People power to fight indiscriminate taxes

I WOULD dearly love to have our sovereignty back unless it’s really sold down the river by this stage, and if it’s not too much to ask, a government that really means what it says and cares for its people before banks or bondholders.

This request is rather urgent now, because I attended a meeting in the Yard in Falcarragh on December 10.

This meeting was called by the Can’t Pay Won’t Pay campaign. It is gathering momentum as people begin to realise that there is a very real likelihood that the only thing in their pockets from now on will be the jingle of small change.

I saw people there who I would suspect had never been to such an event before in their lives. The reason for this is that people are fearful of what lies ahead, and are extremely angry as it becomes clear what these taxes are really about. It is not about upgrading or creating better services, which should be the case. It is about the unnecessary rewarding of wealthy investors who took chances on quadrupling their money in the booming Irish building bubble and lost. Minister 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 some €160,000 a year).

Invitations to attend 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 Campbell. The members of the austerity parties who were invited hadn’t the decency to reply, never mind attend. Michael McDowell, when he was justice minister, paid an astronomical price using taxpayers’ money for a prison site. They better start building quickly because there won’t be enough prison space for all the poor people who cannot pay these indiscriminate and unfair taxes.

J Woods

Gort an Choirce

Dun nGall