Don’t lecture us on prudence, we are the ones who fixed country
■ If ever we needed an example of the disconnect in this country, the ESRI’s Kieran McQuinn articulated it in his analysis of the Government freeing up austerity (‘Don’t mess up rewards of economic recovery – ESRI’, Irish Independent, March 22). He tells us we cannot afford to aggressively cut tax. Really? I couldn’t afford to have my hard-earned pension plundered mainly by FG coalitions via cuts, tax increases, UHC and LPT, but it happened. I’m now entitled to relief.
Secondly, Mr McQuinn came out with this analysis: “Prudence in spending elsewhere will be needed to avoid the mistakes that preceded the crash.” Now, I left school without my Leaving Cert but my analysis of the last crash was non-existent oversight in banking. The ‘Wild West Of Banking’ according to the ‘New York Times’ in 2008. The crash came from light-touch governmental oversight of developers, and poor planning.
I’d like to remind your correspondent it wasn’t the Government, banks or developers who fixed it. No, it was the little people like me, my family and others.
Some, unfortunately, fell through the cracks into the clutches of vulture funds. Many are homeless. Whilst the priorities were capitalising banks and builders and the rental sector, the collateral came from low wages, crap hospitals and mass outward migration.
We have been bled dry. We need fresh blood.
John Cuffe
Co Meath