Let him who is without shit cast the first stone
Senator Ivor Callely is an egregious crookm, but I can understand how he feels hard done by at the hands of his [party and Senate colleagues. His misdemeanours have been committed, maybe not quite so outrageously, by large number of our public representatives of ALL political parties. The Senate is a strange place, its “elected” members chosen by councillors who themselves were chosen many years previously, or were hand picked by the taoiseach. There are those chosen by university graduates, a group to whom I belong but who I would not unreservedly give the governance of anything beyond a backyard bonfire.
Our aspirant TDs and councillors come crawling to us at elections asking us to place our trust in them to represent us. However, once elected many cannot wait to turn their backs on the electorate. Policies and actions of dubious legality and complete immorality are invariably out of their control. The “Law of the Land” must take its course (even when it is plainly illegal) unless that is a nice fat sum is paid to them or their party, on which laws will always case to be obstacles. Similarly, the policies of local and national government, which go against the interests and welfare of the people who elect them, are supported with vigour, especially when being pursued by large commercial interests. Those who oppose these are denounced as whingers, cranks and flat earthers, while they partake of the largesse offered to them by such developers by way of holidays and junkets. A rather shocking instance of this happened in Co. Cavan shortly after the last local election. (It is the subject of my post “Auf Wiedersehen pets” if anyone wants to read it.) Meanwhile they all clock up enormous expenses which are the envy of many people in the country, especially those who have to survive on welfare benefits – that’s if they are lucky enough to get such pittances, which can no longer be taken as read any more.
I believe that many of our legislators, both at local and national level, have betrayed the trust placed in them by the electors. As a result they are not worthy to be members of our legislature and so lack legitimacy. I do not see why the people should then have to go on paying for their mistakes and incompetence.
