In defense of the Republic
Posted by Jim on April 4, 2019
Theresa May couldn’t sway DUP because they’re nutters[mad or eccentric]
Posted by Jim on
Brian Feeney. Irish News. Belfast. Wednesday, April 3, 2019
ANGELA Merkel arrives in Dublin tomorrow. It’s not a social call. Officially she’s there ‘to support’ Leo Varadkar and the Irish government in these critical times of Brexit.
The real reason is that she wants to know what Varadkar and the Irish government are going to do about the border.
Yesterday Varadkar was trying to give satisfactory answers to the same question to Macron in Paris.
Obviously it’s crunch time. Macron and Merkel are the big two in the EU but Merkel is the boss.
It’s 2014 since Merkel was in Ireland so her visit tomorrow is significant.
The EU, and these two in particular, have lost confidence that the UK will produce an orderly exit by April 12.
Never mind those indicative votes. There are only three legal options: no deal, no Brexit or May’s deal.
If not May’s deal there’s no deal, which means there’s no backstop. That means there will be an EU border in Ireland. They want to know what it will look like.
The official Irish position is still that there will be no Border, but for the past month Merkel has been using every opportunity at EU meetings to ask Varadkar what he’s going to do.
So far, answer came there none. She wants one tomorrow. She wants to know what Ireland is going to do, as she repeats, “to preserve the integrity of the single market”.
So far the best information we have is that there will be checks of some kind on incoming goods “away from the border”.
Fair enough, but what about animals and vegetables – phytosanitary checks?
Some of you may remember the havoc caused by the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak when six million sheep, cattle and pigs were slaughtered on the other island.
What struck every observer was the way the Irish government sealed the border to keep the disease at bay.
For the EU, the danger of any communicable disease getting into the single market is unthinkable.
Without a backstop and checks in the Irish Sea, Britain’s border in Ireland will be the EU frontier.
What happens when the first consignment of Brazilian beef lands in the UK? What about the infamous US chlorinated chicken and hormone-stuffed beef? There will have to be phytosanitary checks at the Border.
The British know all this and three weeks ago published their plans for trade in the event of no deal.
All EU goods will enter The North freely. However, the EU will apply full tariffs to everything going out from the north to the south, which will, within a month, wipe out The North’s agriculture.
Meanwhile punitive tariffs will be placed on EU goods entering the UK otherwise than across the British border here. Within a month Irish agriculture would be flattened.
Most experts instantly condemned the British plans as ignorant, stupid and illegal because they breach World Trade Organisation rules which stipulate every country has to be treated the same; you couldn’t treat Ireland differently from other EU states.
It wouldn’t take long for the French and Germans to retaliate. The UK says they can act on a temporary basis, but how long is temporary and how do they get out of it?
‘Urgent discussions’ is the UK answer. On what basis? Who decides? Who arbitrates?
Meanwhile the Border in Ireland will be a paradise for smugglers and tax avoiders.
The British proposals were so ridiculous and ill thought out and obviously unlawful in international practice that they can’t be serious.
There can only be two motives. First, to scare the Irish government and the EU into ditching the backstop, but that won’t happen because of the importance of the integrity of the single market.
The real motive was to put pressure on the DUP to cave in and accept May’s deal because anyone can see The North’s business and agriculture would be destroyed.
Whatever the reason the cunning plan failed. The authors didn’t realize they are dealing with nutters, fanatics, people who would happily adopt a scorched earth policy, who would die in the last ditch, yelling, “Nevarr.”
The proof? They laughed at the UK proposals and voted down May’s deal, the best of both worlds offered by the EU.
No need to apologize, England Get out of Ireland.
Posted by Jim on April 2, 2019
Mary Lou McDonald apologises over ‘England get out of Ireland’ banner
Michelle Devane 02 April, 2019
The leader of Sinn Féin has apologised for marching behind an “England Get Out of Ireland” banner on St Patrick’s Day.
Mary Lou McDonald moved to reassure the public that its message was not directed at English people.
“For anybody who felt that it was directed at English people, I just want to reassure them that that’s not the case,” she said.
The Dublin Central TD was condemned for helping carry the sign last month in New York City’s annual parade to mark the Irish national holiday.
