Some of you may be aware that I have a blog (johnmcglynn/blog). It isnt read much which doesnt really inspire me to post regularly. However I was going to post one about the water charge debacle in Ireland, but I didnt. To fill you all in. The Irish government has sold our grandchildren down the river by making the Irish people pay back a debt incurred by bond holders (gamblers) and bankers. To please the EU our government have imposed taxes mainly on the middle classes. These include a universal social charge (they take a lump of your pre-deduction tax), a property tax (I have friends paying taxes yearly of nearly €1000) on properties that they owe nearly a million euros on and cant afford to pay the mortgages, extra taxes on pretty much everything, a broadcasting charge due next year (to finance a national broadcaster called RTE that most of us dont want) which will tax all of our mobile devices (yes all of them, despite the fact that we pay rental and data charges to providers of these already) and the now hilariously ridiculous water charge. Yes folks, someone is charging the rain sodden Paddies for water. We have been paying for it up until now via our VAT. So they set up a body called Irish Water (a semi-state) and started installing meters. I live in an apartment so I pay a flat rate. As my German friends said to me everyone else pays in Europe, why dont you? The answer is that we already do. Its just not called a water charge. So whats up with all of this? Ok read on... First it came to light that there was a bonus system for Irish Water employees. A scale of bonus merits that included employees in need of improvement. Yep in Ireland you get rewarded for being bad at your job. Im self employed which means that I cant claim benefit of any kind, have no state pension and basically get taxed to hell. I pay for these people. Secondly the charges would affect the working classes equally. That means that people not hit majorly by things like property tax would have to pay the same as everyone else. Thirdly (and most annoying) was the Irish politicians reactions. In this country we elect careerists in the most part. They play the game and promise everything but deliver very little. There is little difference between the parties, yet the Irish still elect the same people their grandparents voted for. So there was a poll of our politicians asking who would refuse to pay the water tax by online news service the Journal. 225 polled 17 said they wouldnt pay 120 or so said they would pay. However 56 didnt respond. This means that elected officials did not reply to a poll on their views that saw over 100,000 people on the streets last month. The response of the government has been abysmal. Theres an election next year. They coincidentally had the softest budget last month (wow!) since 2008. So here we are. The Irish are finally marching. They didnt march about austerity. They didnt march about the fact that not one banker or politician was jailed over the billions of euros we are paying back. Water. Not only are they marching but there are violent protests. Over water. Not over the system that birthed the charges. Not quangos, bankers, corruption and cronyism. Nope its just water. I find it depressing. Hit them in their pocket and give them a target and all of the other crap gets forgotten. Its like waving a string at a cat. Meaningless yet irresistible. Im constantly disgusted by the complacency of my own people. Intelligent, well-educated and decent people who allow themselves to be trodden on and are then made to feel guilty for having a few euros invested in their futures. Anyway enough of my quality ranting. As I say I was going to post a blog but my mysterious friend Mister Y (mystery, zat is ze joke!) sent me this today. Always surprises me when anyone agrees with anything I say, mainly due to my rage and belief that facts can be used to prove just about anything. wp.me/p5hUrR-6
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 22:56:26 +0000
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