station and notice how slow they are to come to the counter? They are lazy bas tards. Make the ones we have – work, never mind getting another 2,000.

Local Government: County Engineer allows city water supply to become contaminated by incompetence and inaction. SACK HIM NOW! (After 5 years working in private industry I am now working in local authority for past six months. It’s a joke how little work im given. There is no hurry on anyone)

Health: 40% of employees are administrators. Will some get the f… in there and start handing out p45’s…. Pay for the redundancies. You will be saving money after year 3

I could go on and on. For me it’s not about spending billions on more this and more that. It’s about proper management of resources and accountability in Government. Just like your article and the example of the road network.

Debate Winner: Miriam O’Callaghan. I thought she looked pretty hot!

]]> By: John mcDermott http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-28612 John mcDermott Sun, 29 Apr 2007 13:56:30 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-28612 when you leave the high tech factories you enter a surreal third world country ruled by farmers, developers and corrupt (and incompetent) politicians. The beginning of the answer is to get fianna Fail out. Then the hard part begins.. when you leave the high tech factories you enter a surreal third world country ruled by farmers, developers and corrupt (and incompetent) politicians. The beginning of the answer is to get fianna Fail out. Then the hard part begins..

]]> By: Billy http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-26158 Billy Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:50:30 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-26158 The piecemeal, labour intensive policy of random pothole filling is an 1950s DeValera inspired old fashioned Fianna Fail policy. It was designed to make the job as labour intensive as possible. This practice and policy has not changed and we are left with old fashioned DeValera nonsense ever since. He an his cronies ripped up the railways. Ripped up the tram lines in Dublin. Closed the western corridor railway, declared air travel for rich people and sold their planes to the British and declared that road travel was for the rich too. What we are stuck with now is Fianna Fail politicians basing their "thinking" on DeValeras failed policies and ideas. Old fashioned, luddite and narrow minded. The state of the roads is the result of this 1950s mindset. The state fo broadband is the same way. No foresight. The "founding fathers" of dubious parentage themselves wanted Ireland to be a Catholic, poor and nationalistic pollyanna. What we got was cronyism, corruption and tiny groups putting roadblocks on the resources we have all paid for many times over. The piecemeal, labour intensive policy of random pothole filling is an 1950s DeValera inspired old fashioned Fianna Fail policy. It was designed to make the job as labour intensive as possible.

This practice and policy has not changed and we are left with old fashioned DeValera nonsense ever since.

He an his cronies ripped up the railways. Ripped up the tram lines in Dublin. Closed the western corridor railway, declared air travel for rich people and sold their planes to the British and declared that road travel was for the rich too.

What we are stuck with now is Fianna Fail politicians basing their “thinking” on DeValeras failed policies and ideas. Old fashioned, luddite and narrow minded.

The state of the roads is the result of this 1950s mindset. The state fo broadband is the same way. No foresight. The “founding fathers” of dubious parentage themselves wanted Ireland to be a Catholic, poor and nationalistic pollyanna. What we got was cronyism, corruption and tiny groups putting roadblocks on the resources we have all paid for many times over.

]]> By: Conor http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-26061 Conor Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:08:21 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-26061 Spot on as usual Mr McWilliams. In 1999, the much touted NDP was announced which would see the completion of a network of motorways/high quality dual-carriageways between Dublin and a number of major towns/cities across the country to be completed by the end of 2006 along with a number of time-saving public transport initiatives and other infrastructure projects. Now we have reached the year 2007 with less than half of the NDP's work (at least on the transport side) completed. The rest of the work is being intergrated into the holy-grail of 'Transport 21' due for completion in 2015 - We as a self-confident, aspirational, wealthy nation can no longer tolerate sub-standard infrastructure. We have closed and broken the gap with other rich nations in terms of wealth for a number of years. Before we were playing catch-up, but in my opinion, the reasonable time in which to do so has passed. With nearly two decades of unbroken record economic growth we should have more to show for the fruits of our labour. No longer can we confuse unnavigable backwaters with major transport routes. No longer should we allow the sprawl into Deckland. Is it not unreasonable for the Pope's Children to ask to live within two hours of their place of work? I and many of my generation grew up in Dublin and now live in far-flung towns such as Kinnegad (lovely place but fifty miles from Dublin). Proper urban planning at the early stages of the boom could have allowed for apartment living in the city and its enviorns earlier on. A proper roads network could have prevented some of the loss of competitiveness in the economy seen over the last five years. An intergrated public transport system, the like of which are seen not only in Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, but in poorer cities like Madrid and Lisbon would prevent much of the stress and heartache endured by the stakhanovites toiling in industrial estates. The boom is coming to an end. Whether or not the landing willl be soft or shocking remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - we must act now to consolidate the gains achieved since 1987. We have an opportunity at this very momnt which I can guarantee we will never see again, at least not in our lifetimes. All aspects of our ailing transport system must be upgraded, this means the promises made in 'Transport 21' must be kept. Our economy must diversify away from the few sectors it is overly-reliant upon - the supply of houses can only create its own demand for so long! And most pertinent of all - the inefficiencies of our public sector must be rooted out. Lack of co-ordinated management in our hospitals is killing people. Inflexible syndicalists must learn that any further improvements in their working conditions and to an extent pay has to come with the responsibility of more market-orientated reforms, not necessarily privitisation but of flexiblity of working practices. We must act now or experience a breast reduction no wonderbra could ever uplift Spot on as usual Mr McWilliams.

