[southsiderosie]

Originally Posted by maninasia

Again why the attitude? They have huge pull in American multinational investment decisions, what's there to lose from getting them involved with Ireland more?
What's this got to do with California?

It doesn't make sense to not at least try getting some of them on board

Please explain how Silicon Valley businessmen are going to have any sway in the kinds of constitutional reforms that they have proposed for Ireland. These are the same reforms that have been proposed by Irish people who have a much clearer understanding of the country's politics than the author of this op-ed, and they have been roundly ignored. Speaking of ignored, the Irish government has not responded to any of the educational reform proposals from the Irish US Chamber of Commerce, despite the COC's role in facilitating US investment in Ireland. So I think this whole thing is nonsensical.

As for California, if this business group is interested in trying to fix a sclerotic political system and terrifying public finances, they don't have to look any further than their home state.

Finally, the very existence of such a large Irish diaspora is in part to the preferences of Ireland's politicians - better to export the restive than have them stay and force reform on the system. The Irish political elite have never had an interested in what the diaspora had to say unless it involved steering money to the island, or favorable political and economic treaties from Washington.

[djpbarry]

Originally Posted by maninasia

I think the reaction to an offer of making some substantial input is amusing though.

What "substantial input" are you referring to? What are the Californians going to tell Ireland that Ireland doesn't know already?