Inside View from Ireland: Hat Tip to Gavin Sheridan

TODAY'S QIK CLIP of the Sunday Tribune fails to mention the tireless work of Gavin Sheridan and TheStory.ie, two well-written blogs that deserve a lot of credit for the spotlight they've shown on the unfortunate state of overpaid and self-serving Irish politicians. The Sunday Tribune continues its formulaic approach to the predictable spending patterns of national politicians in Ireland but misses the opportunity to set an agenda early on its front page. [1] One of the solutions--to impose a requirement that Irish politicians present receipts for reimbursement--should be part of the stories that enjoy front page coverage in the Sunday Tribune. The idea sits deeper in the paper, after a two-page spread that details all the generous expense payments enjoyed at the expense of the Irish tax payer. [5] The system that has legitimised over-the-top payments to politicians has to change in a country has a population smaller than Philadelphia.

Sunday Tribune 25 Oct 09

Qik Clip: http://qik.com/video/3326422 and short Sunday News clips by Bernie Goldbach.

The Tribune's pages also point out that Irish travel to New York City hasn't scaled back, the Dublin bicycle rental scheme is years ahead of target, and that kidnapped GOAL worker Sharon Commins talked in Irish to confuse her captors.

1. Ken Foxe -- "Exposed: Top 10 Dail expenses claimants" on the front page of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

2. Mark Hillard -- "Shoppers ignore economic crisis for festive pilgrimage to New York" in the News section of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

3. Shane Coleman -- "Commins spoke 'as Gaelilge' to fool captors" in the News section of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

4. Mark Hillard -- "Free-wheeling fair city" in the News section of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

5. Ken Foxe -- "Life at your expense" in a two-page spread in the News section of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

6. Emmet Oliver -- "Time for Lenihan to get tough with banks on lending" in the Business section of the Sunday Tribune, 25 Oct 09.

7. Education article -- "Time to give something back" in the Sunday Tribune 25 Oct 09.