Sir, How can one vote for Mr John Bruton? He barely made it into the Dail at the last election, with the result that, when given the opportunity for power, he seemed prepared to do anything to seize and retain it. This meant going into coalition with two parties which were philosophically opposed to his own, and despite previous protestations that he would never do business with the leader of one of them. Not only that, but he then allocated to these parties the key Government Ministries, created new and unnecessary Junior Ministries and, in the years following, virtually allowed these two parties to dictate the decision making process. How can one vote for a party that allowed this to happen? I am reminded of Lord Acton's dictum that "power tends to corrupt."
How can one vote for Mr Dick Spring? He and his party call themselves socialists, but their public lives show the extent to which they, too, enjoy the trappings of power, spending tax payers' money in the process. We all remember the reports of Mr Spring's disdaining Fitzpatrick's Hotel in New York in favour of the more upmarket Waldorf. Evidently, he sees himself as bestriding the world as a Colossus. Difficult to forget also are those reports of his use of helicopter service for journeys home to Kerry while the State car had to travel down to rendezvous with him at the airport.
Meanwhile, the Labour and Democratic Left parties refuse to consider any reform of the Social Welfare System or any significant privatisation which most other Western countries have already embarked upon. Such reforms would go some way towards alleviating the overburdened PAYE sector. (The politicians, of course, pay tax on only half their salary and receive excessively generous allowances free of tax.) I have no doubt that both the Labour Party and the Democratic Left Party want to maintain a populace which is dependent on the State in the hopes, perhaps, that such dependence will maintain them in power. Shades of Machiavelli's Prince? In the meanwhile Fine Gael, which might have been the catalyst for such reforms, once again allows the Left to have its way. How, I ask, can anyone vote for such parties?
And that, precisely, is my dilemma, just as it is, I am sure, the dilemma of all others who take voting seriously. Fianna Fail as alternative? Their past record does not give one much confidence.
Perhaps the Progressive Democrats deserve a chance; they appear to be more honest. But I am sufficiently cynical about political parties and politicians to wonder how the power of office might change them. This cynicism seems justified: with the approach of the general election there is a stampede as each party rushes to be the first to accede to lobby groups, however questionable or costly their demands may be. Edmund Burke understood it very well: "Those who have been once intoxicated with power ... can never willingly abandon it."
Yours etc.,
Kilgraigue,
Co. Meath