Household Charge

national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | opinion/analysis Saturday March 24, 2012 22:19 by Off the cuff - From the mind offthe.cuff at yahoo dot ie

The tide is turning

With less than a week to go before more than one million people will be hauled into court for breaking the law the Household Charge protest hs taken one more step closer to success. The only people who believe this tax is justifable are the same people who can well afford to pay this tax. While this government squeezes more and more out of the people politicians like Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore give themselves pay rises to compensate them for losses they incured through their so-called ''we are all in this together' cry of unity. Should one million people refuse to pay the cahrge before the deadline of the 31st Match, then this must be seen a s a sign of no confidence in this government and Irish politicians in general.

Great demo but this must be seen as a start on the long road to success. It was notable that Jack O'Connor from SIPTU was not there as was a number of other prominent trade union leaders. Funny how the trade union movement goes into hiding when push comes to shove. Funny how not a single member of the Labour Party made their presence noticable when question time came around.If the campaign is seen to be winning the battle, then and only then will these people make their way to the stand to be heard. We must tell them 'You had your day' and 'you had your chance' and now it is time for the people to rise up and defeat those who wish to subjugate them.They say 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' and now it is time for union members to demand that their unions say they are either in or out of this struggle. No point in waiting until the tide turns against this government to start shouting about injustice. The only fault that could be held against the organisers of the rally is that they possibly did not realise the level of support that would be present at the demo and therefore forgot to make a contingency plan for those left outside the stadium who could not hear the speakers. Loudspeakers would have made such a huge difference to the attendance.Apart from that the rally was a huge success with promises of better things to come in the future. The next big event is the Fine Gael Ard Fheis where the presence of a greater number of people outside the hall will give a clear and unequivocal message to those loyal, patriotic, people loving Fine Gael supporters inside the hall that they are in the minority of those who object to this tax and any other future taxes that are designed to bail out those who plunged our country into the crisis we see today. The government is now using scare tactics and the ultimate power of the state to compel those who object to coersion and extrotion in order to get its own way. If the state is in need of hard cash then why is it handing €3.1 billion out, billions that will have to be made up by taxing ordinary working people. Take a look at the programme 'Midweek'on TV3 on Wednesday 28th March at 10.00pm and realise that 'we really are not in this together'. A recent survey shows that 50% of Irish people said they would support the next referendum. Have we really not learnt anything from political sleaze and scandals that have bedeviled this country. Are we really a nation of moaners but at the back of it 'Yes' people? Do we really deserve everything we get? Are our politicians just a representation of what the Irish people really are?

The recent Household and Water Charges rally along with other demonstrations around the country may be a turning point that must not be allowed to slip away. As with the Nazi war machine, we can seen that this government in now beginning to use the forces of propaganda to sway people away from what they feel as being a just cause. These taxes are in the interest of the Irish political establishment which is in the interest of Europe. They are being introduced because the irish government is diverting its current revenues away from public services and towards supporting bond holders and the likes.

Its now time from those who attended the rally to go back to their towns and villages and spread the word that the Irish people are about to take back what is rightfully theirs. If every person leaving the rally got two more supporters for the campaign then the campaign will be a force that cannot be ignored. The people of Ireland have taken enough and this is where it is about to stop. The leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour say 'we are all in this together' but experience and now the Mahon Tribunal has show us that there are limited rules for a certain group of citizens and a lot of rules for the others. How much more must we pay for the crimes of others. How much more must we give before we have nothing left to give. Where have all our patriots gone, or have they been consumed by greed and the need to lie low until the dust settles? Those who have paid the household charge must think very carefully to themselves and wonder what next year will bring when local councils come knocking on their doors for household charges that go far beyond the current €100 charge. There is no point in complaining to your local TD, your local TD supported these charges and would be very unlikely to argue in your defence. We are moving towards Thatcherism and the subjugation of people under the control of the state.

The Mahon Tribunal has proven what every dog in the street knew in the past, that politicians were on the make, they were corrupt and conducted their political life not in the interest of the people but in their own personal interest of greed. When Enda recently gave himself a pay rise and Eamon took the Fine Gael sweetener, we were once again shown the real picture of present day Irish politics. When Enda swore he would get rid of the Fianna Fail quango system that bedeviled the smooth running of state agenices, only to appoint a quango pal to a post, this told us a lot about the current state of Irish politics. The people have taken enough and will take no more. Politicians have brought the country to its knees, not ordinary working people but those who the people trusted to protect their interests and their future. Alleged professional and well educated people like consultants, doctors, solicitors and accountants who between them acted most unprofessionally when it came to governance and control in the financial affairs of the state. As professionals, what they done to our country is unforgivable and beyond any form of forgivness.

This government has handed billions of the people's money to banks and unknown bond holders. In turn the same political system has made savage cuts to our education system, placed young children in hospitals around the country in danger, because there is no more money to purchase vital life saving equipment or even keep wards open. The Children's Hospital in Crumlin is currently seeking public support in a cash appeal that will enable the hospital to maintain vital services to patients. These services as with everything else is being cut from under our feet and yet 300,000 people decide to pay the tax before the deadline. Does any of these people have children or grandchildren? Would they change their mind in paying these charges if one of their grandchildren suddenly became severely sick in a hospital, but could not get life saving treatment because there was no money available to purchase equipment or the services of a surgeon or consultant? Let us be very clear about one thing; the troika of Irish political party's have collectively destroyed this country beyond repair and it is the troika of Irish political party's who will attempt to retreive in the interest of self preservation, what they gambled and squandered by inflicting on the citizens of this state austerity measures that are penal and subjugating from a foreign shore.

When your back is against the wall there is no time to scream help, for help in this country will never come soon .
Noonan is now trying to make a deal with the Troika in order to save the Irish political system from collapse. Why now, why wait until the people are on their knees and the government looks as if it has a serious problem with political governance? Sorry Mick, its too little too late. The wheels of revolution are in motion and this time old style corrupt and devious politicians cannot stop its progress.

Say no to Household Charges
Vote NO in the next referendum