A chara, – As one proudly reared in the Fianna Fáil tradition (although I vote for Independents) I am ashamed of what they, and politicians of all hues and none, have done to our beloved country.
Can our esteemed economists explain, if we give €81 billion to the banks and Nama (the figure rises more obscenely by the day), the “issue” is the €19 billion it costs to run the country? This €19 billion includes the cost of our too-large Government, the unaffordable luxury of the Seanad, and of all the quangos and waste, national and local. Can they also explain how we can have a property tax when no one knows the value of any property or land? And water charges with no meters?
Where now Nama and Yes-to- Lisbon? Are Europe and the IMF already “in” and calling the tune? We need an election, and we need one immediately, and not another cosy consensus between the middle-class and upper-class parties (and academic economists). We need it especially to preserve any semblance of democracy and sovereignty, and justice, for our nation. These may be all we have left. – Is mise,
Madam, – Monday’s visits to the Department of Finance demonstrated one thing if nothing else: the last thing we need at this juncture is a general election.
Opposition spokespersons on Tuesday proved themselves, and by extension their parties, utterly undeserving of being given control of the financial levers of this State.
These are the parties who have called for an immediate general election.
Their antics since meeting with the department officials show they have no plan or readiness to assume power.
The damage to our standing (such as it is) with the international financial community for the duration of an election campaign and in the months afterwards, while they would muddle their way through figures, they appear not to understand would be incalculable.
Fine Gael and Labour should now knuckle down and prepare some credible policies and plans and present them to the electorate in about a year’s time when they can be adjudicated upon by the people. – Yours, etc,