Sir, - I have been eligible to vote for the past 30 years, and the election just past is the first time I have not exercised my right. The reason I did not vote was that for the first time I realise that it makes no difference to my life or to those around me whether or not I vote. Certain basic things urgently need tackling in Dublin, and our politicians are clearly incapable of tackling them. The excuse that there is not enough money no longer exists, so only the politicians themselves can now be blamed.
Things in Dublin that would make all our lives that bit easier are obvious and relatively easy to do. First of all, public transport needs money and planning, yet we still put up acres of housing in the suburbs without planning for transport links such as rail and roads. It seems obvious that suburban rail should be extended to these new areas as part of the planning permission, before the houses go up.
Politicians refuse to tackle the taxi problem. Instead, a virtual monopoly exists controlled by the taxi-men themselves. Why will our representatives not deregulate the system, and make life easier for us all?
The pubs are too few, resulting in overpriced drink, but once again our vote-hungry politicians seem totally incapable of making a simple decision to issue new licenses. Who is calling the shots on this?
My own feeling is that our politicians are afraid to tackle pressure groups, be they taxi-men, publicans or whatever. Perhaps they feel it would cost them votes. But they should know that there are far more votes to be had in making all our lives easier. After all, that is what they are elected for. - Yours, etc., Ian Lindsay,
Grangewood, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.