Proposal to use funds from local property tax to purchase new Mayoral chains

davycc

http://www.thejournal.ie/chain-of-office-row-in-kildare-2176846-Jun2015/?fb_ref=Default

“Your local property tax shouldn’t be used to buy bling for anyone”

A ROW HAS broken out in Kildare over plans to buy a new chain of office for the Cathaoirleach of Leixlip-Clebridge Municipal District.
The district was formed last year after the abolition of town councils and operates as part of Kildare County Council. The council itself has a mayor, who has a chain of office, but the new municipal district doesn’t yet have one.

Last Friday, it was suggested that the district purchase a new chain. Although no price was put on the purchase, a similar chain cost South Kerry around €5,000 last year.:o

The chain of office that had been used by the now-disbanded Leixlip Town Council has been in storage and will be used by Naas Municipal District after being altered at a cost believed to be around €400.
Independent councillor Bernard Caldwell had suggested using part of the Leixlip- Celbridge Local Property Tax allocation of €333,000 to purchase the chain, something his Sinn Féin colleague Ide Cussen told TheJournal.ie is “totally unnecessary”.
“We don’t have to get a chain of office. You can have a badge or a name tag.”
Cussen said that if the chain was to be bought, it should come out of the Cathaoirleach’s €12,000 allowance. She says that this idea has been rejected.
Nobody [who supports the idea] knows how much these things cost, but there’s no such thing as “only a couple of thousand euro”.
“I’m not in the business of buying big gold chains.”
She says that she reacted angrily to the suggestion.
“I went through the roof. I made a big gasp. I’m outraged at the idea that someone would suggest using a tax a lot of people were against on a chain.
It’s like Lord Farqhuar from Shrek, walking around with a big chain on. The Local Property Tax shouldn’t be used to buy bling for anyone.
Aesthetics
However, Caldwell told TheJournal.ie that the chain was a symbol that helped represent the area.
The chain is used for a lot of functions and a lot of other districts are getting them.
We have to look good. There’s no point showing up to meet dignitaries looking run down. We’re not a run down country.
Caldwell said that despite his suggestion to take the money from the LPT fund, he is not averse to the chain being sponsored.
“I suggested we take it from the LPT, but we’re not squandering money.

fecking disgraceful waste of LPT funds which where not collected for this blatant waste by caldwell..
:mad:

2 quotes from the journal comments rings through for me.
Not disconnected from reality. Just couldn’t give toss and dip into tax money when ever and where ever they feel like. Disgusting. Hope the people don’t vote that tosser back in. Ah sure I want a five grand bit of gold around my neck because it makes me look important and not s peasant.

Lord Farqhuar from Shrek, walking around with a big chain on. The Local Property tax paying for it ,,,only in Ireland would this jump up clown be elected

http://kildaretoday.podomatic.com/entry/2015-06-23T07_41_49-07_00#.VYmHe4Xwy88.facebook

delahuntv

Remember we are in holiday season for news and election mode for politicians - every bit of local sh1te will be used by different political persons to get media coverage.

One single independent councillor does not make decisions anywhere.

Remember SF are the champions of spin and any story that they can spin to their advantage is rolled out.



In a old school group I'm in we have a chain of office - it cost £800 back in 1995 (paid for by a commercial company as a gift). Its used about 6 times a year, but it is of significance when worn and most school unions would have similar.

IMO, if someone is representing an official group, then a chain of office should be used at official events and payment for it could come from a local company or out of an entertainment budget. Cost would be less than €2k as these are just plated objects.


But making a story out of one single councillors opinion - that's silly season for you.

L1011

They're point blank refusing to use the existing Leixlip chain for bull**** "history" reasons (Leixlip Town is a 1980s invention - not particularly historical), and I'm fairly sure the far larger Maynooth MD has no chain.

Bernard Caldwell is dyed in the wool FF and only "independent" as he wasn't selected. Pretty typical FF behaviour, assuming tax revenues are their own to fritter.

davycc

L1011 wrote: »

They're point blank refusing to use the existing Leixlip chain for bull**** "history" reasons (Leixlip Town is a 1980s invention - not particularly historical), and I'm fairly sure the far larger Maynooth MD has no chain.

Bernard Caldwell is dyed in the wool FF and only "independent" as he wasn't selected. Pretty typical FF behaviour, assuming tax revenues are their own to fritter.

great points and what makes it worse is the fact there where 2 spare chains that could have been used..
he is a FFAIL independant not used to women standing upto him..

here is the pig shouting on kfm, showing his true colours justifing wasting our LPT tax

http://kildaretoday.podomatic.com/entry/2015-06-23T07_41_49-07_00#.VYmHe4Xwy88.facebook

BuffyBot

Folks, start making reasoned and civil posts of this thread is going to have short life.

Thread title edited to make it less axe-grindy

davycc

listen to the kfm interview and make your own mind up,

recedite

What are they planning to do with the Leixlip chain? Pay for it to be stored in a vault? Make it disappear?

Maybe Presidents or Mayors should have one. But the Chairman? Why not get one for the Janitor too?
Mayoral chains of office used to be awarded by the monarch.

Various forms of livery were used in the Middle Ages to denote attachment to a great person by friends, servants, and political supporters.

from wiki

I think a Golden Fleece would be more appropriate ceremonial attire for this guy. From a bit further down the same wiki page...

Collars of various devices are worn by the knights of some of the European orders of knighthood. The custom was begun by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, who gave his knights of the Golden Fleece, badges of a golden fleece hung from a collar of flints, steels and sparks. Following this new fashion, Louis XI of France, when instituting his order of St. Michael in 1469, gave the knights collars of scallop shells linked on a chain.

Much more fashionable, as it says there. It could be linked together with barnacle shells. Or cockles and mussels.

davycc

another comment showing how out of touch they are from the journal:D

However, Caldwell told TheJournal.ie that the chain was a symbol that helped represent the area.

‘We have to look twelfth century. There’s no point showing up to meet dignitaries looking sensible. We’re a mock feudal country.’:pac:

quadrifoglio verde

Chains, ill give him a set of chains....nice heavy ones of an old boat anchor.
Honestly, that 5k while not much could go towards something useful for the area. Give 2.5K to each of the tidy towns, rather than some overpriced bling

DellyBelly

I'm outraged with this. I blame the sitting government

davycc

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Chains, ill give him a set of chains....nice heavy ones of an old boat anchor.
Honestly, that 5k while not much could go towards something useful for the area. Give 2.5K to each of the tidy towns, rather than some overpriced bling

agree and its the brass neck to even suggest the LPT funds should be abused for another chain..another stab in the back to the taxpayer

such a sense of self serving entitlement- notice he wont use the extra 12k expenses allocated to the chair to buy his precious chain..

davycc

BuffyBot wrote: »

Folks, start making reasoned and civil posts of this thread is going to have short life.

Thread title edited to make it less axe-grindy

mod:)
the proposal was voted 5 against 2 that they buy a Chain. It's only a matter of where the money comes from and Caldwell is pushing for LPT to buy it.