A chara, – This is one to highlight in red: Fintan O’Toole calling for Confession (Opinion, December 28th)! There’s life yet in old-time religion. Imagine the reaction if it were bishops calling on bankers to confess.
I wrote to the Taoiseach some weeks ago suggesting an appropriate penance, as a sign of repentance and of restorative justice and solidarity: All members of Dáil and Seanad to agree voluntarily to accept just the average industrial wage for the next four years; banker directors and well-paid public officials to be invited to take similar action. The savings to the State would go to a fund (not the banks) to enable social welfare cuts to be suspended immediately. Other highly-paid people in business would be invited to contribute generously.
Could TDs and Senators get by on that? (Remember, they would still have expenses.) If not, how can they demand that people get by on half that, on the minimum wage? On one-third of that, on social welfare? No indication yet of a positive response.
A voice in the wilderness? What if 100,000 people wrote to him? – Is mise,