FF TDs in uproar over RTE show

[pete]

Would have liked to have heard Eddie talking about the alternatives. Obviously we are getting ripped off, if the rip off stops how is the money going to be generated?

Thats the politicians job.

[pineapple stu]

Am I the only one who thinks that he's turning into Ireland's very own Michael Moore, where the validity and relevance of his arguments is becoming ever more diluted by the fact that he's a smug, self-important ass?
Nope. Read post #17. ;)

[joeSoap]

Don't crucify Eddie cos he's got enemies in high (and low) places
Monday September 12th 2005

EDDIE Hobbs is no Mother Teresa. And as he said himself on radio at the weekend he is "no saint".

But the attempts by a convicted fraudster to sully the man's reputation are quite pathetic.

We should not go around "beatifying" Eddie Hobbs.

He helped to devise and present an ingenious TV show which confirmed suspicions that many people had anyway about inflated prices. His programme Rip-off Republic entertained and informed.

It also criticised the Government along the way by highlighting the extent to which people are being ripped off, not just by high prices, but by poor value for money in some public services.

Hobbs is a fantastic entertainer who brings an incisive wit to issues which can at times seem complex.

Not the grounds for beatification, but most definitely not the grounds for crucifixion.

Allegations printed in recent days suggest that in his former capacity as a financial adviser Mr Hobbs transferred money offshore for a client, some of which was undeclared for tax purposes.

The suggestion is that Mr Hobbs facilitated tax evasion while working for the Tony Taylor group.

Firstly, Mr Hobbs denies doing anything wrong.

Secondly, the client is quoted in one newspaper as saying he didn't tell Mr Hobbs that some of the money was undeclared income.

Thirdly, it was perfectly legal to move money offshore in this way at the time. Only the origin of the funds posed an issue.

Fourthly, the allegations form part of a complaint to the financial regulator about Mr Hobbs by the convicted fraudster, Tony Taylor.

The allegations against Mr Hobbs have nothing whatsoever to do with the bona fides of his criticisms of rip-offs in this country.

They do not take away in the slightest from what he has to say about vested interests, consumer rip-offs and high stealth taxes.

On the allegations themselves, assume for a moment that they were true, and that Mr Hobbs did help a client or clients move money in and out of what proved to be bogus non-resident accounts. If this practice made him in some way unfit to practice in financial services, then what percentage of the entire financial services workforce would have to clear out of it.

At the time Eddie Hobbs was not legally obliged to probe with clients the origin of funds or the status of those funds with the Revenue Commissioners.

The country had over 100,000 bogus non-resident accounts.

Sure half of AIB would have to leave the financial services sector if that level of ethical scrutiny was now applied, with the benefit of hindsight and several inquiries.

Inquiries which also showed that the culture of tax evasion was endemic at the time and despite arms of the State knowing about bogus non-resident accounts, nothing was done about them.

And of course we should bear in mind that the allegations, which are totally denied by Mr Hobbs anyway, are coming from a man who effectively stole his own clients' money.

Eddie Hobbs has done a fantastic, insightful and entertaining job with Rip-off Republic and before that with Show Me The Money. It's probably stretching things too far to say he has done a great service to the country as some of his many fans would suggest.

Nobody is above criticism, including Eddie Hobbs, but nobody deserves crucifixion just because they have angered politicians in high places and ex-cons in low ones.

[Macy]

Can you just link to that please Joe.

Nice to see FF spin doctors have finally woken up - obviously that party has no problem with the likes of Tony Taylor given some of their own members activities....

[Partizan]

Eddie Hobbs is brilliant - Conor74 absolutely hates him, so he must be doing something right.... :D

Amen to that.