How many times do we hear the usual garb from politicians that something isn’t “right thing to do”? It is beginning to grate on me that politicians, particularly in this country are detached from reality in an alarming way. The current abortion bill is proof of that. A government minister has admitted that the bill doesn’t go far enough. Then why is it being pushed through? The current bill in my mind is crowd appeasement. It’s like the government are telling us that you wanted an abortion bill, now you have one. It’s flimsy at best and doesn’t cover enough ground. By the time a woman goes through the rigmarole set out in the bill, she will have had the child.

I have a few questions for the current batch of TD’s. Let’s start with Fine Gael.

The first question is: do you realise that you will have to face re-election? You may have a large majority, but even you will face a campaign to get re-elected. How will you explain away the lies? Household charges, household tax, water charges, continuing bank bailouts, bankers pay, cuts to carers; do I need to go on? The taxpayers are taxed at every turn. I received two bills at the start of June, and both had gone up in cost. When inspected both bills, the common denominator was “government levy”. Just how do you expect Irish taxpayers to keep coming up with the money to pay extra taxes? And what are we getting for our extra taxes? Better health systems? Better education facilities? Better respite care? Nope. Just the bank debt is reduced. I’m not interested in bank balances, I’m interested in people being able to feed, and clothe themselves.

My second question relates to the bank bailout. Why? Tell me why a bank’s debt is my responsibility? You will blame the previous government and I will get to them. But you are carrying on the legacy of saving the banks at the expense of the citizens. Why? When you were canvassing for your election win, did you not see the state of the country? Or did you conveniently ignore it? Did you not rail against the guarantee, and promise to adjust it in once in power? And now you tell us there is nothing you can do, that it’s the law? Is it not law that was created? Why can’t it be un-created? Because the entire monetary system will collapse you tell me. Tell me how? If you guarantee peoples deposits and funding for businesses, how does the system collapse? The taxpayers still have their savings, and businesses have their credit, how does the system collapse? Would this not have made more economic sense that paying bondholders? At least by the suggestion above, taxpayers have money in their pockets, confidence that their savings are safe while businesses can continue trading while credit is secure. And you as government will continue to have a tax income from working citizens and more of them, rather than less of tax because businesses can’t access credit or it’s too expensive and people are petrified to spend savings they may need in the future. But what do I know?

My next question is for you as people. Are you not also a taxpayer and Irish citizens? When you keep saying that the Irish people need to pay the bill now that the party is over. Are you including yourself in this group? Or are you exempt? When you speak of “making the tough decisions”, who’s making these decisions? Is it you or other interests? Have any one you stood up and enough is enough? But then again why would you. The tough decisions need to be made we’re told and anyone who disagrees is out. Why risk your political career for the sake of the taxpayers? No point in that. The nation isn’t that important.

Last question. Are you not a democratic party? Lucinda Creighton et al anyone? Is one not entitled to opinions? I guess not unless it’s the party opinion. Or can you disagree in private, but not in public? I suppose we can get the true story when you come canvassing. Wait. In my twenty years as a voter, I have yet to be canvassed by your party. That tells me then.

Next up are Labour. I’m confused. Are you not the Labour party? Why aren’t you looking after the workers, who are the taxpayers? Jim Larkin must be turning in his grave. The current Labour party are so far removed from their foundations, that it’s not even the same ball game. How did you stand idly by while the household charges and household tax were being mooted, never mind put into force? How did you not resign office over the continuing bank bailout? Did you fight the water rates? All of these government levies that are being incurred; how did you stand up and walk out? Or were they your ideas?

Next question is along the same theme. As one of your senior politicians referred to when he said that electioneering shouldn’t be taken too seriously, should we take you seriously? I take my vote seriously, and follow the news and politics to make an informed selection. Do you? Or are you just sweet talking me in the hope that I will forget all once you’ve been elected? Seriously? Do you think that little of me? Maybe, just maybe, I have an opinion and I will be exercising it come election time. But then again, I could be just messing with you. I could ask you all of the questions that I have asked of Fine Gael as above, but I’m not sure if I’d get the real or election response. And were you not elected to keep Fine Gael in check? Or are you above that, now that you’re in power.

Onto Sinn Fein. This is fairly simple. Really? You’re not just patronizing us? All of the Government work and bills are wrong, and if elected you will change the way things are. Where have I heard that before? I’m getting numb to all of the moral indignation you are suffering in Dail Eireann when in Northern Ireland government, you were doing what? Telling me that you are representing my best interest, when I’m not sure what your best interests are is troubling me.

