A chara, – I attended a meeting in the Yard in Falcarragh, Co Donegal, on December 10th. This meeting was called by the Can’t Pay Won’t pay campaign. It is gathering momentum as people begin to realise there is a very real likelihood that the only thing in their pockets from now on will be the jingle of small change.
If this thought sinks in sooner rather than later, the “no pay” campaign should take on juggernaut proportions.
I saw people there who I would suspect had never been to such an event before. This is because people are fearful of what lies ahead, and are extremely angry as it becomes clear what these taxes (household, septic tank and water) are really about. It is not about upgrading or creating better services, which should be the case. They are about the unnecessary rewarding to the full of very wealthy investors who took chances on quadrupling their money in the booming Irish building bubble and lost.
People are swallowing tablets at an alarming rate (anti-depressants) and are trying to cope with the stress of mounting bills.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, on introducing the household charge, described it as a mere palatable €2 per week. It’s very easy for him to count so little on €2 (he’s on €160,000-plus a year).
Invitations to attend the meeting went out to all the local politicians to give them a chance to explain their stance on these charges. Pearse Doherty was the only TD to attend, along with Independent councillor John Cambell. The members of the austerity parties who were invited didn’t reply, never mind attend. But it was well noted by the crowd present.
Michael McDowell, when he was justice minister, paid an astronomical price using taxpayers’ money for a prison site. They’d better start building quick, because there won’t be enough prison space for all the poor people who cannot pay these indiscriminate and unfair taxes. – Is mise,