God help Brussels now that Charlie’s there
He followed a pro-rich/anti-poor policy during his tenure as Minister for Finance with huge cuts in corporation tax for large business and capital gains tax, while at the same time only giving modest cuts in PAYE for us ordinary workers.
The lack of any proper investment in our health and education systems. Granted there has been a large increase in health spending but this seems to have gone on administration and not into our health and education services to bring them into the 21st century.
Giving larger increases in wages to higher-paid public servants (including ministers, TDs and senators) at the expense of lower-paid public servants.
At a time of unprecedented economic prosperity only granting very modest increases in social welfare benefits such as old-age, widowed and disabled. The Special Savings Investment Account (SSIA) Scheme, which will come back to haunt us when all of this money is unleashed into the economy in 2006/2007, leading to further explosion in the property market and probably leading to the long-delayed property market collapse. Of course this won’t happen until after the 2007 general election.
Finally, at a time of unprecedented economic prosperity, squandering our record budget surplus and managing to return it to a deficit.
The only pity is that he is going to Europe. God help the Europeans! That’s all I can say to you now that you have Mr McCreevy, with his outdated, Thatcherite, ultra-conservative dogmatic viewpoints dictating decision-making in Europe forced upon you.
Why are so many in the media so disappointed that your favourite pin-up boy Charlie McCreevy will no longer be Minister for Finance? Would it have anything to do with all of the all-expenses paid Christmas parties?
Charlie McCreevy, good riddance!
Paul Kinsella,
53 Lorcan Grove,
Santry,
Dublin 9.
