The mentality of someone who rips off the taxpayer is comprehensible. The taxpayer is invisible, indeed the individual himself is one and just getting back some of what he put in.
But ripping off a charity? I suppose donors are also invisible. But the recipients of the charity, especially children, certainly aren't.
I began volunteering in 2004 and up until last year, when I had a client that involved more travel than previous clients, I didn't claim for mileage. I had made a reasonably sized donation to the charity and it seemed illogical to then take money out. But last year I wasn't as flush and when I was asked to take on a client some distance away said yes, but that I would have to claim for mileage.
So if Roger McClay has been ripping off various charities, has he fallen on hard times or is it simply a matter of greed? Perhaps he really rates himself and mentally justifies his actions because they are damn lucky to have his services. Maybe he has a gambling addiction or some other expensive hobby.
Whatever has happened in his head, it is sad to see someone throw away their reputation and future prospects because he will get little sympathy and probably no second chances. And now that I look for a link to the story I discover one of the charities he is accused of ripping off is World Vision, who we have supported for nearly twenty years. Thanks Roger. I wasn't faceless after all.
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4 comments:
And another excellent argument for taking away these ridiculous perks we give to ex-MP's.
It's crazy. And doesn't, rightfully, happen in the private sector for obvious reasons.
In my view the mentality involved is a result of the over inflated egos of these people, and their lack of of facing up to the reality that their actual capabilities are extremely limited.
We have plenty these jokers that are asked to be board members of all manner of organisations on the basis of who they know, not of what they know. They consciously know of, and actively use, this wheels within wheels character of their 'networks', but manage to convince themselves that they possess superb managerial or expert skills. Whatever compensation is available for the "work" they undertake will always be less than what they consider themselves to be worth, and they therefore are capable of forming and maintaining a mindset that gives them the moral right or entitlement to maximise their revenue streams. Exactly the same mental state can be found in politicians per se.
When this mental attitude is coupled with the opportunity of obtaining funds without scrutiny, the temptation is simply too high, and can even become something of an addiction, like shoplifting or gambling.
Examples abound where the smallest of temptations cannot be resisted and become their downfall.
The solution is really simple: once it is made impossible to extract monies without scrutiny, the temptation disappears. The recipe for returning honesty to public servants and those working for public purposes is transparency. All information about remuneration and expense claims of all public servants must be available online in simply to search databases. Charities could do this as well, and could thereby attract more funding, as they demonstrate how they use the monies entrusted to them.
I'd like to know how he got caught.
I suspect he got caught through random audits being carried out or someone spoke up. Its all about greed. Having had the good life thanks to the beneficience of the taxpayer, its hard to go back to the old life.
Its no different for rural District councillors in remote areas claiming for milage when they are on private/council business. If they can squeeze a buck out of the system, they claim.
Dirk.
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