# Anyone fancy speaking out against debt forgiveness?



## Brendan Burgess (22 Oct 2012)

A journalist has asked me if I know of anyone who is prepared to speak against debt forgiveness - he has no problem getting people to speak in favour of it. 

"[FONT=&quot]What I am looking for are people who maybe took out mortgages, didn’t over-extend themselves financially, and who feel strongly that they should not be asked to pay for the “sins” of others?" 

Send me a PM if you would be prepared to talk to him.

Brendan
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## Brendan Burgess (22 Oct 2012)

Hi mark

I am asking people their views on debt forgiveness. I am asking people who are against it to contact me by PM.

Brendan


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## FirstBass (23 Oct 2012)

Brendan, I saw a link to this request elsewhere and just joined to respond. I'd be willing to speak to your friend.

(can't PM you, I guess because I've just joined?)


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## lovelyhorse (23 Oct 2012)

I would also be willing to speak to the journalist. Also cannot PM yet, joined for the same reason as firstbass.


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## Bronte (24 Oct 2012)

Brendan Burgess said:


> A journalist has asked me if I know of anyone who is prepared to speak against debt forgiveness - he has no problem getting people to speak in favour of it.


 
There must be a heck of a lot of angry people who didn't go crazy that are mad as hell at the idea of debt forgiveness. 

From what you've posted, it seems these people will not speak against it now because everyone in the media/etc will be shouted at if they dare to suggest that people made their own financial choices and so others should not have to pay for that.  Is that where we are at now I wonder.


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## Brendan Burgess (24 Oct 2012)

Bronte said:


> There must be a heck of a lot of angry people who didn't go crazy that are mad as hell at the idea of debt forgiveness.
> 
> From what you've posted, it seems these people will not speak against it now because everyone in the media/etc will be shouted at if they dare to suggest that people made their own financial choices and so others should not have to pay for that.  Is that where we are at now I wonder?



Hi Bronte

It's a persistent problem for the broadcast media. 

They try to get "ordinary" people to represent both sides of the argument. 

It's easy to fill a newpaper or a studio with "The banks were irresponsible lenders so they should face the consequences" . It's much harder to get people to say "The taxpayers should not pay other people's mortgages for them" even if they are saying this every night in the pub.

It's easy to get people to say "Government policy is to favour the rich at the expense of the poor". It's much harder to get someone to challenge that on the Front Line. 

Then RTE will be accused of being biased and having an agenda. 

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (24 Oct 2012)

This thread is about finding someone to speak to a journalist against debt forgiveness. 

I have moved the general discussion of debt forgiveness to the following thread: clarifying what "debt forgiveness" means


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## putsch (24 Oct 2012)

The reason why people are reluctant to speak on this and similar issues to the media is that the discussions are framed in the way this one is......i.e. people with strong views lined up on each side of the issue. 

In that environment all complexity and subtlety is lost. This is a very complex subject and does not respond well to the kind of tit for tat discussion conducted by our media.


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## Delboy (25 Oct 2012)

I'm 1 of those that took out a largish mortgage (but still affordable) on a small house even though I could have gone much bigger, but it did'nt feel right taking on astronomical amounts of debt (can thank years of preaching from my old man on that 1!).
I also drive an ordinary car, went to very ordinary holiday locations (if I took a holiday at all), and generally just saved hard for the inevitable move up the property ladder.

And now what do I find- a lot of people who bought the family homes/large btl's at crazy prices have stopped paying their mortgages due to job losses or general 'wont pay as I think there's debt forgiveness coming', and it looks like they'll be left as is with a nice deal paid for by all of society....it's absolutely sickening


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## kmce (25 Oct 2012)

hi Delboy
I understand what you are saying but in fairness the majority of people just bought a home for themselves and  family and now find themselves trapped by negative equity and rising interest rates.  There is no way that house prices could have risen so high without  banks providing the finance and valuing the our homes as they did.
I remember paying a 300euro valuation fee to the EBS to value my two up two down at 400k ! I now have two small children and need to move house but we are stuck where we are. We are also on a dreaded SVR mortgage so  our repayments have increased with every rate increase but not gone down with every decrease ( ahem!)

Is there any option  for SVR mortgage holders to move onto low cost trackers - this is not debt forgiveness as such but would allow us to repay our loans but at the same rate as  other mortgage holders !
Is there any opportunity open to government to provide this facility to people considering they own AIB and EBS


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## sulo (25 Oct 2012)

Imagine those horrible people not paying their mortgage due to losing their job... SICKENING.  *groan"

Where did you find that information btw - is there a report?
Love to know the figures of those "Not paying and waiting for Debt forgiveness"


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## Delboy (25 Oct 2012)

sulo said:


> Imagine those horrible people not paying their mortgage due to losing their job... SICKENING.  *groan"
> 
> Where did you find that information btw - is there a report?
> Love to know the figures of those "Not paying and waiting for Debt forgiveness"



you know what I meant by that so no need to be cherrypicking and misinterpreting to suit your angle. Losing their jobs means unable to pay.

There has been a lot of talk both from the banking industry and the likes of Karl Deeter about those choosing not to pay. Banks now appointing rent receivers to try and sort this out on the BTL side.
There's a very informative thread on this site about an example of this.


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## galwayhous (26 Oct 2012)

kmce said:


> Is there any option for SVR mortgage holders to move onto low cost trackers - this is not debt forgiveness as such but would allow us to repay our loans but at the same rate as other mortgage holders !
> Is there any opportunity open to government to provide this facility to people considering they own AIB and EBS


 
I think people in your position should be facilitated somewhat along the lines you suggest.


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## burmo (26 Oct 2012)

> You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it. You don't multiply wealth by dividing it. Government cannot give anything to anybody that it doesn't first take from somebody else. Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don't have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labour.


  Source unknown.


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## galwayhous (26 Oct 2012)

All the best, Brendan!


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## ajapale (27 Oct 2012)

Brendan Burgess said:


> This thread is about finding someone to speak to a journalist against debt forgiveness.
> 
> I have moved the general discussion of debt forgiveness to the following thread: clarifying what "debt forgiveness" means



Off topic posts have been deleted.


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