Unparalled Heroism in RTE

Very distressing news today, I'm afraid. It looks like pay cuts are coming to RTE. (Irish Times)

I know the cynics and begrudgers — and you know who you are! — will say many of RTÉ's brightest stars are paid too much. But Pat Kenny, (known affectionately as "The Plank" by his many, many admirers), Gerry Ryan, Ryan Turdity and many others have fearlessly stood up to the government during the boom to demand why our money was being squandered. They have done so at tremendous personal risk to themselves and their professional reputations.

While newspapers around the country were gorging themselves on advertising revenues from property advertising, RTÉ was holding down pay costs of its brightest stars and putting money aside for a rainy day! Did you ever see RTÉ induldge in "property porn" type shows? No, they were all very tastefully done. They were more like nude art, for crying out loud!

Unfortunately, the downturn has been so severe that even the far-sighted management at RTÉ has been caught. RTÉ's brightest stars have been fearless in holding the government to account. They have earned our undieing gratitude. In fact, people were so impressed with Pat Kenny that his neighbour even gave him some land!

Everyone in RTÉ soldiers on with an honest, unflappable, professional attidude. I can safely say that during my many, many happy hours watching them that not even one of them is smug!

I say now, it is time to increase the licence fee. We need to share the pain and help RTÉ.

Thank God Cullen is Still With Us!

Martin Cullen, our dear Republic's heroic Minister for Tourism, could have died!

The minister, who is not incompetent, was travelling in an Air Corps helicopter this past weekend when a door fell off. Costing only €8,000 to bring him from Waterford to Kerry and on to Dublin, this trip has been criticised by some as wasteful. (More about it in today's Irish Independent.)

Begrudgers — and you know who you are — will say Cullen already has a State Mercedes and ties up two Gardaí as chauffeurs. These same begrudgers will probably redden with indignation as they point out that an Aer Aran aerfaer from Dublin to Kerry is less than €50. These begrudgers would probably go ballistic when they find out that their taxes are about to shoot up to pay for the economic mismanagment and corruption engineered by Cullen and his ilk.

I have just one thing to say to those same bitter, little people: 2002 & 2007. Where will you be in 2012?