In 1999, the much touted NDP was announced which would see the completion of a network of motorways/high quality dual-carriageways between Dublin and a number of major towns/cities across the country to be completed by the end of 2006 along with a number of time-saving public transport initiatives and other infrastructure projects. Now we have reached the year 2007 with less than half of the NDP’s work (at least on the transport side) completed. The rest of the work is being intergrated into the holy-grail of ‘Transport 21′ due for completion in 2015 – We as a self-confident, aspirational, wealthy nation can no longer tolerate sub-standard infrastructure.

We have closed and broken the gap with other rich nations in terms of wealth for a number of years. Before we were playing catch-up, but in my opinion, the reasonable time in which to do so has passed. With nearly two decades of unbroken record economic growth we should have more to show for the fruits of our labour. No longer can we confuse unnavigable backwaters with major transport routes. No longer should we allow the sprawl into Deckland.

Is it not unreasonable for the Pope’s Children to ask to live within two hours of their place of work? I and many of my generation grew up in Dublin and now live in far-flung towns such as Kinnegad (lovely place but fifty miles from Dublin). Proper urban planning at the early stages of the boom could have allowed for apartment living in the city and its enviorns earlier on.

A proper roads network could have prevented some of the loss of competitiveness in the economy seen over the last five years. An intergrated public transport system, the like of which are seen not only in Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, but in poorer cities like Madrid and Lisbon would prevent much of the stress and heartache endured by the stakhanovites toiling in industrial estates.

The boom is coming to an end. Whether or not the landing willl be soft or shocking remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – we must act now to consolidate the gains achieved since 1987. We have an opportunity at this very momnt which I can guarantee we will never see again, at least not in our lifetimes.

All aspects of our ailing transport system must be upgraded, this means the promises made in ‘Transport 21′ must be kept. Our economy must diversify away from the few sectors it is overly-reliant upon – the supply of houses can only create its own demand for so long! And most pertinent of all – the inefficiencies of our public sector must be rooted out. Lack of co-ordinated management in our hospitals is killing people. Inflexible syndicalists must learn that any further improvements in their working conditions and to an extent pay has to come with the responsibility of more market-orientated reforms, not necessarily privitisation but of flexiblity of working practices.

We must act now or experience a breast reduction no wonderbra could ever uplift

]]> By: Cllr Jimmy Harte http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-26045 Cllr Jimmy Harte Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:47:08 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-26045 http://www.jimmyharte.com/news/news6.htm See link above http://www.jimmyharte.com/news/news6.htm

See link above

]]> By: Cllr Jimmy Harte http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-26044 Cllr Jimmy Harte Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:46:17 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-26044 See link about Civil Liability Act, interesting . See link about Civil Liability Act, interesting .

]]> By: maurice walsh http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-26026 maurice walsh Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:55:15 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-26026 Dear David, I was happy to see one person around RTE who had stolen fire from heaven which you used to fuel the thought processes of some couch potatoes. I am not surprised you are taking a sabbatical. You have done your job with gracefully, and I hope you got the loot for it. The roads need attention from engineers who have also stolen some of that fire. We need CYCLE TRACKS all over rural ireland because of all the building. People can no longer SAFELY WALK OR CYCLE on any county road. People need exercise. It is not on for isolated house dwellers to have nowhere to walk in today's Ireland - to walk or to cycle. The roads are the MOST PUBLIC IMMEDIATE AND PRACTICAL of the properties we own jointly. Roads need priority. Dear David,

I was happy to see one person around RTE who had stolen fire from heaven which you used to fuel the thought processes of some couch potatoes. I am not surprised you are taking a sabbatical. You have done your job with gracefully, and I hope you got the loot for it.

The roads need attention from engineers who have also stolen some of that fire. We need CYCLE TRACKS all over rural ireland because of all the building. People can no longer SAFELY WALK OR CYCLE on any county road. People need exercise. It is not on for isolated house dwellers to have nowhere to walk in today’s Ireland – to walk or to cycle. The roads are the MOST PUBLIC IMMEDIATE AND PRACTICAL of the properties we own jointly. Roads need priority.

]]> By: Paul http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network/comment-page-1#comment-25995 Paul Thu, 04 Jan 2007 11:07:25 +0000 http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network#comment-25995 Fair point Ciaran. I didn't mean to be as dismissive as it sounded. However, we do need to be realistic. In my opinion, there is no point in people on sinking ships (=heavily subsidised farming, low value commodity manufacturing) looking for better conditions. They should be looking for liferafts and the next ship. I can't see why people should not be looking for government support for these businesses, but should either try to find a way to make these businesses work, given globalisation, etc. (for example, focus on organic farming, higher value artisan products, etc.) Or reskill - tough and all as that it is. What I'm badly articulating is that I too often hear the French/German style socialist argument about protection for the worker, which ignores the fact that it's a waste of money protecting jobs in some industries which are going down the tubes. And it costs us a lot of tax payer money. Paul Fair point Ciaran.

I didn’t mean to be as dismissive as it sounded. However, we do need to be realistic.

In my opinion, there is no point in people on sinking ships (=heavily subsidised farming, low value commodity manufacturing) looking for better conditions. They should be looking for liferafts and the next ship.

I can’t see why people should not be looking for government support for these businesses, but should either try to find a way to make these businesses work, given globalisation, etc. (for example, focus on organic farming, higher value artisan products, etc.) Or reskill – tough and all as that it is.

What I’m badly articulating is that I too often hear the French/German style socialist argument about protection for the worker, which ignores the fact that it’s a waste of money protecting jobs in some industries which are going down the tubes. And it costs us a lot of tax payer money.

Paul

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