Grandad February 26th, 2010
One of the charges that is frequently aimed at people who criticise the government is that we are too negative. We complain, but we never give ideas as to how things may be improved.
Well, here is a little suggestion.
If I had any sort of influence on how democracy would be run, I would abolish politicians’ clinics. Yes. It’s that simple.
We have a bunch of brainless low-life running this place at the moment. They are paid sinful wages yet they rarely appear to do the actual job of running the country. Why? Because they are all back home in their constituencies doing things they should not be doing.
On the radio recently, people in Limerick were asked what they thought of that little perjurer O’Dea. They said he was a fantastic representative. Why? Because he would turn up at all the funerals. For fuck’s sake!! The Brain Dead are impressed because some wanker turns up at a funeral?
The latest little nugget is that Trevor Sargent is to be investigated because he wrote to the Gardai asking for charges against a constituent to be dropped. Whatever the rights and wrongs of what he did, I would ask what the fuck he was doing meddling in a single bloke’s affairs when he should have been looking after his government department?
The problem with Irish politics is that TDs are under the impression that their job is to sort out people’s problems. What’s worse, they are under the impression that they only have to write something on government headed notepaper and that problem will be solved. This should not be the way of things.
When I vote for a candidate, I vote not because I like his policies on how the country should be run, but because his policies are less damaging than the other candidates. One way or another, I vote because I want him [or her] to contribute to running the country.
Unfortunately, too many people vote for a candidate because he has promised to get the potholes in the road fixed, or that he will sort out some planning problem. This is so wrong as to be laughable. What we end up with is gobshites, the likes of Jackie Healy-Rae and Willie O’Dea who haven’t a fucking clue about how a country should be run, but who are guaranteed to turn up at a funeral or to get you a medical card.
If I have a problem with planning permission or holes in the road, I go to my local council. It’s what they are there for, and it’s why I elect my local councillors. It is not the business of my local TD in any way, shape or form. TDs should be expressly forbidden from messing in local affairs.
So my answer is to abolish the clinics. Forbid TDs from having any say in anything other than national affairs.
Think of the advantages -
TDs would be elected on national policies, and not because they are good at sorting trivia.
TDs would be available at all times for national business and would have the excuse that they ‘have to deal with their constituency’.
Travel [and its expense] would be drastically decreased.
Fewer TDs would be required, thereby saving millions.
We might actually get TDs who have something to offer other than the fact they are someone’s son or daughter.
The advantages are really too many to mention.
So why don’t we insist on this simple solution?
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