Lisbon...For me it's all about pens,planes and superchargers
Posted: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:16 +0000
You see fifteen or so years ago I worked in a workshop and one day I needed a pen.I walked up the corridor to the stationery room and took a pen from a steel cabinet labelled "STATIONERY".I marked this off an A3 sheet which was stuck to the door and off I went.It was everyones job to make sure there was enough stuff in the cabinet.If it was getting low you picked up the phone beside the cabinet and pressed the speed dial named "Supplier".It was never empty.
You see I still work for the same company and now from a home office.Last week my printer ran out of ink and as it happened I needed some stationery too.So now I log onto a site called "Mobilexpenses" and fill in an excel spreadsheet request for what I need.This generates an automatic mail to my boss who evantually responds by logging onto the intranet site and checking my stationery allowance.If that works he authorises it and forwards me the amended mail.I save this in my stationery req. folder and print a copy for final release of the items.I also forward this mail to reception in Dublin who process the order.You would think Brenda (receptionist last week) would contact some global type supplier who deliver to my home office the next day?...No
She leans over to a locker and takes what I need,if its there.It never is.
I will evantually get a mail from reception to say come and collect my pens and ink which gives me a 180 mile round trip in my 5.(not complaining here).Its nobodys responsibility if it goes wrong.
You see thirteen or so years ago I was in Galway for a short Aer Arann flight.I was going to be late by 15 minutes for the hop so I called the airline from the hotel and they said that was no hassle they would wait for me...They did.
Last Monday I was in the UK and on presenting my checkin code to the operator I was told there was to be an additional charge of £40 because I did not have the piece of paper that I could not print (no ink).Even though I was checked in there was nothing the guy could do.He had no authority to allow me fly.There was no one to call to complain while standing in a queue in Gatwick.The ticket was paid for and I was on time and all he could say was it was becoming the norm across Europe.You can guess the name of what I loosely describe as an airline but this is not a swipe at them.
I dont care what they call Lisbon.It dosen't matter to me that it involves tax and neutrality and a permanent commissioner and a hundred other lies because these things will become something else when it suits the bureaucrats.For me this is a way for our local boys to abdicate the responsibility to somewhere else.If you think they are not accountable now wait till this evantually happens.For things to work here you need a degree of autonomy.I used to be able to get pens,now I cant.As a customer I could talk with my chosen airline,now I just get shafted.The same is happening with our indigenous governments.They want the decisions to be made somewhere else.It means an easier life for them.Have you ever seen so many vehemently opposed people in agreement on a subject?It means it will be easier to force crappy processes on us, our kids and generally how we like to live relatively freely in this country.You have to work with your initiative in Ireland and make quick local decisions that work in Ireland.You will not get that with with a stronger Europe dictating how it should be done.I want my business to be more capable of responding to the market here so I can make a bonus every month.With that bonus I will fit a supercharger to my 5. I want that I really do.Theres no chance of that today but maybe by voting no again I will have tried to keep the charger dream alive.
You see I still work for the same company and now from a home office.Last week my printer ran out of ink and as it happened I needed some stationery too.So now I log onto a site called "Mobilexpenses" and fill in an excel spreadsheet request for what I need.This generates an automatic mail to my boss who evantually responds by logging onto the intranet site and checking my stationery allowance.If that works he authorises it and forwards me the amended mail.I save this in my stationery req. folder and print a copy for final release of the items.I also forward this mail to reception in Dublin who process the order.You would think Brenda (receptionist last week) would contact some global type supplier who deliver to my home office the next day?...No
She leans over to a locker and takes what I need,if its there.It never is.
I will evantually get a mail from reception to say come and collect my pens and ink which gives me a 180 mile round trip in my 5.(not complaining here).Its nobodys responsibility if it goes wrong.
You see thirteen or so years ago I was in Galway for a short Aer Arann flight.I was going to be late by 15 minutes for the hop so I called the airline from the hotel and they said that was no hassle they would wait for me...They did.
Last Monday I was in the UK and on presenting my checkin code to the operator I was told there was to be an additional charge of £40 because I did not have the piece of paper that I could not print (no ink).Even though I was checked in there was nothing the guy could do.He had no authority to allow me fly.There was no one to call to complain while standing in a queue in Gatwick.The ticket was paid for and I was on time and all he could say was it was becoming the norm across Europe.You can guess the name of what I loosely describe as an airline but this is not a swipe at them.
I dont care what they call Lisbon.It dosen't matter to me that it involves tax and neutrality and a permanent commissioner and a hundred other lies because these things will become something else when it suits the bureaucrats.For me this is a way for our local boys to abdicate the responsibility to somewhere else.If you think they are not accountable now wait till this evantually happens.For things to work here you need a degree of autonomy.I used to be able to get pens,now I cant.As a customer I could talk with my chosen airline,now I just get shafted.The same is happening with our indigenous governments.They want the decisions to be made somewhere else.It means an easier life for them.Have you ever seen so many vehemently opposed people in agreement on a subject?It means it will be easier to force crappy processes on us, our kids and generally how we like to live relatively freely in this country.You have to work with your initiative in Ireland and make quick local decisions that work in Ireland.You will not get that with with a stronger Europe dictating how it should be done.I want my business to be more capable of responding to the market here so I can make a bonus every month.With that bonus I will fit a supercharger to my 5. I want that I really do.Theres no chance of that today but maybe by voting no again I will have tried to keep the charger dream alive.