Budget must help those most in need first
Will they present a budget that has as its focus the interest of the very many people who have suffered greatly from the economic collapse and all that followed it, or will they put in front of us a budget that is designed for only one thing, and that is to get themselves re-elected? Will they prove once again that self-interest always trumps national interest?
For the last five years, we have endured the impact of the imposition of austerity budget after even worse austerity budgets.
Those troika-inspired austerity measures were allegedly designed to get us back out of the hole our government, senior civil servants, banks, and business leaders had driven us into. Instead these budgets have, like a vampire, taken the life blood out of the economy.
The economy is growing at a minimal rate. Hundreds of thousands are still unemployed. Tens of thousands have been driven into poverty. Middle income earners are at the pins of their collars to just survive and supports have been withdrawn or reduced from those who need it most.
In recent months the power brokers behind public sector workers have begun to demand the cuts and levies imposed on that work force be reduced as a first step. We should note that this includes politicians as their salaries are directly linked to grades within the public sector.
Lo and behold, but the words weren’t out of the union bosses mouths than members of government were heard to muse that maybe they might be able to reduce the public sector cuts and/or levies now the economy is allegedly on the up.
Sure some of these kite flyers suggested both private sector and public sector should benefit but we probably should take that with a very large grain of salt.
They may well have made themselves into hostages of fortune by even suggesting it. The large block of voters that the public sector represents will not let them forget it, and it certainly will not let our Fine Gael and Labour politicians forget the destruction at the local polls this year.
France’s unprecedented outburst at its neighbour, and major EU partner, Germany’s demand that strict austerity should prevail until the Bundesbank decides otherwise, may well, give the Government some comfort that will allow it to bestow some largesse on the road leading to the Dáil elections in 2016.
France is in a bad way and its economy like ours needs stimulation to get it growing again. However, we are not like France. Its socialist/communist driven employment policies have much to answer for.
No, this budget should not have as a major focus supporting those who are doing well or even just surviving. It should initially focus on those who are wholly dependent on the support of others and who have had their supports cut savagely over the last several years.
For instance, mental health funding was slashed despite the lessons that should have been learned from bitter experience on the needs of children in care. It should have been increased not cut.
When that is dealt with, they can afford to look wider afield. Putting money in people’s pockets will help to stimulate the economy and might even get a few more people working.
The bottom line is simple. We all want to keep our jobs and even get promoted and better rewarded. The unions want to do well by their members. A government of the people, elected by the people, for the people, should look at the bigger picture and help those who cannot help themselves, until such time as the country is awash with money again.
When that time arrives, it can commence bestowing largesse once again.
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