Bord Snip report

The An Bord Snip Nua report is due to be published at 2pm today. I’ll keep this blogpost updated with the latest developments/links:

Irishelection.com updates
Lots of links to everything published so far

PDF released of the report

As expected the Department of Finance site went down at 2pm just as the report was being released. Luckily I use twitter – thanks to @wesg for releasing Vol 1 on scribd and twitdoc

I’ve uploaded it to this blog – download link here:
Bord Snip Report Volume 1 (pdf)
Bord Snip Report Volume 2 (pdf)

2nd home levy – government ministers exempted

PDF link

Under section 2.1.c of the 2nd home 200 euro property charge law, it appears that government ministers are exempted.

Quote:

“2.—(1) In this Act, “residential property” means a building situ-
Meaning of residential property. ated in the State used, or suitable for use, as a dwelling, including any house, maisonette, flat or apartment (including a bedsit) but does not include—
(c) a building let by a Minister of the Government, a housing authority or the Health Service Executive established by the Health Act 2004,”

So government ministers can let out 2nd properties and be exempt from the 200 euro charge , unlike the rest of the plebs.

One rule for them , another for the rest of us.
Nice.

Blasphemy

Ladybodyjesus writes on the recently passed Irish blasphemy law.

TwentyMajor also writes about this in hisusual sweary way.

Daniel Hannan eats Gordon Brown

Here’s THAT video that went viral this week with over 1 million views and covered extensively on American talk radio

Now at 1.5 MILLION views and rising.

This is politics for the internet age.

Earth Hour – “Let’s be more like North Korea”

via The Peoples Cube

Weekend music post

Chymera – Parelo

website: Chymera
myspace: Chymera Music

A blog on African politics by Africans

It’s not often that you stumble across a political blog about Africa written by Africans – I came across this one this evening. Looks good, and the comment discussion is intelligent, interesting and educated.

Worth bookmarking. We need more of this.

Downfall Compilation

Hitler’s BNP membership gets leaked

Adolf Hitler – Vista Problems

Barack Obama Downfall

Brian Cowens Lisbon Treaty Downfall

Gordon Brown’s Downfall – The Prequel

Gordon Brown’s Downfall – Glasgow By Election

Gordon Brown’s Downfall – House price crash

RTE Questions & Answers – realtime chat

chat over for now.
will embed again for next week’s questions and answers on RTE.

Shot on the ground

The EU Referendum blog points out something about the Antrim shootings that may be overlooked amidst all the media coverage. This wasn’t a drive-by shooting. There was a level of coolness and calmness amongst the killers that is deeply chilling.

They initially fired a volley of automatic fire from their car – and then proceeded to get out of the car, walk over to the fallen soldiers and then fired a second volley standing over them.

The Belfast Telegraph picks up on this as well , but the EU Referendum blog explains it better:

That these terrorists not only fired – drive-bys are common fare in insurgency warfare – but actually got out of their car (this is highly significant as it is their own personal security zone) to deliver the double-tap suggests exceptional coolness and control – and premeditation. The odds are these are experience killers – they have done this before. If they have not, they have been rigorously drilled by those who have.