I’m sure I will get bitter now that I have come to Fianna Fail. My first question is fairly simple. Do you think I have the memory of a gold fish? Or should I just forgive and forget now that you changed your ways and become one of the good guys again? I heard your party leader in interview lately and I’m amazed that the interviewer didn’t address his questions with “Mr Van Winkle, now that you have re-awoken...”.

Now let’s get into it. The Bank bailout. Quite simply, why? Why guarantee debts and not just savings? By guaranteeing the banks debts and saving the bondholders, you set this country back at least 30 years. Let me boil it down for you. I have losing tickets from bookmakers for several lost bets; can I have my money back please? My pension fund got obliterated; can I have that refunded please? Of course not because I’m an adult and I knew the risks when I paid my money. Is that it, are the bondholders not adults? Did they not know the risks? Oh. That changes everything.

Can I ask who the “golden ten” are, or should I just sit on the bold step for even asking? You created the bank guarantee and bailed out the bondholders and then blamed the Irish taxpayer. You all partied we were told. We all got rich during the boom we were told. Now it’s time to pay we were told. Forgive me a moment, this guilt is all consuming. Wait, I didn’t get rich, did I? I paid all my taxes while working bloody hard and put away whatever money I could. Like my parents, who recalled previous recessions, told me to. I don’t drive a new car, live in a ten bedroom mansion. I struggle to pay my bills like the majority of the Irish Population. Because of your bank bailout, my best friends emigrated and the rest are either unemployed or living miles away from their families. How’s that for sacrifice, or is that not what you meant? Yes, I earned good money in the private sector during the boom, but I also worked 60+ hours a week for it. I earned, paid my taxes and also spent. I came out of the boom unemployed and back in college retraining. I’m not bitter I lost my job or went back to education. But I am bitter that you are telling me I must pay for my “partying”. Tell you what, when you show me the millions I made during the boom: I’ll give it all to you to pay off my part in the bailout. Best of luck in that search, you can’t find what doesn’t exist.

Can I ask whose idea the bailout was? Was it yours, the banks, or the golden circle, or someone else? And when the vote arrived which way did all of the deputies votes? All in favour? Majority rules? Or was it tic-tac-toe? I ask because the bailout was insane. All of bank debt? Why? What would be so wrong of letting a bank fail? And I think we both know which bank I’m referring to. Guarantee peoples hard earned deposits, yes. Investor gambles? Why? I played poker in college; can I have the money I lost in losing hands back? Don’t be silly I hear you say. Oh well, you started it. Without the bank bailout the country was facing collapse you told us, and that you saved us all. You see, I don’t buy that. I can see the value of guaranteeing savers deposits, balances and business credits. Fair enough, but not debts. Banks nor bondholders. Banks are businesses and I have the bank bills here to prove it. They make bad investments are we all do. But they don’t pay my debts off, should I pay theirs? Maybe I could pay your debts off too, why not? Or maybe you could pay my debts off?

One of my biggest questions is how you let Bertie Ahern away with so much? I will never forgive Mr. Ahern for telling people who were as he put it “moaning about the economy” to “go and commit suicide”. My good God. And you let him away with it. No scolding nor loss of office. He apologized yes, but the damage was done. Suicide is a huge problem for the country and Mr. Ahern says that. And you let him away with it? You should be ashamed. But of course you weren’t exactly thoughtful of the general public, were you? A drunken leader on morning radio anyone? Look everyone is entitled to a night out, and a few beers. And to be hungover. But if you are, don’t go on National radio. Don’t be so disrespectful to the electorate that you don’t think to decline the interview. “Here lads, I’ve the flu, can we re-arrange?” But then again, maybe he was at the party we’ve heard so much about, and are now paying for.

All of the above brings me to an obvious question. Is politics preventing the right thing from being done? Are regulations being dumped because TD’s won’t get re-elected if the regulations go through? How can a TD be dumped from government for representing their constituency? I often wonder the job Michael O’Leary or Michael Smurfit would do in government? They would certainly cut the unnecessary red tape and needless expense. But when I mention this in conversation people tell me why that can’t happen and I always ask why. Why can’t government be run like businesses? The answer given is because of politics. Personal needs over national needs, and political gains over practical needs. Democracy has failed and we need a new system. Any ideas?