Senators & TD's 150k Christmas Card bill

bamboozle

newstalk breakfast very funny this morning, some deluded FF senator from Roscommon on trying to defend the 150k cost to the state for the TD's and senators to send Christmas cards,

Senator Deluded 'sure it supports jobs in the card companies'
Norah Casey ' yes, but can you not buy this cards yourself rather than have the state pay for them'
Senator Deluded ' but i'm designing nice cards with a photo of my village on them'
Norah Casey 'emmm ok, but can you not buy this cards yourself rather than have the state pay for them'
Senator Deluded 'but it supports jobs in the card companies'

and on and on it went, yet another reason to abolish the seanad if they spend their days debating christmas cards.

ebbsy

What a gobsh~te. Homehelp cut, cancer charities begging for cash, etc etc

SupaNova2

It's over a 150 years since Bastiat's essay That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Unseen, and over 50 since Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, how long before ignorami(particularly politicians and economists) stop spouting such crap?

spank_inferno

Considering other costs like pensions... iPads, et all the Dail is looking more & more like the court of King Louis XI.

They live fat of the land while the plebs struggle.

Shea O'Meara

Numerous threads on abolishing the Seanad; My main gripe, it's a private members club filled with non-elected but connected, useless on the grand scale of things, academics and associates of elected politicians and an elephants grave yard for former politicians.
Just stating the above to say it's not all about expenses to the state.

However; I always believed the individuals party paid for any 'Happy Christmas, be sure and remember me come election time' cards.
I guess it's different for members of the Seanad as they don't need your vote and in some cases are not party affiliated, so it's cool for me to pay for them to send me a generic card with a stamped signature?
Nice...

GSF

I'd love to think his name actually is Senator Deluded but is the guy so obscure that people cant even remember his name?

Is the €150k for the cards and postage or just postage? If its €150k thats 272,727 cards at 55c a card for postage. Sure isnt it keeping An Post employed too and the makers of footware for postmen, and the dogs of Ireland occupied too. Sure the spin-off benefits are endless.

raymon

Yet again these FFers forget that they savagely bankrupted our country. There is no money left because of you.

Note to all FF councillors , TDs, Senators ..... I don't want your newsletters , calendars or Christmas cards. Instead you should donate the money to a deserving family that you have financially crippled this Christmas. Thanks

Gunmonkey

bamboozle wrote: »

Senator Deluded: 'sure it supports jobs in the card companies'
Norah Casey: ' yes, but can you not buy this cards yourself rather than have the state pay for them'
Senator Deluded: ' but i'm designing nice cards with a photo of my village on them'
Norah Casey: 'emmm ok, but can you not buy this cards yourself rather than have the state pay for them'
Senator Deluded: 'but it supports jobs in the card companies'

Ok...erm Im trying to wrap me head round this....how would him paying for the cards himself not support the card industry? Is he a self admitting thief who, when forced to pay for something himself, either doesnt bother (but he wouldnt as these cards are vitally important that our state must pay out each year for them) or he would steal them to save a few bob and put the card companies out of pocket because....shure, how is he expected to pay for something that only benefits his own arse?

thesimpsons

I usually send them back marked "unwanted junk mail" - helps keep An Post in jobs

Sierra Oscar

raymon wrote: »

Yet again these FFers forget that they savagely bankrupted our country. There is no money left because of you.

Note to all FF councillors , TDs, Senators ..... I don't want your newsletters , calendars or Christmas cards. Instead you should donate the money to a deserving family that you have financially crippled this Christmas. Thanks

Not a FF specific issue unfortunately - a small minority of political representatives from across the political divide continue with this futile exercise.

Most TD's have stopped going it, but it seems some Senators are still at it. I do know that all the political parties strongly recommend to their representatives to abandon this practice.

raymon

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Not a FF specific issue unfortunately - a small minority of political representatives from across the political divide continue with this futile exercise.

Most TD's have stopped going it, but it seems some Senators are still at it. I do know that all the political parties strongly recommend to their representatives to abandon this practice.

Sierra , I think you missed my point ..... I agree with you that all parties should stop this Christmas card nonsense. That's not the point.

A Fianna Fail senator slammed a suggestion to stop this waste of public funds as being "scrooge" like. I heard him myself. My jaw nearly dropped.

Because of the failings of FF, some families might not be able to put a turkey on the table or buy toys for the kids, and this FFer wants to send them a christmas card paid for by me and you .

That's my point.

ardmacha

Because of the failings of FF, some families might not be able to put a turkey on the table or buy toys for the kids, and this FFer wants to send them a christmas card paid for by me and you

But sure they'll know they have a turkey representing them.

nuac

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Not a FF specific issue unfortunately - a small minority of political representatives from across the political divide continue with this futile exercise.

Most TD's have stopped going it, but it seems some Senators are still at it. I do know that all the political parties strongly recommend to their representatives to abandon this practice.

Except in the case of University Senators, Senators are elected by TDs and councillors. Why would they send cards to anyone else?

donegal_road

could they not just get with the times and send Christmas greetings via a Facebook message or email. That way, you get to do it for free and without having to leave your desk.

Conmaicne Mara

If I get any card/s this Christmas I'll be returning to sender with a note attached.

Sierra Oscar

nuac wrote: »

Except in the case of University Senators, Senators are elected by TDs and councillors. Why would they send cards to anyone else?

Your guess is as good as mine. Its a good question, because the specific Senator in question here does not seem to ever want to run for the Dáil.