Demonstration against cuts hits Dublin's streets

ABOUT AN hour before yesterday’s march against public service cuts kicked off, the Socialist Party’s Joe Higgins was huddled in the doorway of AIB at the top of O’Connell Street. Two rainbows that had arched over the avenue minutes before had faded and he was now taking shelter from a steady flow of rain. A man who rallied so hard against the banks was seeking a refuge of sorts beneath a bank’s tall, grey walls.

He was worried the weather might keep people away and prevent a good turnout. But by half two the rain was gone, the sky was a vivid blue and thousands had assembled at the Garden of Remembrance to express their anger at the government. It wasn’t just public sector workers and union members that had come. Resident’s associations from Dolphin’s Barn and Ballymun stood alongside nurse and teacher’s unions. Traveller groups mixed with political parties.

Well-known faces, too, made their appearance. Ambling beside the nurses, Senator David Norris expressed his concern over what he saw as the dismantling of supports for the most vulnerable in society. Fellow Senator Ivana Bacik appeared on a bicycle. “Ivana!” he called and they became engrossed in conversation about Seanad business. Amongst the different banners and chants, they all had a common goal: resist the cuts at all cost.

And then there was the anger that threaded them together. The health worker who wanted the government to “stand up and listen” and pay for its own mistakes. The Dolphin House resident who said if the government implemented severe cuts they could “go to hell”. “One, two, three, four, we don’t want you anymore,” chanted scores of people, reminding Brian Cowen that his government is among the most unpopular in the history of the state.

It wasn’t only the government that came in for attack. SIPTU itself became a target when a man wearing a T-shit with “SIPTU sold me out” written on it confronted the head of the march and directed a verbal attack at the union. He claimed that after exposing the abuse of workers where he worked he had been let go and no one had fought his corner. A tub of yellow paint in his pocket was to have facilitated revenge against one union head until he was persuaded otherwise.

Blistering

But even despite the discontent, much of the demonstration had the air of a rowdy carnival. The piercing wail of whistles and the infectious beat of kettle drums filled the air in proclamation of what they claimed was a “better, fairer way”. Such was the din that one marcher complained of not having earplugs. Banners, of every colour and size, ranged from the satirical to the vitriolic. Brian Cowen and Brian Lenihan were depicted as Laurel and Hardy on one placard. On another Cowen was the grim reaper.

Some people had other reasons than protesting for being there. One enterprising poet stood by the footpath tying to sell copies of his work. Another two men stood with placards warning that “soon the whole world will be brought bankrupt to usher the reign of the anti-Christ for three and a half years”. “One third of mankind will be killed,” said one of them. Wage cuts were the least of his worries.

The sun was hanging low above the National Gallery as the stream of protesters came to a halt in Merrion Square, an hour after setting out. Out of huge speakers Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changing” and John Lennon’s “Power to the People” provided the soundtrack for the disillusioned group. Gardai estimate that 30,000 people assembled, the ICTU 70,000.

When ICTU president Jack O’Connor took to the stage to make a fiery speech, the crowd was roused further. “They didn’t think you’d turn up and you’re here to tell them otherwise,” he roared, his voice thundering around the square. With ICTU General Secretary David Begg and Senator Joe O’Toole to either side of him, he embarked on a blistering attack on the government and the wealthy.

“That five per cent that have more than they could spend in ten or a hundred life times are prepared to contribute nothing and thus far our government is accepting that. And that is an absolute disgrace,” he yelled to rapturous applause.

After his speech, David Begg and Patricia King spoke for a short while, but without anything like the same intensity and anger. In half an hour it was all over. And then the people slowly filed out of the square as “Power to People” blared out of the speakers once again.

SIPTU, there is no silver bullet for this mess

From the time that tongues first wagged and ears first listened, we have taken comfort in proverbs and myths that serve our self-interest. Caught in the seductive flow of a narrative, it is easy to close one’s eyes to reality. After all, this is how any great story works.

I can hazard a guess as to the name of SIPTU’s favorite story: the biblical tale of David and Goliath. And what a great story it is. You’ve got the underdog, his heroic battle against the big bad bully, and his unlikely triumph. This seems to be how SIPTU sees the current backdrop of inevitable public pay and service cuts. Two weeks ago, SIPTU President Jack O’Connor complained the ERSI were cheerleading for the Government’s policy of placing the entire burden of fiscal adjustment on working people and the less well-off, whereas “the wealthy are insulated from any requirement to contribute at all.” This is simply fictitious, populist claptrap.

Does a six per cent income levy on gross income constitute no requirement to contribute? And since when has anyone advocated cutting low-end salaries and leaving the top-end alone? The fact is that in 2008 the 6.36 per cent of all earners who earned over €100,000 paid 42.5 per cent of all income tax the State collected. That figure is likely to be even higher since the April Budget. Starting at the top, whether it be through wage cuts or higher taxes - a less economically produtive option - is undoubtedly the right approach, but fiscal reality dictates that cuts cannot stop there. SIPTU, however, seem unable to accept this.

Myth

“Ordinary” workers (an incredibly vague phrase thrown about frequently) will have to pay because the vast majority of Irish people are just that: working or middle class. Therefore, it makes sense that savings will have be made there.

There is no elite group can be taxed enough to generate the €500 million we are borrowing every week. Simply, there is no painless silver bullet to fix all our woes. SIPTU are playing a divisive and cynical game by exploiting class resentment, and they are damaging the chances of the public ever pulling in the same direction by furthering a myth that cuts are avoidable. Not only that, they are actually seeking a pay rise for its members and threaten a day of action if this demand is not met.

