Ministers should go online for fresh ideas
Friday April 03 2009
HISTORY -- to quote Mark Twain -- has tried hard to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. As if to prove his point, almost every fiscal move our 'Brian's Trust' has made to date has backfired resoundingly.
So Messrs Cowen and Lenihan would do well to consult the ground-breaking Ideas Campaign website before signing off on next week's Emergency Budget. After all, as the great humorist also said, the man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.
The Ideas Campaign is a grassroots, non-political web-based project calling on ordinary citizens for solutions to help rebuild the economy. In effect, it constitutes a new generation vox pop, enabling Joe Public to have his/her say about what ails us.
The Ideas website has accumulated an impressive array of rescue solutions across the economic board. And one message coming through loud and clear is that we shouldn't throw in the towel on the punch-drunk construction business just yet. Not before making some radical changes.
The commendable campaign has been funded by AMAS, a Dublin-based online consultancy. Managing director Aileen O'Toole is spearheading the campaign there, with the backing of an advisory group including -- inter alia -- Sean Gallagher, chief executive, Smarthomes (and Dragons' Den judge) and Frank Gormley, chairman, Howard Eurocape.
The inclusion of this duo alongside other business luminaries will have been enough to ensure that the building industry gets a fair shake of the stick in ultimate Ideas group deliberations. The Government, for its part, has steered well clear of the property sector for advice in recent months, but there are still some very shrewd (and very genuine) players out there whose views deserve a hearing.
But the Ideas Campaign is all about Joe Citizen, an increasingly isolated denizen of this benighted isle with whom the Government has increasingly lost touch.
A major consumer debating point in the US right now is: Where does 'fair' fit in the various economic stimulus plans? Should banks receive money before the long line of consumers hurting from house payments? What group should come first?
Such thoughts are predictably mirrored in Ideas Campaign's suggestion box.
"The Government is at present investing in re-capitalising banks," comments one respondent. "My idea is for government, rather than putting money into banks, directly purchasing the 80,000 housing units not sold."
This idea runs as follows: the Government pays builders at or below cost; Government resells houses to first-time house buyers, at cost. First-time house buyers obtain mortgages from banks on basis of cash returned by builders to pay off loans. And -- a key imperative -- funds paid by Government to builders can only be used to pay off debts to banks.
Then there is a suggestion that rent-to-buy should be promoted in the second-hand sector also (the concept is already working well in new homes). The buyer leases the property at an agreed rent for two to three years. At the end of the lease, the buyer has the option to purchase the house at the agreed price and, if he/she does, 75pc of the rent paid over the period goes towards the deposit.
Thus the seller gets liquidity, while the buyer gets to try the location, build up a deposit and potentially buy the house at below market value.
Many of the bloggers see huge benefits in civil engineering projects: "What I propose is a massive, national investment in a product which we have aplenty, and is increasing; is free in its raw state and is now worth more globally per litre than oil - FRESH WATER!
"Like Lemass did in the 50s, we need to invest large sums into 'damming' some of our (otherwise non-productive) upland areas . . . we then use Hydro-Electric power (existing technology) to make electricity which powers the pumps required to fill tanker ships and filter the water."
A loosening of our strict planning rules would help kickstart development when the upturn comes, other correspondents believe.
And why not get FAS apprentices to carry out repairs and maintenance work on the houses of disabled and elderly persons? Or employ redundant construction workers to undertake essential repairs.
Over to you, Mr Minister.
www.ideascampaign.ie
