
 |
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon With its colorful cache of purples and oranges and reds, COLLARD GREEN SLAW is a marvelous mood booster --- not to mention just downright delish
April 18, 2014
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Clarifying one of the greatest philosophical conundrums in theology
John Ericson: Trying hard to be 'positive' but never succeeding? Blame Your Brain
The Kosher Gourmet by Julie Rothman Almondy, flourless torta del re (Italian king's cake), has royal roots, is simple to make, . . . but devour it because it's simply delicious
April 14, 2014
Rabbi Dr Naftali Brawer: Passover frees us from the tyranny of time
Eric Schulzke: First degree: How America really recovered from a murder epidemic
Georgia Lee: When love is not enough: Teaching your kids about the realities of adult relationships
Gordon Pape: How you can tell if your financial adviser is setting you up for potential ruin
Dana Dovey: Up to 500,000 people die each year from hepatitis C-related liver disease. New Treatment Has Over 90% Success Rate
Justin Caba: Eating Watermelon Can Help Control High Blood Pressure
April 11, 2014
Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Silence is much more than golden
Susan Swann: How to value a child for who he is, not just what he does
Susan Scutti: A Simple Blood Test Might Soon Diagnose Cancer
Chris Weller: Have A Slow Metabolism? Let Science Speed It Up For You
April 9, 2014
Jonathan Tobin: Why Did Kerry Lie About Israeli Blame?
Samuel G. Freedman: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Jessica Ivins: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Matthew Mientka: How Beans, Peas, And Chickpeas Cleanse Bad Cholesterol and Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
April 8, 2014
Dana Dovey: Coffee Drinkers Rejoice! Your Cup Of Joe Can Prevent Death From Liver Disease
Chris Weller: Electric 'Thinking Cap' Puts Your Brain Power Into High Gear
April 4, 2014
Amy Peterson: A life of love: How to build lasting relationships with your children
John Ericson: Older Women: Save Your Heart, Prevent Stroke Don't Drink Diet
John Ericson: Why 50 million Americans will still have spring allergies after taking meds
Sarah Boesveld: Teacher keeps promise to mail thousands of former students letters written by their past selves
April 2, 2014
Dan Barry: Should South Carolina Jews be forced to maintain this chimney built by Germans serving the Nazis?
Frank Clayton: Get happy: 20 scientifically proven happiness activities
Susan Scutti: It's Genetic! Obesity and the 'Carb Breakdown' Gene
|
| |
Jewish World Review
July 30, 2009
/ 9 Menachem-Av 5769
The Arrogant and the ignorant
By
Cal Thomas
| 
|
|
|
| |
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND On my last visit to the UK three months ago, Members of Parliament were embroiled in a scandal involving outrageous expense claims for such things as moat cleaning, a baby crib and second homes that were sometimes occupied by friends and relatives, or not at all.
For the first time since 1695, a speaker of the House of Commons was forced to resign and Prime Minister Gordon Brown (who also had questionable expenses) saw several of his ministers quit. Brown and Tory leader David Cameron, whose Conservatives were also caught up in the scandal, though to a far lesser extent because they were mostly out of power, pledged to clean up the system. Instead, the just announced "clean up" makes the former expenses system look good or at least better a seemingly impossible feat.
Ignoring a nationwide outcry against politicians engaged in the expenses scandal, the Daily Telegraph reports that a small committee of MPs charged with reforming the system and restoring public trust, have introduced new rules that allow members to claim twice as much in expenses (up to 9,125 pounds, or a little more than $15,000US) as they had previously. And they don't have to provide receipts. Try getting away with that at your job.
The Daily Telegraph, which broke the initial expenses story, says the new rules were published on a Parliamentary Web page with no public debate and no announcement before members slipped out of town for their long summer holiday.
| FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER |
| Every weekday NewsAndOpinion.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here. |
|
The new speaker, John Bercow, had campaigned to replace the former speaker, Michael Martin, by promising to reform "the system of Parliamentary expenses." And yet Bercow was on the committee that produced this new and more outrageous system.
What is it about politicians? Do they suffer from a genetic fault that produces such arrogance for the public and ignorance about who they are supposed to serve? So far, no one has had the gall to blame this monumental lapse of judgment on the swine flu epidemic that has gripped Britain, but give them time.
Under the new rules, which are actually not rules at all, MPs have total discretion concerning how the money is spent and they are not accountable to any Parliamentary body, much less the public.
Under the new system, as the Telegraph states, MPs Ann and Alan Keen, who are married, could claim the maximum expense amount per year on top of the generous expenses they are paid for mortgage interest, the local council tax and utility bills, not to mention a large housing allowance of 24,000 pounds (nearly $40,000US), which is a slight increase over last year. No wonder people want to become politicians. With deals like this, why would they mind raising taxes when the public not only has to pay its share, but part of a politician's share as well?
In a major understatement, the Daily Telegraph says, "The fact that such a substantial amount has been agreed by MPs without public debate is certain to anger voters further." Ya think? But these people apparently don't give a fig for what the public thinks or they would have reformed both themselves and the outrageous expenses system, which has angered the public and led to a sharp decline in public approval not only for Labour, but also for politicians in general. Maybe Shakespeare should have written that after "kill(ing) all the lawyers," someone should term-limit the politicians. "Stop them before they expense again!" would be a good rallying cry.
Following last spring's outing of MPs gone wild, Gordon Brown spoke of how "essential" it was to restore public confidence in government. Clearly, this latest fiasco will send what's left of that confidence into the loo.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
| BUY THE BOOK |
| Click HERE to purchase it at a discount. (Sales help fund JWR.). |
|
Cal Thomas Archives JWR contributor Cal Thomas is co-author with Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic Party strategist, of "Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America". Comment by clicking here.
© 2006, Tribune Media Services, Inc.
|
|
Columnists
Toons
Lifestyles
|