Well yesterday Dublin witnessed what could only be classed as a spontaneous reaction to the ridiculous judge Paul Gilmartin’s sentencing of the Dublin Five to prison for coming within 20 metres of a water meter installer. 10,000 or so locals from the Dublin area arose, put on their boots and scarves and walked into town to protest. No notice given just this spontaneous reaction to protest against a wrong and aiming to put it right. It has probably pushed another 50,000 to join the protest on the 21st of March, next month when Dublin will once more be brought to a standstill. As I said in my last post these Five are heroes in the making.
And then came the news that will set sphincters quivering in Leinster House, two of the Five went on hunger strike immediately they were incarcerated. Derek Byrne and Paul Moore have taken the decisive step and what is more they say that if they are not released by tomorrow they will decline to take liquids. When Irish men go on hunger strike they undoubtedly mean it. History tells us that for 70 years in the 20th century when men like Terence McSwiney and Bobby Sands and all those in between refused food, they refused it wholeheartedly and died for their aims and the cause they were fighting for in the end won. Does Edna Kenny want the blood of these men on his conscience? Does he want to go down in history linking arms with Margaret Thatcher and Lloyd George.
Why has it come to this? The intellectual cripples in the Fine Gael/Labour coalition fucked up good and proper in 2013 when they formed Irish Water. No discussion with the people, no educating them in the deplorable state of water infrastructure caused by 40 or 50 years of wilful neglect by successive Irish governments and worst of all, bringing out this unbelievably stupid programme of water meter installation costing €3.5 billion, €3.5 billion they did not have and which will take many, many years to get back if they ever in fact do. Their thinking was dire, in fact non-existent. Water meters will never ever serve the purpose for which they were dubiously intended, their only purpose was to control even further the habits of a populace that was slowly but surely waking up to the shortcomings of these evil men and women in mainstream politics.
Metres are not needed, Britain does not have them and they have many more mouths to satisfy than Ireland. A standing charge was the way forward, it would cost nothing in terms of investment and that in fact is what Edna’s mob have now retreated to. But first of all the government had to treat their electors like equals and not like the pack of dogs they have taken us for.
I am sure if Edna had come forward in 2013, held his hands up and said “sorry folks, the last 50 years of government has been a shambles regarding water infrastructure. Money that should have been set aside from the central tax fund was diverted to other schemes and it has now come to a situation where we cannot guarantee supplying you with potable water which is our duty under the Constitution and unfortunately this problem is only going to get worse because us good and true men in the Dail have fucked up big time”, he might have succeeded. He should then have explained how much this restoration of infrastructure was going to cost and over how many years and that the government does not have that sort of funding available after years of austerity brought on by the illegal activities of bankers and politicians. If he was any kind of a man at all and before he started charging the people for water, he should have called a General Election and said that most of the present incumbents of the Dail had “not fit for purpose” tattoed across their foreheads. He should then have dissolved his Fine Gael party and hoped that Martin would do the same with Fine Fail and implore the country to come up with a new system of politics far and away removed from the present civil war, parish pump system we now have and which is nearly 100 years past its sell by date.
Only then would the electorate acquiesce to these further charges levied but unfortunately now because the people were not treated with the respect due to them, protesting principles will forbid them ever to have good clean water.. I think that eventually they can be persuaded to fork out but only if this present lot of treaty and anti-treaty shite are shovelled out the back door. Look at Greece, they did it or are doing it, look at Iceland, they have done it. So people of Ireland understand and realise your power. You have in your midst people of strength, people who can think lucidly, people who respect their fellow man, people who can cut the crap. So I advise you to stand up and be counted. I can see you have already started the process with Clare Daly and Michael Fitzmaurice and others already having their bums on hallowed seats. I can see chaos for a while but is that any worse than the corrupt, hollow shite-hawks we have previously elected.
However before we run away with ourselves let us not forget the jailed Dublin Five who have been imprisoned because Edna’s bowels are loose. Let us somehow get them out before they harm themselves permanently, because as I said before when an Irishman goes on hunger strike, it is not a whim, he fucking means it.
Just got my renewal from United Utilities (formerly North West Water)this week.
As of 1 April 2015, the yearly charge for my water will be £618.80, which covers supply of water and all sewerage charges.
Bearing mind my house is a Band C property rated (D is reckoned to be the exact middle of the Council Tax range, so mine is around 10% lower than Band D, as water rates are based on old Rate Valuations if the 1980s), this might give you some idea of the problem Ireland will face, if it decides to introduce a property-based water rate.
In 30 years, my water rates have increased around eightfold (they were around £86 a year, when we moved into our current house in 1984. I only wish my pay had increased by the same ratio, I’d certainly be in the higher tax bracket by some margin i.e above £42 K per annum).
Years, if not decades, of well-above average price increases have made the water supply industry, completely privatised, of course, one of the most profitable industries in the UK.
A bit like gas and electricity, really.So for f**ks sake, do not privatise the system in Ireland, or your water will end up costing you even more than it does now.
Well said Paul but what the people of Ireland have to realise, even if water remains in Ireland’s hands, is a payment will have to be made but for me only when it is fit for purpose. But with chryptospiridium and fluoride adulterating the potable supply that is going to be a long way off especially with this intransigent bunch of numb-skulls we have in office.
Point taken here. The cryptosporidium situation is a disgrace, it’s usually caused by animal faeces finding its way into the water table when it rains, which renders it unfit for human consumption. It can also find its way through very fine filters, hence is difficult to remove.
The fluoride addition is more contentious, however. Some waters in some areas of the UK naturally contain fluoride, its effect in combating tooth decay is well-documented, the harmful effects on other aspects of health, less so.
Remember how it was considered, until recently, that drinking fresh orange juice was deemed to be good for your health? As an analytical chemist, I never understood this, the stuff is loaded with calories, in particular fructose, a sugar, which is rapidly, like glucose, absorbed into the bloodstream. How it ever made its way on to a supposedly healthy diet sheet is beyond me. Also the fact that it contained a high level of Vitamin C, which was supposed to have prevented colds, but actually didn’t.
My understanding of statute law says that it is illegal to charge man for the utilities. The criminals get around this by sending what we think of as a payment slip with the bill. This not a payment slip but an actual instrument of payment.. If cashed, it legally renders the account neutral but in our ignorance we send the IOP back to utility company who then get paid twice…