Taoiseach and economics

Jack Lynch – Cork GAA Hurling and football – lawyer – substituted foreign borrowing for rates and car tax

Charles Haughey – accountant and UCD and bon viveur- phoney budget in 1981

Dr Garret FitzGerald – UCD economics and journalism – Large budget deficits

Albert Reynolds – Businessman, Pet foods- – did a reasonable job

John Bruton – UCD – good government

Bertie Ahern – ???? real CV – Economic counter cyclical proflicacy and ultimate economic ruin

Brian Cowan – UCD solicitor – culpable and incompetent in Department of Finance

Contenders –

Enda Kenny – UCG Teacher – lets professional economists like Richard Bruton take the lead in a self-effacing way but does not duck the reality of hard choices. He has also presided over policy developments on job creation and stimulation of the economy.

Eamonn Gilmore – UCG – Trade Union official – Former advocate of Marxism in the Workers Party which advocated the Soviet system as a panacea for the Irish people. Delegates to Joan Burton and shows her respect. Ducks hard economic choices or even answering the questions thrown up by the reality of massive budget deficits and borrowing. Cute enough to give the impression that there is an easy alternative future to public sector financing and pay. Would have made wrong moves in bank crisis on 30 septamber 2008.

BOTTOM LINE

I trust the instincts of Kenny rather than Gilmore.

Cowan is in reality the Economic Undertaker of Clara and should be booed off the pitch. Gilmore’s grasp of economics should be dissected in public? And Joan – Joan is Joan – a decent woman undoubtedly BUT she has good instincts. Only thing is that she is often wrong – banks again, spending promises.

We should all baldly state that the last election was fought on false premises and the extent of the collapse has rendered 2007 a different country.