Her actions were described as offensive and divisive by Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.
Read More: Sinn Féin says ‘England Get Out of Ireland’ banner criticism is ‘faux outrage’
An opinion poll published by the Sunday Business Post over the weekend showed support for Sinn Fein had dropped by five points to 13 per cent. The figure was 18 per cent in February.
On Monday Ms McDonald said: “In respect of St Patrick’s Day, I think it starts certainly a conversation around that banner which has been up and down Fifth Avenue for a generation.
“It’s a very direct political statement, it’s an anti-partition statement.
“I know it was taken by some to be directed at English people. It certainly was not and is not.”
She described the slogan as a “fairly blunt statement at any time”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 she said: “I suppose all of us have to be conscious of not just what we say and what is meant, but also what is heard and what is understood.”
Asked whether she was inching towards an apology, she replied: “I don’t have to inch towards anything… for anybody who felt that it was directed at English people I just want to reassure them that that’s not the case.
“Indeed I have blood relatives myself who are English… and English people are very welcome in Ireland.
“Many of them live amongst us, they are our neighbours and our friends, so certainly I apologise to anybody who felt that the banner was intended in that way, and I’m happy to clarify that it’s not. It certainly doesn’t mean that.”
On the political sentiment behind the banner, Ms McDonald said she would not apologise for being “a united Irelander” and for wanting unity and democracy across Ireland.
“Far from apologising for it, I wear that political position as a badge of honour,” she said.
The DUP said Ms McDonald’s apology was motivated by poll ratings rather than remorse.
East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons said: “Mary Lou McDonald’s apology is a cynical response to falling poll ratings rather than any acknowledgement of remorse.
“It is testament to Sinn Féin’s place on the sidelines of politics that gaffes by their new president have been their most significant contribution to politics in recent months.
“It is clear however that a drop in support has pressed those who take the decisions within Sinn Fein to stop defending the banner and belatedly send Mary Lou McDonald out to issue this supposed apology.”
Mr Lyons said if the party’s leadership was truly focused on repairing the damage it would commit to working with all other parties to restore the Stormont assembly.
Official Communication from the UFA
Posted by Jim on
| Rally at City Hall |
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In anticipation of the City pulling the 5th Firefighter from all 20 Group 2 Engines due to the rise in Medical Leave, we will be holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall tomorrow, April 1, at 11:30 AM. The UFA Executive Board will be joined by NYC Council Members Joe Borelli, Justin Brannan and other elected officials. We are asking for any and all available off duty members to attend tomorrow’s press conference. We understand this is short notice and appreciate your efforts to attend. All members are requested to wear UFA or Company shirts. Once again, this is a dangerous job. Injuries are unpredictable, and for the most part, unavoidable. Stay safe and we will keep you posted with further updates. If you have further questions, please contact your Company Delegate or Borough Trustee. |
Official Communication from the UFA
Posted by Jim on
KNICKS 9/11 MEMORIAL STAIR CLIMB & FIRST RESPONDERS NIGHT This year’s New York Knicks 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Presented by Chase will be held on Sunday, April 7, at Madison Square Garden. The Stair Climb is a way to honor and remember the FDNY members who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on 9-11-2001. To donate or to register, visit events.firehero.org/2019NYKnicks. Cost to climb is $50 and includes a t-shirt, 343 honor badge and entrance for up to 3 guests.
Madison Square Garden, the Garden of Dreams and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation have asked us to provide volunteers to assist with the Stair Climb. We still need about 7 volunteers. If interested, please email RecordingSecretary@ufanyc.org or call 212-545-6974 as soon as possible.
After the Stair Climb, the Knicks will be hosting First Responders Night vs. Washington Wizards at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased through the link https://www.fevo.com/edp/2019-Knicks-First-Responder-Night-fs4zCk9?referrer_hash=6mnnQqmd. A portion of each ticket purchased through this link will be donated to the UFA Widows and Children’s Fund.
The Stair Climb After Party will be held at VERSA Restaurant NYC, 218 W 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 (inside the Renaissance New York Midtown hotel, a partner of MSG) from 2:30 to 5:30 PM with happy hour discounts.