How to create an unequal society

Our government made many promises in order to get elected.

In reality these promises did not have to be made, given the disillusionment that pertained at the time. The people sought a new direction, leadership, transparency and change, which did not materialise in the way that it was expected. The only change we got, is the change that many have left in their pockets, if they are lucky enough after everything else has been stripped away.

This government prides itself greatly in restoring the minimum wage that had previously been reduced by €1 per hour. Big deal — how do they expect people to survive on such a paltry amount anyway, especially since it is also being eroded by the savage and inequitable universal social charge (USC) along with an increase in all aspects of the cost of living? How long would our legislators survive on it? They also pride themselves in keeping their promise of not raising the two income tax rates (event though Minister Ciaran Cannon has recently mooted that it should be reduced again). They instead have introduced many stealth and indirect taxes which is a more regressive approach. Do they think the already hard-pressed people are fools in trying to convince them that this is a more equitable and progressive approach for them, because at the end of the day all the indirect stealth taxes are still coming out of people’s incomes?