There were all sorts of names applied to yesterday's budget. It was called a mini-budget, a supplemental budget, I even saw "crisis" budget once or twice. It should have been called the "bailout" budget because that's what it was. We're now being asked to bailout the government for its profligacy. There is no other way to see this.
If Brian Cowen and his ministers had any honor at all, they'd have called an election after delivering the budget. They deserve to be unemployed just as surely as any bank boss that they've derided recently. I still can't get over the chutzpah of Lenihan basically calling for Michael Fingleton's head while taking no responsibility on himself (or the Taoiseach, in particular) for the current state of the public finances.
If Brian Cowen was a manager of a sports team he'd have been ousted long ago. But, not only is he holding on to his job, but he's going to make sure that we pay for his mistakes.
