The Expense Of A Grand Gesture

The household charge that is part of the new austerity budget in Ireland is, as you would imagine, highly unpopular.

Who has a spare hundred euro to toss back at the State that needs the extra money because it was reckless?

Socialist Party member Clare Daly has certainly been vocal in her opposition to the new tax. So vocal, in fact, that she had to travel around the country to express her opposition.

At taxpayer expense, of course.

Ms. Daly claimed she was over 22,000E out of pocket for all her many travel expenses, and she doesn't see why her expense claims should be investigated, let alone questioned.

It's important work she's doing, campaigning against an unpopular tax. She's entitled to be compensated in this quest, undertaken not as a private citizen but as a sitting member of Dail Eireann.

And all this travel, the equivalent of a salary for someone laid off because the government can't afford to employ everyone due to the need for austerity, is to be compensated so that Ms. Daly doesn't have to pay for her official duties out of her official salary.

No, she wishes to turn over a large part of her salary to the Socialist Party so that they can further their advance into Irish government and one day create the People's Republic of Ireland! Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but....your hard-earned income. Hand it over so Ms. Daly can roam the country without having to use her own hard-earned income. It's for your own good. Ms. Daley and her fellow socialists know what's best. Don't question.

Hasn't socialism worked well every place else it's tried? For those who are in charge it has, and there's Clare Daly leading the troops to march against the household charge that's been levied because the non-People's Republic of Ireland is skint.

And why should the Socialists be pushed away from the trough when Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty has been gorging himself on taxpayer money? He claimed travel expenses for the cost of renewing his driving license. For the tires on his car. For the oil.

How is that those who are the loudest in barking about the worker and worker's rights and entitlements are those who feel most entitled to help themselves while the rest can go hungry?

None so blind as those who will not see, or something along those lines.