The Emerald Isle( 4.5 million) has been taking their lumps lately, but we must admit, they do know how to celebrate on St. Paddy's Day. This year may not have the same joy as years past. As we all know by now, most countries have spent beyond their means. PIIGS countries in particular. (Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Greece, Spain) The reason though we are taking our hats off to the Irish, is because they know how to go on the Wagon. Correct, the Irish Government is going cold turkey. And that has a very detrimental effect on the Public Sector Unions. Many pharmaceutcial companies have built manufacturing plants in Ireland; this is a good thing because of the bitter pill the Irish Public Union Sector is being made to swallow. The pharmaceuticals will be cheaper than imports, thereby helping to cure the disease without going over budget.  Corporate taxes have not been raised. 

The facts as gleamed from various sources. The Federal Police will be suffering a 18% cut in salaries. Hey we all must suffer. Money does not fall from the sky. The question to be asked, does the United States have the intestinal fortitude to face the union thugs? And the teachers, the government is teaching them a lesson in economics, the less we have to spend, the less you get. And they are on the receiving end of a 15% salary reduction. Welfare benefits are being cut too. See you at the soup kitchen. However, the public sector has grown 5% during the recession while the private sector has shrunk by 15%. The private sector has no sympathy for the public service employees as they are bearing the brunt of the recession. Anger exists on both sides.  We need to raise a toast to the Irish Politicians on this coming St. Paddy's Day, Erin Go Bragh. We can't say the same to our criminal lying parasite enabler politicians who need to take some advice from their colleagues across the Big Pond.

The United States Federal, State and Local Governments ought to look at Ireland as an example. But they won't, we will do the opposite; raise taxes, increase spending, hire more civil servants. Our bet is that Ireland will come out of the recession faster than most.