Despicable SNIP Report Must Be Rejected

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Friday July 17, 2009 10:12

by PBPA - People Before Profit Alliance

press at peoplebeforeprofit dot ie

087 6775468

Report Will Deepen Unemployment Crisis

People Before Profit Alliance says 'Despicable SNIP Report Must Be Rejected'

Report Will Deepen Unemployment Crisis
Vigorous Campaign To Defend Public Services Must Be Launched

The People Before Profits Alliance today condemned the report from An Bord Snip Nua as predictable scapegoating of the public sector.

If the recommendations in this report are implemented public services will be devastated and pensioners, the poor and disadvantaged will see the incomes slashed.

Councillor Joan Collins said “This report was written without any thought for the devastating effect its slash and burn recommendations will have on the lives of ordinary people. Services in schools and hospitals will be slashed. The incomes of the poorest will be slashed. This report targets teachers, health workers, children with special needs, social welfare recipients, medical cardholders and pensioners. These people did not create the economic crisis. When will we have the report which tells us how the rich are going to pay for the mess they created?”

Councillor Richard Boyd Barrett said “If this report is implemented it will set off a deflationary spiral which will deepen the unemployment crisis. Over 17,000 jobs are to go at a time when the state should be leading the drive to create jobs. In its obsession with cutting there no consideration of how the state can play a role in creating jobs which will improve services to the public and provide the housing, schools and hospital which we need so badly.

There is now a crying need for a vigorous campaign to defend public services and the incomes of workers and those dependent on social welfare.

Trade unions, community, campaigning and political groups should now unite to fight for decent public services, a programme of job creations, taxing the wealthy and an end to bailouts for the banks.

The only policy this government has offered is to hit workers, the poor and the disadvantaged. An Bord Snip offers more of the same. Its time to say enough is enough.”

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Comments (6 of 6)

Boreens

by Driver.

Mon Jul 20, 2009 13:36

"Bulldozing national monuments in order to plank down motorways alongside existing and perfectly viable roadways."

What "viable roadways" would they have been David?

Irish roads were an international joke up till recently.

Many still are.

Just last week I had to drive through a cattle fair day in the village of Buttevant.

This is on the main "superhighway" between the Second largest and third largest city in the state....Cork and Limerick.

A winding boreen would be a better description of that dangerous road.

Decent infrastructure is a basic requirement for national recovery.
.

An initial suggestion for balancing the books

by David

Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:41

Why not cut the apparently autonomous government agency known as the National Roads Authority, which has so far managed to chalk up a €16 billion overspend on its NPD allocation? I know it costs a lot to provide cash handouts to needy politically-connected developers and their multinational associates, but medical care and education should not come second to bulldozing national monuments in order to plank down motorways alongside existing and perfectly viable roadways.

Balancing the books Brian?

Fri Jul 17, 2009 13:58

People Before Profit Alliance have suggested alternatives Brian!
On Tuesday 28th April 2009 in the Unite Hall in Dublin the People Before Profit Alliance launched it's "Economic Alternative Agenda" Document.

Read the document here:
http://www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie/node/86

I think bord snip held back a little on what they wanted to do..

by snip this

Fri Jul 17, 2009 13:46

wait...I think there was a few extra pages in my bord snip report. Looks like they accidentally gave me a draft copy. Hmmm...yes...ovens.....euthanasia....free slave labour for chosen corporations.....gold teeth....yes. It all makes so much sense. Why beat around the bush?

This state is such a joke. We have pro lifers running around on the one hand, then this shit on the other when you finally get here. We don't care about life once it arrives. That is unless it arrives in a rich family. Because we also have low tax for the rich, tax loopholes up the wazoo, free gas for large multibillion dollar corporatations, and huge multi billion euro reimbersements / loan write offs for failed investors who are savvy enough to use the corrupt anglo irish bank, all quietly paid for by the docile accepting Irish public.

What the hell are they putting in the water??? In any other country people would be filing the streets, but instead we meekly accept the FF mantra, not questioning their failed ideological viewpoint for a moment, while they attack all the vulnerable areas of society to save small amounts.

they already quietly took 4% off rent allowance without a murmur, yet low rents are not dropping at all.. Then another 2% by removing xmas bonus. Thats already 6% off the poorest members in society before we even look at bord snips "report", while the judges get the option of a voluntary reduction which hardly any take up, surprise surprise. Judges like Devins who earns her huge salary by jailing protestors and riding roughshod over the legal process.

In Iran, they use civil disobedience, like all turning their TV on simultaneously at 9, or all phoning at the same time or all asking for the same webpage at 9.
You have to admire them. People do have power. They just don't bother. Whatever happened to the spirit of the Irish people. Only the accents of the landlords changed.

How to balance the books?

by Brian

Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:46

PBPA need to outline alternatives to An Bord Snip if they are to be taken seriously. Its easy to say that cuts should not be made, everyone agrees with that - but how else are the books to be balanced? The state does not have the income to pay for the expenditure it makes. We cant borrow for ever.

I'm not agreeing with the Bord Snip cuts - I'm just saying that in order for opposition to it be credible, there has to be a different way of doing things outlined, with proper costing, instead of just opposition for the sake of it.

Labour Party response!

Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:40

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the report is a 'shocking commentary' on the Government that has been in office for 12 years, given the identification of such huge savings.
However, he said threats of industrial action in response to the proposed cuts are not helpful."

So FF introduce a crazy thatcherite document and Gilmore's point is that talk by the unions to use industrial action to fight cuts is 'unhelpful'.
This is crazy!

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Despicable SNIP Report Must Be Rejected

Comments (6 of 6)