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redflyfisher

Listed below are comments made by redflyfisher between Sunday, 30th August 2009 and Friday, 27th November 2009.

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£7,000 wage hike? 09:09am on 27 Nov 2009 Mark
Have you looked at William McCrea's claim? The MP, MLA,Councillor, performer and preacher? He claims to work 13.85 hours a day, seven days a week. So these figures are claimed without reference to eating, sleeping or travel between the four roles and positions he is paid for. I am surprised that this glaring claim escaped the notice of those assessing the report. Perhaps the Assembly officials will help explain it to you in the same way they responded to your Assembly Roadshow story.
£138? No, it's £101 08:48am on 27 Nov 2009 Mark,
Surely your response to those Assembly Officials included the point that without their "advertising" the likelihood of any member of the public showing up to the roadshows ranked between slim and none?
£150,000 07:46am on 11 Nov 2009 Since the issue of the costs of Assembly/Parliamentary questions was raised on BBC Nolan it is remarkable that accurate information on costs was not broadcast when provided. It seems that the BBC would rather keep the public in the dark (dependent upon the presenter or ill-informed MLAs) than let the public, who actually pay the costs) decide whether or not they receive value for money. We have now lurched from MLA expenses to the expense of MLAs work.
This information was taken from the UK Parliament Library site. http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publicati
ons_and_archives/factsheets.cfm

"Cost of questions

There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold (DCT) which is the cost level above which Departments can refuse to answer a Parliamentary Question. The DCT for written answers is currently £750. In terms of expenditure incurred and the time and effort spent, as at December 2007 the average cost was £140 for a written question and £385 for an oral question
2.
From December 2008 the average cost of a written question was £149 and for an oral question £4103. The latter figure takes into account the additional research and briefing for possible supplementary questions . The fact that Members continue to put down questions at the rate of several hundred a day suggests that they regard this as money well spent in the pursuit of Ministerial accountability."

So this latest debacle will undoubtedly confirm the invaluable and cost-effective contribution of our mandatory coalition government. The BBC have their own case to answer.
No Expenses Spared 09:52am on 18 Oct 2009 spinspamspun
I think that you attempt to demonize the TUV/Jim Allister in an attempt to deny what you and others know but won't admit. The very structure of the mandatory coalition at Stormont gives rise to zero sum politics and the widening of the gap between the political class and those who live in the real world. It will never work for anyone other than the fascists.
I have no competition of interest in the matters raised in my post. I used the example as one of many where the politicians and their "researchers" have failed to examine or comment on waste. Why express surprise on the expenses scandal when there is no system to hold the MLAs to account? I will point once again to the double/triple jobbing issue and ask - where are the media campaigns to end this practice? Is it the case that they too are guilty of having cake and eating it too?
No Expenses Spared 07:49am on 16 Oct 2009 Is Jim Allister's scepticism any more predictable than the arrogance of Assembly members in spending the taxpayers money? What appalls the average citizen is that there is no substantial effort by the media, including the BBC, to apply investigative techniques to uncover these stories ahead of the choreographed, sanitised versions that are sold as news. For instance I notice that Jim Allister made a press statement about the development of a "Big Brother" type database on all schoolchildren, including the collection of information about members of the security forces, but despite all the research money claimed by the main political parties and the MLAs not one single word of concern has been raised. Was that also predictable? The failure of the multi-million pound computerised Incas assessment system contracted by CCEA for primary school pupils was only announced after parents complained about inaccuracies. Was that predictable also?
It should be remembered that after the Daily Telegraph scoop on expenses there was much hand-wringing on double-jobbing by our squeaky clean MPs and MLAs. Who has taken steps to end this travesty? Predictably - not one!
Life in the fast lane 08:02am on 30 Sep 2009 What's this about? I notice that Mark didn't mention the disability claim figure this morning on his Good Morning Ulster report. I thought we were going to get full disclosure.
Straight answers 07:30am on 23 Sep 2009 Mark, you really are naive if you think anyone, even a BBC political reporter, will receive a straight answer from the increasingly fascist DUP nad their mentors Sinn Fein.
The public have come to realise the inexorable truth behind the Stormont arrangement. The lack of response to your Heath Robinson thread indicates that insiders recognise the depth of the problem but want to bury their heads. No one of substance wants to admit that they backed the wrong horse but are content to watch them trot off to the glue factory.
Meanwhile 150 beds to close at the main Belfast hospitals when the flu season is getting underway and no outcry from the MLAs. P&J becomes part of a jolly trip and PR stunt. Durkan's revelation is a tacit admission that he and his party are done.
Stormont: the Heath Robinson connection 09:01am on 10 Sep 2009 Well done Mark for highlighting the frequent warnings from Bob McCartney over the perils of D'Hondt and the Assembly and Executive arrangements. Unfortunately so long as the Belfast "Good Friday" Agreement arrangements remain in place the public have no prospect of ridding themselves of the whims and veto power of the two main parties, Sinn Fein and the DUP. Stalemate forever sold as progress. Watch out for movement on the education issue linked to the P&J appointment.
Naming the Names 08:29am on 04 Sep 2009 Aunt Abbey seems appropriate for the Antrim and Newtownabbey district council. The assertion of "super" is a bit of a stretch. Antrim Borough Council is currently in deficit to the tune of £1.5 million while double jobbing councillors stand to get £35k for quitting. Our doddering old aunt is seemingly content to shaft the ratepayers and rob them blind.
Goodbye "Sir" Ted 08:35am on 30 Aug 2009 Mark,
Ted Kennedy's work for peace, justice and civil rights for the unionist community in Northern Ireland is legend. If you have any doubts just ask John Hume. During my twenty plus years living in the US most street opinion from travel coast to coast was that Ted Kennedy's support was reserved for "the struggle" and while not spelled out in specifics was implied support for the IRA Sinn Fein campaign to remove British influence. Kennedy was smart enough to realise where the votes could be garnered from but also realised where large amounts of the Democratic Party money came from. These were somewhat exclusive relationships as the NorAid money went to support the IRA and Kennedy had to be removed from that difficulty. Some of us don't choose to wear rose (Kennedy) coloured glasses.

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