Lisbon...For me it's all about pens,planes and superchargers

[Richie L]

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.

[Stig]

Good Story, good angle on the debate.
As I'm voting NO too, will get get a group discount on a couple of SC's?

[leamyj]

Cloggy will get pens for you, he'll even get them monogrammed or whatever you want

Lovely anecdote,I was thinking of voting yes but this has me even more undecided now, what with two days to go..thanks Richie

I assume we have to have a moritorium(not sure of the spelling there)on the Lisbon treat tomorrow, just like the tv and radio stations.

John

[Ivan]

I assume we have to have a moritorium(not sure of the spelling there)on the Lisbon treat tomorrow, just like the tv and radio stations.

John

No!........unless steve makes up a rule about it

[sidewaysreilly]

Come on people, are ye really gonna go along with the shinners and ganly........
What are they gonna do for us............
With a yes vote we will possibly have cheaper cars, insurance, classic car benifits et al. We are a tiny country that needs a huge market . If we vote no, all these wannabe euro countries will rake in all the benifits as we did in the early 70s. We could be left high and dry and very alone!!!

PS , responsibility???? If our stupid politicians f*** up anymore we will need to beg the eu with cap in hand. Vote no and they will think twice to bail us out.
Rant over.

[MX5Steve]

I'm voting yes. I honestly feel it'll be better for us.
Probably wont be popular, but hey it wouldn't be a democracy if we cant all have our own view.
I wont be debating my decision fed up to me back teeth of the shite on the radio and telly as it is....

[sidewaysreilly]

here here, this is not the place methinks!!!!
Im only voting yes incase our poxy politicians cant bail us out of the mess they allowed us fall into. We may need europe more than they need us!!!!!

[CashelMX5]

What have the shinners and Ganley got to do with it?
When you have Cowman, Kinny, labour and the dying greens telling all sorts of lies about what voting yes will bring to Ireland - is that not a clear indication of a crowd of yobo's wanting to abdicate their responsiblities and have someone else to blame - the EU made us do it. I have no political affiliation and never had but this yes campaign stinks to high heaven, especially when the baskets couldn't take a resounding no for and answer the first time. Only because our constitution say's so are we having a say but typical of the overpaid wan*kers, who are more concerned about how THEY will look to the rest of europe, they want us to toe the line and do what - THEY want so that they can save face. It's amazing how no other EU country has been allowed to have a say on the Lisbon treaty - well not really, the decree has come from Brussels that this is how it's going to be. Imagine what it will be like if they do pass the treaty - this and the other 26 countries will, in time, have no say in the running of THEIR own country. It will be a federal EU with an un-elected president telling us all how we are taxed and how we should be spending the revenue. No doubt the majority of it will go to line the pockets of the likes of Cowman, Kinny et al. NO Thanks!

[Steve]

Come on people, are ye really gonna go along with the shinners and ganly........

Does that not show you how committed some people are to a No vote?

[sidewaysreilly]

i love a lively debate and sometimes play games to liven things up!!!!!!
A yes or a no return will make fu*k all differance until we get proper politicians in this country who are not there only to line their own pockets!!!
Brown envelopes, expenses, a wink and a nod. Vote for me and ill look after that planning issue, get you that contract et al. Nuf said .

Oiche mhaith

[Stig]

I'm voting yes.
Probably wont be popular, but hey it wouldn't be a democracy if we cant all have our own view.

True and I respect everyones viewpoint and voting persuasion. Thing is, I don't think we live in a democracy, cos if we did we would'nt be voting again.

Im only voting yes incase our poxy politicians cant bail us out of the mess they allowed us fall into. We may need europe more than they need us!!!!!

Even tho' a NO vote was given the last time round, the central bank stepped in to assist us in the last 12 months. We're still part of the EU and central to its development. Nothing will change that.

A yes or a no return will make fu*k all differance until we get proper politicians in this country who are not there only to line their own pockets!!!
Brown envelopes, expenses, a wink and a nod. Vote for me and ill look after that planning issue, get you that contract et al. Nuf said .
Oiche mhaith

+1, We certainly do need better goverance and more leadership with clear ideas.
Time for FF to Funk off!

[franksm]

My printer can't do A3 but I refill the ink bottle with generic ink, which is nice and cheap.

[Steve]

LOL

[Richie L]

The company I work with manufactures and sells these printers.I do some of the selling.Can you see the irony here. If I used bandit ink that would mean another hundred emails from IT asking why I wrecked the printhead. Still voting no

[fabfiveferg]

Come on people, are ye really gonna go along with the shinners and ganly........

Does that not show you how committed some people are to a No vote?

+1 I voted No last time also in spite of what they had to say not because of it. Pretty sure there will be no mention of Ganly on the ballot (It's racist of me to instinctively dislike him because he sounds English right?)