TAOISEACH RESIGNS - A SAD DAY? (37)

Good post, he was incompetent at corruption, would never make it into the CJ hall of fame, but at least CJ had vision.

Welcome to CS and the heavier the better

For some reason this story from The Darwin Awards reminds me of Bertie Ahern’s difficulties at the Mahon Tribunal.

Accident Report

This one needs an introduction, so you won’t be lost at the beginning. This man was in an accident at work, so he filled out an insurance claim. The insurance company contacted him and asked for more information. This was his response:

“I am writing in response to your request for additional information, for block number 3 of the accident reporting form. I put ‘poor planning’ as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust the following detail will be sufficient. I am an amateur radio operator and on the day of the accident, I was working alone on the top section of my new 80-foot tower. When I had completed my work, I discovered that I had, over the course of several trips up the tower, brought up about 300 pounds of tools and spare hardware. Rather than carry the now unneeded tools and material down by hand, I decided to lower the items down in a small barrel by using the pulley attached to the gin pole at the top of the tower. Securing the rope at ground level, I went to the top of the tower and loaded the tools and material into the barrel. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow decent of the 300 pounds of tools.”

“You will note in block number 11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh only 155 pounds. Due to my surprise of being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate of speed up the side of the tower. In the vicinity of the 40-foot level, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold onto the rope in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of tools hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel.”

“Devoid of the weight of the tools, the barrel now weighed approximately 20 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block number 11. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the tower. In the vicinity of the 40-foot level, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, and the lacerations of my legs and lower body. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of tools and, fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the tools, in pain, unable to stand and watching the empty barrel 80 feet above me, I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the rope…”

put aside his personal life issues which the media drew to a common center point of union, both his political life and PRIVATE live converged directly toward one point,his distruction and his fall from grace was imminant.so considering his term in office from start to finish included his assasination papers being signed, his private life was his demise and his mistress had a lot more to do with it then people relise.... i say recruit the crimanals who are under investigaton from cab they might make better politicans then the real 1s

The average house price in ireland is almost ten times the average industrial wage. For the last ten years, Bertie presided over an economy that has made millionaires of property developers and land owners, both sections of irish society that are the bigest contributors to fianna fail (google political donations and martin cullen!).

The mahon tribunal is a side show, its like arresting Al Capone for tax evasion. If he's guilty of anything, he's guilty of doing nothing. I'm sure he's a nice and personable guy but I think we're being blinded with stories of his personal failings. I think there are bigger questions and ones that he can only share responsibilty for.

On the other hand, I hear he has a tremendous singing voice!

and he likes guinness


money begets money and fair play to developers for investing in whatever political party they think can get the job done so the developers the builders and contruction company win hands down on profit just like the crippled farmer who finds it easier to sell a couple of acres of his land to developers rather then struggle with milk quatas, and where as we win hands down with better roads better housing and all the rest which include higher road tax less countryside,BUT the big winner has to be mr haughey who buys land on the word from somedeveloper who knows its value in the development world,this trade is done as a gesture of our commitment to your party,haughey sells said land a few years later to a development company he makes himself a millionair in the process...how many deals are done like this. politicians on the take it comes with the territory its us idiots that vote them in so we usually pick what we consider the best of a bad bunch

Taxes recovered from it's work and investigations in relation to it's running costs.

At it's interim 2002 report, it showed over €6 million surplus in relation to taxes claimed over running costs. If and when lands and taxes are accounted for when it returns it's final report, it will have recouped a nine figure fee alone; maybe even showing up this much as surplus. Currently, CAB has possession of the Bovale lands in Carraigmines; these alone are worth over €70 million to any developer when sold!!

cab and opperation anvil something to berties credit and portfolio

CAB was formed by Nora Owen in 1996; she was the sitting Justice MInister at the time. Anvil was a Garda Operation, not a government motion so no politician can take it's credit.

No need to apologise to me. I am not a fan particularly but I think on the whole he did the job well. I don't agree though that the peace process would have been the same without him or that it was driven from Downing St. I think Ahern played a major role and that he was the key figure in it if there was one key. Most other parties to the deal would share that view by the way.

Anyway.....all opinion welcome. I put up this thread because there were moans that the Irish site had become dead and there were no good threads. At least this is current.