**ALL THINGS IRISH WATER/WATER RELATED** Part 2 - MOD WARNING IN OP

ThisRegard wrote: »

Such bull****, I still don't know why there's people like you out there that can't understand why people understand the economic situation we're in and why the need for water charges.

The modus operandi of people like you is to dismiss them as shills rather than engage in any form of debate.

The irony of your post will not be lost on most people.

You seem fairly irate about the whole thing. Was it the FG part that got to you?

People have a very clear understanding of our economic situation. They also understand there is no need for water charges, the money can be raised elsewhere as has been covered numerous times.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to work to pay my taxes.

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

I think the protesters sealed their fate with their attack on Bruton. I would not be surprised if the whole approach by the government has changed. Nor will I be surprised if there are a large number of arrests today.

sjb25 wrote: »

You could well be right

Ye could be right and the actions of some protestors (however small) combined with the governments sweet giving tactics may effect the numbers but I am not so sure ,I believe a lot of the population will see through these tactics and will have enough common sense to realise that these stupid acts are not a true reflection of the protests or their goals.

I also seem to remember a lot of people predicted a major drop off in numbers between the two major protests and where a bit shocked and surprised by the turn out to the 2nd nationwide protest .

Highflyer13 wrote: »

But will we see images and videos of the young woman being flung against the metal post in the mainstream media? I think not.

A significant portion of the protesters, the 40+ rural Ireland demographic do not use social media and rely on mainstream sources for their news. They wont see all sides of the story. This is where some momentum will be lost with the PR spin I feel.

You said it and it is a very important point !

The older generation do not have FB Twitter etc do not get to see the Dundalk incident and the pillar one also.
Just what they saw on RTE.

"Sure we have to pay it or they will take it off our pension "

A lot of fear with the elderly folk of our society and that fear is of the Government.

nm wrote: »

The anti-water charge vigilantes have burnt out two vans in Cork

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/gardai-investigate-as-two-irish-water-vans-found-burnt-out-in-cork-651283.html

How do you know know they were anti-water vigilantes?
Please provide proof or a link. Thank You .

ROCKMAN wrote: »

Ye could be right and the actions of some protestors (however small) combined with the governments sweet giving tactics may effect the numbers but I am not so sure ,I believe a lot of the population will see through these tactics and will have enough common sense to realise that these stupid acts are not a true reflection of the protests or their goals.

I also seem to remember a lot of people predicted a major drop off in numbers between the two major protests and where a bit shocked and surprised by the turn out to the 2nd nationwide protest .

I hope a good crowd turns out and protests peacefully I would be glad to see it

But the bomb scare is a disgrace and is doing the anti water camp no good at all to ring up an office and tell somebody there is a bomb there is a disgrace

The two Burnt out vans not great either

Foxhound38 wrote: »

This is getting fcuking dangerous.

Pure bluff. Hoaxers trying to put the wind up, still, it can't be ignored.

Highflyer13 wrote: »

Sure didn't Colm Keaveney get one aswell. Sinn Fein get a couple of mentions in the article too funny enough. This leads readers to sub consciously link SF with the bomb threat.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/gardai-probe-ira-kidnap-threat-to-td-30748147.html

SF were mentioned because of what Keaveney said to Adams. :pac:

Sources said that Mr Keaveney told Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, about the threat to his family at the Roscommon-South Leitrim by election count last month. Mr Keaveney is understood to have told him: "You should be concerned some one is using your franchise to threaten me."

sjb25 wrote: »

I hope a good crowd turns out and protests peacefully I would be glad to see it

But the bomb scare is a disgrace and is doing the anti water camp no good at all to ring up an office and tell somebody there is a bomb there is a disgrace

The two Burnt out vans not great either

You will have thugs attaching themselves to protests all the time. Threats against politicians aren't new either, last year the Health Minister received a threat to burn his house down with his wife in it because of the debate on the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill.

Just because some idiots do idiotic things does not make the substance of the protest diminish. What it will do is make the average citizen wary about attending public protests either out of a fear for their own safety or the fear of being associated with thuggish elements who carry out these despicable acts.

As I said in the other thread about the IW protests the organisers of these protests need to make a very clear statement distancing themselves from these acts and condemning them in the strongest fashion possible.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

a 2.5% cut in social welfare would answer alot of problems in this country,something that should not be a problem when we are talking about a budget of over €20billion.

i back the government on many things, but this nonsense of being obsessed with increasing income, as opposed to cutting crazy spending especially when 1 euro in every 3 spent goes on social welfare.

even cutting spending on legal aid for criminals and another mild adjustment in our public sector services would mean we dont need to pay for water.

Tell that to the people who go hungry so there children don't. Cutting social welfare is the last thing we should do. Its a safety net for an awful lot of people who still need it, thankfully I don't and never have but for it to be there if I do is a great thing. There is awful poverty out there and the economy is not getting better contrary to what you hear and believe.

There is wastage in this government no doubt, but we shouldn't target the most vunerable in society for savings.

homerjay2005 wrote: »

a 2.5% cut in social welfare would answer cause alot of problems in this country

Phoebas wrote: »

SF were mentioned because of what Keaveney said to Adams. :pac:

The Sindo has no credibilty when it comes to truth,never did and never will.

Ask Liam Lawlors widow.

shinzon wrote: »

There ye go was wondering when the conversation would get back to those pesky unemployed scumbag marchers again

Hilarious, like a one trick pony keeps been wheeled out when theres nothing intelligent to be added to the conversation

Shin

but see, this is where hypocrisy comes in.

water costs the state in the region of 1.5% to 2% of our expenditure. our social bill is 33%, excluding extra provisions for health, legal aid and the public related costs that comes with providing these services.

now, people are happy to not protest over this obscene drain on our countries finances, yet when people are asked to give back money to the state for a vital service, there is anarchy.

and dont bother with this nonsense that everybody on the dole is portrayed as a scumbag - they are not. however, theres 1000's of people who contribute nothing to this country and should at least have to suffer because of this.

we are perhaps the only country in the world where a man or woman who has contributed 10-20 years of taxes, is treated the same (and normally worse) than somebody who has sat on their arses for 20 years and contributed nothing.

and theres many families in this country who are on social welfare and are comfortable in their life - i know 4 or 5 examples in my own personal space where people on SW are "earning" a much more comfortable living than working families and if thats the sample size from my own personal experience, i would be sure theres many more like this around the country.

in fact, just yesterday a loan parent i know posted a picture of her flight tickets to vegas in a few weeks time,after a holiday in tenerife a few weeks back and regular trips all over Europe. she aint worked a day in her life.

a 2.5% cut to these people and 1000s more like her would help to decrease pressure on the real people who need help.

rob316 wrote: »

Tell that to the people who go hungry so there children don't. Cutting social welfare is the last thing we should do. Its a safety net for an awful lot of people who still need it, thankfully I don't and never have but for it to be there if I do is a great thing. There is awful poverty out there and the economy is not getting better contrary to what you hear and believe.

There is wastage in this government no doubt, but we shouldn't target the most vunerable in society for savings.

so part of that 2.5% can go to those who really do need it. Money isnt the answer to all problems however, we need more affordable housing, more childcare provisions, educational programmes for disadvantaged areas and multiple other initiatives. however, money is so important to this greedy little nation of ours, its all people care about.