Water Charges (1 Viewer)

[niallmc]

There's been a lot of community protests against the water tax that have featured some heavy handed policing, that's what Gene Kerrigan seems to have been on about. Does anyone really feel that imposing the water tax on a population at the end on 5 years of austerity policies is purely to avoid wastage? If it's about avoiding waste, why not fix the leaks? it's about raising revenue and ultimately privatising the whole thing.

It's interesting to read everyones take on the next election, time will tell on that one and we will have the proof here to review it if needs be.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Does anyone really feel that imposing the water tax on a population at the end on 5 years of austerity policies is purely to avoid wastage? If it's about avoiding waste, why not fix the leaks? it's about raising revenue and ultimately privatising the whole thing.

The thinking behind it is that we needed to broaden the tax base. Fianna Fail was running the country with a geyser of Stamp Duty from a property boom. It was a drunken sailor's way to run a country.
They abolished the property tax (rates) as part of an election ploy in the 70s. a great bunch of lads.
It is certainly about raising revenue, but it's being imposed when many people are at the pin of their collar.

I personally think it's the right thing to do at perhaps the worst possible time.
All that money spent on e-voting machines and all that lark should have been spent on this.
Also, new home builds should come with rainwater harvesting.
It should have been done during the boom.

It's a dry fist fuck right now.

 

[Unicron]

Also, new home builds should come with rainwater harvesting.
It should have been done during the boom.

Is that like a barrel attached to the gutters? Coz I have that, or is there more to it?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Is that like a barrel attached to the gutters? Coz I have that, or is there more to it?

Loads of ways to do it.
The barrel gutter is great for collecting water for the garden.

There are more sophisticated systems that collect rainwater for everything but drinking.
Can be difficult to retrofit, but relatively easy on new build.

 

[Anthony]

Have the prices of water butts gone up, I bet they have. Gonna have to get something like that, herself likes to water the plants.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Have the prices of water butts gone up, I bet they have. Gonna have to get something like that, herself likes to water the plants.

They were cheap as chips when I bought one - like 35 euro

Very easy to install, if you have a PVC downpipe.

I had a hose coming off mine with a load of tiny holes drilled into it. I ran it under the soil, so the plants were getting constantly watered.
Completely unscientific. No one told me it would work, only the man in my head.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

They're 40 euro

Find out how to purchase a water butt? | Dublin City Council

 

[Anthony]

And he's alllllllright

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

And he's alllllllright

They fill up in no time. You'll have fecking oodles of uisce.

 

[dudley]

ACID RAIN

 

[therealjohnny]

ACID RAIN

Is this still a thing?

I thought that went the way of other 80s phenomena like quicksand and ESP

 

[nooleen]

and children dying from running kites into overhead wires

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

I said at the last election that FF would be back in 2 election cycles and I'm still reasonably confident that'll be the case. I agree with you on the outcome of the next one though. Enda to go about 4 months before it.

You think FG have any chance of becoming FF nua? Not in their being two sides of the same coin but essentially becoming the 'establishment' government, ruling for the most part while FF play opposition with brief spells in power.

 

[Unicron]

You think FG have any chance of becoming FF nua? Not in their being two sides of the same coin but essentially becoming the 'establishment' government, ruling for the most part while FF play opposition with brief spells in power.

I don't, FF have almost always been more malleable in terms of policy than FG I think, at least in my lifetime, makes them more electable.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

I don't, FF have almost always been more malleable in terms of policy than FG I think, at least in my lifetime, makes them more electable.

That's a good point. Fianna Fail are the party of expediency.

 

[Unicron]

That's a good point. Fianna Fail are the party of expediency.

Before my time but at one point Sean Lemass was referring to them as a socialist party

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Before my time but at one point Sean Lemass was referring to them as a socialist party

Like me, Lemass was a practical socialist - Independent.ie

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I am not against water charges per se but this is so transparently about a neoliberal strategy of privatisation (and consequent privation) as well as information harvesting from the populace.

 

[magicbastarder]

a) the concept of water charges is a sensible one.
b) letting each local authority (especially given the amazingly idiotic number of local authorities in ireland) look after their own water supply was a supreme waste of opportunity to capitalise on economies of scale.

unifying all those separate authorities and charging for water is eminently sensible. if done right.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

a) the concept of water charges is a sensible one.
b) letting each local authority (especially given the amazingly idiotic number of local authorities in ireland) look after their own water supply was a supreme waste of opportunity to capitalise on economies of scale.

unifying all those separate authorities and charging for water is eminently sensible. if done right.

If done right.... this being Ireland I wouldn't hold out much hope.

As said before, its not water charges as such that are the problem, rather its how the idea is sold to us-conservation,and the timing of it-after six years of cuts and tax increases.
A much fairer way of doing it would be to introduce a flat charge that gives a generous allowance per person (to be cut back over say, ten years, to encourage conservation), and, if anyone exceeds their limit, then kick in with the excess charges.