Mind yourself and tell powers-that-be to go to hell

WE have all become passive victims of crimes committed by politicians, bankers, developers and so-called regulators with cuts and levies in services, salaries, pensions and insurance.

Quinn insurance went into administration, regulators and bankers retired with lavish pensions and gratuities, Bertie Ahern is appointed professor emeritus at Maynooth — all fully legal, of course — while we got NAMA.

The bankruptcy system that is meant to punish reckless trading has now been abandoned, protecting the reckless, but bankrupting the country and mortgaging our grandchildren. Let’s not forget we zombie citizens are still paying for past scandals including PMPA, ICI, Goodman beef scandal, et al. Your house insurance is being loaded to pay for flooding of properties that should never have been built in flood planes. We pay exorbitant health insurance for the privilege of being left sitting on trolleys with our GP referrals unopened.

It’s time we kicked back. First we need to replace the current crop of politicians who contributed to this problem at every available electoral opportunity. Village idiots could not have performed worse, leading to the suspicion that many of these politicians are financially implicated in these scandals.

We all need to evaluate whether we need to insure our properties and our health given the dreadful value we are now likely to get for insurance premiums. Large industries often carry their own insurances and minimise the risks by prudent loss prevention practices.

Let’s do the same with our homes and our health. Improve your home security, frost protection and fire prevention and tell your insurance company to get stuffed. Over your lifetime you are more likely to be impoverished financially due to exorbitant insurance than by catastrophic house fires. If you have two expensive family cars, downsize to one cheap one, and if you are entitled to free travel, downsize to a bike.

Likewise with health insurance. Those of us who try our best to live healthy and safe lives are paying for those couch potatoes who abuse drink, drugs and behave recklessly. It is much better to carry your own health insurance, enjoy a daily two-mile walk and eat proper food. We can also help and protect ourselves by family and community networking. This is just a beginning and when the powers-that-be start squealing, just tell them go to hell.

Have a nice day

Edward Horgan

Newtown

Castletroy

Co Limerick