Student Union Groups: Training Grounds for the Scumbag Psychopath Politicians of the Future

It's been a long time since I myself had 'dabbled' in college before realising it just wasn't for me. However, the deciding factor was funnily enough, student union groups and college politics. Although these groups profess to serve the interests of the students, in reality, they only exist as a training ground for the politicians of the next generation.

From what I recall, and from what people still tell me today, just about any individual involved in a student union is a piece of shit of the highest order (not just in Ireland, the same reports coming in from the UK). They do not do anything for the students. The whole concept only exists to serve the personal and political aspirations of the people running these student bodies.

A recent story I was told about, concerns the Student Union body at University College Dublin (UCD), where due to the recession in Ireland and cut-backs in tuition, students are being prevented - ejected according to some reports - from the library for being unable to afford fees. The UCD Students Union body have done nothing about this. 

At the same time, the following was posted to an Irish message board which does not surprise me one bit.

The author claimed that the UCD students union were a collection of self-serving upper middle-class 'socialists' and 'sociopaths' with political ambitions - mainly in Left Wing politics. The history of the union includes; not even having an accountant, nor publishing their expenses. Eventually it was discovered that 1 Million Euros was missing from their accounts. They mismanaged the operation of the Student Bar on the campus - one of the busiest in Ireland - which had to close with a loss of several full-time staff jobs. One of the former Student Union leaders at UCD, directly involved in the missing money, (and this was verified by the rest of the forum) is the arrogant son of a very prominent Irish politician would hire a private limo to ferry himself and his cronies between the campus and the Radison Hotel across the street. Other politically connected members of the UCD student union group claimed living expenses while still at home with their parents.

Since then, these individuals in some case are now firmly embedded within Irish politics demanding Irish people adapt to austerity and stop being so whiny and pay all the draconian tax being foisted upon them. 

Here is the story concerning the missing money:

The Revenue Commissioners, which is owed nearly €400,000 in unpaid tax liabilities, have been contacted. - Irish Independent

A meeting at the university campus last night, attended by over 100 students, was given details of the union's deficit following a thorough audit of its financial affairs from 2007 to June last year.

It uncovered a lack of systematic book-keeping; missing bank statements, paperwork and cheque stubs; and evidence that the union had paid employees without deducting tax.

Gerry McNally, of McNally Business Services Ltd, told the meeting he had been called in to "get a position in terms of what the financial status of the union was" and to "put systems in place to make sure that the problems do not go forward".

With an annual turnover of around €4m, the union was a "big organisation by Irish standards" and included four retail outlets, Mr McNally said.

"There has been no real control of day-to-day spending."

Cheques 

He said his team had uncovered a "really poor, or lack of management" in financial activities.

Slides shown during the half-hour presentation cited a "lack of clarity and transparency between (union) entities" and "no formal management reporting" as well as "substandard books and records".

"We couldn't find cheques written so we couldn't find out who cheques had been written to," said Mr McNally.

There were up to 23,000 bank transactions over the four-year period and as many as 10,000 of these held no initial explanation.

While the trawl of the union's books has been completed, it must be signed off by an external accountant -- a process likely to take another two months.

It was unclear last night what action, if any, the Revenue is likely to take, although the meeting heard that the union could face interest and penalties on the €397,000 outstanding in tax liabilities.

Union shop losses over the period ran to some €358,000 and general cost overruns within the organisation itself reached €210,000.

Mr McNally said that formal structures had now been put in place to ensure that the situation does not arise again.

Income 

In the meantime, the union is facing the prospect of seeking a hefty bank loan of up to €900,000 in order to pay its bills. It is unclear what financial involvement, if any, the university has in the union's affairs or whether it will be in a position to offer any assistance.

However, referring to income received from student registration, union president Pat de Brun said: "We are in a pretty unique position because not many businesses can go in and say we have guaranteed income of €700,000 a year."

Thomas Sheridan is an independent alternative artist, author, satirist, musician, public speaker, broadcaster and researcher currently based in the West of Ireland. His illustrations have appeared on the covers of newsstand magazines, books and websites worldwide. 

The Anvil of the Psyche is considered a vital manual for personal and social survival in a world controlled by greed and false hopes. Thomas' writings and interviews have evolutionised people to build a firewall around their own psyche and not to be lured into handing over personal independence to an exterior collective or guru. As a result, his NO CONTACT EVER AGAIN philosophy applied to controlling individuals and groups has made Thomas an enemy of mind-controlled death cults and neo-Nazi fringe groups.  Thomas has also been featured in several films and documentaries.