But tell me, Mr. O’ Connor, who should pay for your members to have their pockets padded a little more snugly? Because the country doesn’t even really have the money it is paying out in wages right now. Should those on social welfare? No, no, you said that cutting there would be an “obscenity”. How about the schools and hospitals? No, you couldn’t condone that.

Well, perhaps the IMF might be of help. Because if the tough, unpalatable action you resist so strongly isn’t taken soon it might be the IMF holding the cheque book.

Man seriously injured in Fairview beating

A 22-year-old man is in a serious condition in hospital following an assault in Fairview, Dublin in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The man suffered serious head injuries in the attack, which gardai believe happened at around 3.30am opposite Marino Mall. The man, whose identity hasn’t been released, was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.

No one has yet been arrested in connection with the attack. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to contact Clontarf Garda Station on 01 – 6664800, or call the Garda Confidential Line on 1-800-666-111.

Pension tax relief cut is "attack" on middle earners.

A proposal in the new Programme for Government for a single rate of tax relief on private pensions is an “attack” on middle income earners, the Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF) said on Monday.

IAPF Director of Policy Jerry Moriarty said the measure, which would introduce a single rate of tax relief of 30 per cent, would dissuade people from saving for their pensions.

Currently, workers receive tax relief on contributions equal to the rate at which they pay income tax, either 20 per cent or 41 per cent.

Mr. Moriarty also dismissed the suggestion the proposal would encourage lower paid workers to invest in their pensions, saying it was “not a priority for people in the current economic climate”.

When contacted for comment, Green Party Finance Spokesman, Senator Dan Boyle said a standard rate made sense because of the inequality of the current system where people on lower incomes receive less relief.

Rejecting the suggestion that it was unfair to tax earners on their contributions as well as their pensions once paid out, Mr. Boyle said the government was “taxing expenditure now for an uncertain future”.

Drugs seizure in Swords

The Garda National Drug Unit yesterday intercepted two vehicles carrying cannabis with an estimated street value of €750,000 in Swords, Dublin.

The car and truck carrying 49 kilos of cannabis pollen and nine kilos of cannabis herb were seized as part of an intelligence-led operation at the Airside Business Park at around 12.30pm.

Two men, aged 44 and 41, were arrested at the scene and are being held at Swords and Malahide Garda stations under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

They can be held for questioning for up to seven days.

Now, be careful what you say, won't you?

WELL IT is good to see that some taxpayer-funded quangos in the UK can point out to the rest of us what words and phrases aren't acceptable anymore. You know, it really is so difficult keeping up with what we should and shouldn't say these days.

So, in case you didn't know, only insensitive Neanderthals still use expressions like "gentlemen's agreement" (women can agree on things too, stupid man!) and "black sheep of the family" (because black people aren't bad...or like sheep...or something). But, you know, I don't think the likes of the The Learning and Skills Council (wow, learning and skills) went far enough in their pronouncements. We, as a civilised society - all sanitised and lemon-fresh - must endeavour to remove all offensive speech from our lexicon.

First of all, 'hay' kind of rhymes with 'gay', which reminds one of the farmyard - as though homosexuals have something in common with livestock. The outrage.

Clearly, 'hay', along with other '-ay' words will have to be eradicated.

And, then, there is that odious phrase to do with counting chickens. What right do we have to do anything, count or otherwise, to chickens without their consent? Homo sapien arrogance once again.

Until our everyday speech resembles a transcript from "Barney the Dinosaur", injustice and hurt will continue unabated. And, non-dinosaur readers, no offence is intended.

RTE shies away from the facts - political correctness strikes again?

IT IS no secret to anyone that RTE, like most news organisations, is far from immune from bias and has its own sacred cows that it is unwilling to tackle. The more unsavory, denigrate aspects of Traveller culture is one such example. As pointed out by Kevin Myers last week, the fact that double rapist Simon McGinley - who, shockingly, raped an 85-year-old woman after being convicted of the rape of the 13-year-old girl behind the 'C' case in 1997 - was a member of the travelling community was omitted by most of the media. Myers made the point that had McGinley been the victim of a crime rather than the perpetrator, the media would have readily reported that he was a Traveller.

It was with great interest, then, that I watched a story to do with two feuding families in the Mitchel's Crescent area of Tralee on RTE's nine o'clock news this evening. The words 'feuding' and 'family' immediately set off alarm bells and, quietly confident of what I would would find, I threw a few relevant details into the search engine. Sure enough, my prejudices - because, indeed, that is what there were - were confirmed.

A story from the Kerryman - for whatever reason, provincial papers tend to be less politically correct - detailed how eleven people involved in a feud between two Traveller families in the same area were charged for threatening behaviour, possession of weapons and breach of previous bail conditions. Now, that these two stories do not relate to the same on-going feud ranks as about as likely as Michael Bay winning the Pulitzer Prize for literature.

Silence

So, why then did RTE decide to leave out the identity of families? No doubt, their rationale would be that being a Traveller or otherwise is of no relevance to the story. But considering the continuing problem of high-profile feuds between Travellers, is it really not in the public interest to know? Considering that a Traveller male is around17 times more likely to spend time in jail than a member of the general population, is being a Traveller really an irrelevant piece of information in a news report?

Are RTE really trying to avoid the furthering of prejudice, or are they actually just contributing to a culture of silence around the problems associated with the Traveller lifestyle? How can we ever address the failures of the Traveller lifestyle - and there are many - if the media prevents us from knowing the magnitude of the problem?

How can there be debate when we are too afraid to speak?