This week our sister paper, the Andersonstown News, revealed that while St Patrick's Day festivities will once again have to be paid for from our own pockets Belfast City Council is set to spend around £10,000 on entertaining members of the RIR and British Army.
And in somewhat of a contradiction there has been a public outcry from unionist politicians in the North as the US government mulls over whether or not to invite any of the political parties to next month's St Patrick's Day reception in Washington DC.
It's a reception that political representatives from the North have long been making their way to… right from the first invite from the then President Bill Clinton in 1993.
But this week the UUP's David Trimble and DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson both stood up for their right to attend a St Patrick's Day reception in America's capital city.
The two unionists have stated that they should not be stopped from going to America to enjoy the carnival atmosphere of St Patrick's Day in plush surroundings because of "the actions of the IRA".
These politicians and the others who attend have every right to do so; if they are invited they will be guests of the American government. But it seem something of an inconsistency for political parties on one hand to knock back funding for a St Patrick's Day event in Ireland while on the other stamping their feet because the US government may not invite them to this year's knees-up in George Bush's home.
The Irish Tricolour, a common thorn mentioned time and time again when the St Patrick's Day issue is discussed at council, is sure to be flying proudly at the celebration of our patron saint in the White House.
Bill Clinton didn't take it down to keep unionists happy in 1993 and it's a sure bet that George Bush will have it proudly flying on March 17 too.
Yet colleagues of both unionists helped knock back a funding request in Belfast City Council for £30,000 to fund a day of entertainment and fun not only for the people of our fair city, but for the thousands of tourists who flock to the city for the gala occasion.
The PUP's Billy Hutchinson last week backed the proposals to fund the St Patrick's Day carnival this year saying that it was time to stop looking to the past.
He believes, and rightly so, that the carnival committee genuinely tried to reach out to the protestant community and in his own words – "we have to start looking to the future".
It's a shame that DUP, UUP and Alliance councillors in Belfast don't listen to his words and think again.
Lord Mayor Tom Ekin has every right to host an event for the British army if he so wishes. But the rest of us equally have a right to celebrate one of the most important cultural days in our calendar in the city of Belfast without the carnival committee having to fundraise by walking the streets looking for donations from the people of our city.
The UUP, DUP and Alliance councillors who knocked back funding for the event need to think long and hard between now and the next crunch council meeting on Tuesday.
