Those at bottom pay price

Reading that the Coalition will reduce income tax as a first priority following the exit from the bailout underlines how remarkable it is that there has not been a revolution here — yet.

Nothing has changed. The Government have strained every sinew to protect the massive pensions being paid out to “retired” politicians and others and strove even more gallantly to protect the luxurious lifestyles of the many others with high, indefensible incomes.

Now Fine Gael and Labour say they will reduce income tax for the squeezed middle. The fact that the politicians and their friends will also benefit is only coincidental. Recent reports show those who took the biggest hit during the recession are at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, so poor that paying income tax is but a forlorn hope, but not the property tax and other indirect charges and levies that have been imposed and increased. In a decent place the first thoughts of a civilised government would be for those at the bottom of the heap. Not this crowd.