Participation v. Apathy. What will Ireland do viz a biz voting for the EU Constitution!!!!

national | rights, freedoms and repression | other press Thursday June 02, 2005 22:43 by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

How plugged in are the voters. Why such neglect?

The French have excelled. People started reading books, thinking, and voting.

The Dutch followed on.

What will happen in Ireland? Will there be another No vote election not be acceptable to Govt . Let us recall, the 'machinery' kicked in another strategic vote....and apathy and people beckoned to the call of the Master!!!

Will it be the same this time....Do we really need to waste money on holding an 'Election' as a form of token gesture.


Where are the Watchdogs? Who has the teeth? Why aren't Corrupt Practices not made a criminal offence? What about the scandalous loopholes in those who pay tax and more importantly the Equitable Amount.

I

Before I wrote to Indymedia I was so naive. I thought in an idealistic sort of way that I could contribute some form of social capital to equate to the Invalidity Benefit received.....Perhaps I over-explained my case but all I can say is that I received no responses from Dept. of Justice (possibly the odd few), Minister Mary Harney; Taoiseach Ahern.

I later heard from a reliable source that policy and commitment prevent our public representatives

Now we see the Morris Tribunal; the Disabilities bill that denies people like me 'Rights'; the inadequate legislation for the ever growing number of charities in Ireland i.e.; Nursing Homes and the treatment of vulnerable people and the motive of medicine appearing to be Profit and Tax Breaks; the list goes on.


I am including a letter I wrote to Minister Harney over a year ago. The practice of responding is not within their protocol. Perhaps if it was, something could be learnt from the ordinary human being with something to say.


Let's review over one year ago...?

To: "Tanaiste Trade and Employment"
Subject: Fw: Ideas How about a response?
Date: Friday, June 04, 2004 11:21 AM



Dear Tanaiste

You are the person who fails to support community employment........but I suggest this needs consideration. At least look at it in the context of people with disabilities........seek a vision even!


Michelle Clarke

----- Original Message -----
12th April 2004


Dear Tanaiste

I hope you enjoyed the Easter recess. I would ask you to read the quotation selected by me from C.S. Lewis beneath my signature. I would like the content of this letter to be seen in the light of this quotation written in the 1950's. Apt, I would suggest?

I read a submission recently in a book called 'Why Not' - you mentioned about the need and importance of ideas!!!!!!!

If you had the good fortune to travel away from Dublin this Easter, I can now assure you missed nothing except the intuitively felt vacuum that pervades capital cities pre recessions!!!!! I have been through recessions in Ireland, England and Zimbabwe - I have a good idea of what I am talking about.

Health hampers my walks through the City but lucky for me, this time I had a friend to reassure me on my rambles.

What can I say?
Dublin 4 where I live reminds me of London in the 1970's and again in the late 1980's/early 1990's - houses vacant as people vacation or hold property in the light of higher prices, travel to other investment properties or holidays. The streets were empty of people, no sports events, in fact nothing to attract in tourists. I went to Bewleys where there were a few people - those like myself with limited income. The same can be said about Juries.

Today - it was to the Church in Sean McDermott Street. Needless to say, it was locked and yet within it is a sanctuary to those people of passion like Matt Talbott; Gandhi; Nelson Mandela. The streets were strewn with rubbish in a City that is supposed to be invested with rats. The little children played in the playground.........no local shops open.

The recession caused my departure from Dublin in the 1980s. The Financial Services plan and tax breaks ensured that as I left, I hoped to return to an improved country and less impoverished people. I commend the Government who in the last 7 years have orchestrated an so-called profitable economy.

However, I would ask that ministers go 'walk about' and meet the people and see just what is happening in areas like the financial services centre and its so-called integrated social housing policy. The quality of the houses provided is not the issue; but the poverty is.

Added to this, are the section 23 apartments of the privileged overlooking the poverty. What message is this to convey to people? It will scarely entice their children to pursue their education further. The streets are strewn with rubbish and the adjacent shops/restaurants/marks and spencers will hardly lower their prices to entice the less privileged into them.

This again is tokenism. Ireland has become very much a two tier society. I would suggest your Government has benefited by shrewd policies that yield large sums of unexpected monies e.g. amnesties, EU, ESF. By virtue of this, the next Government to power will be at a loss as the rich pickings will have been gathered!!!!!!!

Then try Gardiner Street: Yes, those Section 23 properties again. Landlords have gained on the Section 23, and if they bought and sold Mr. McCreevy's reduction of 20 per in Capital Gains Tax ensured nice profits all round.

Have you ever looked at an estate agent brochure for these apartments? If so, you will have noticed that they never mention maintenance charges? There is a good reason and that is maintenance costs money.

Did anyone ever ensure that Section 23 apartments contained clauses to ensure payment of maintenance and concern by the owner? Apartment block after apartment block in the city resembles large wear and tear and worse again no 'house rules'.

Again, as you approach Mountjoy Square one sees buildings which are quite evidently being held by developers until Mr. McCreevy devises a new tax incentive before they relinquish hold. The irony here is they say we have a shortage of housing........I can't see that we have. There are lots of 'For Sale' signs up........lets go for social integration using initiative.

Is there a reason for the streets on the North Side to have heeps of black bags of rubbish? We have bins in D4 and ours were collected today. Not the same on Gardiner Street. I have not been out to the suburbs but hear that one will witness the same problems and issues. Again, I say when negative equity occurred in the UK - it was a quick injection of nearly 10 years debt in excess of value. We need to be cautious.

I would ask you to liase with your Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform. Your two departments intertwine and Minister McDowells over emphasis of a new form of 'his style bureauracy' assuages issues of key importance to the Island of Ireland, namely undue interferance with our Constitution and liaison with our Judiciary role.

Most importantly, the Peace Process needs endorsement and support, given the route we chose to take at the time of the Belfast Agreement. I think we in the South need to take on board the US funds made available to support this process and the input by the then President Clinton and George Mitchell. Ireland economically gained in the early 1990's to support this Peace Process.

Mary, you as Tanaiste or any of your staff never answer any of my emails. The PD's were founded on the Ethics platform (code of conduct) in Irish politics. What went wrong? How do you plan to embrace change?

Regards


Michelle Clarke

C.S. Lewis :
'I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of administration. The greatest evil is now done in those sordid dens of crime that Dickets loved to paint...it is conceived and ordered...a clean, carpeted, warmed and well lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut finger-nails and smooth shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty businessman. Written 1950s.

G.K. Chesteron
'Education is simply the soul as it passes from one generation to another'

Hindsight: Let's look at today's Daily Ireland'

Frank McBrearty
'They have collectively overseen the cover-up so I am calling on the people of Ireland to stand up like they did in 1916'

This refers to Minister for Justice and Law Reform and the Garda Commissioner.

Why such corruption rooted into our Guardians? We the people vote for these 'Gaurdians' of our society. Why such a level of tolerance to those who engage in corrupt and dangerous practices.

We await Mr. Justice Barr findings. What excuse can be granted for what is clearly an unjust shooting of a young man with mental health problems....why were Gardai so insensitive about his need for cirgarettes. Surely it was beyond their brief to taunt.....

Then there is Lusk......

Then we have paitients align in Patients together to act in a hands on way to protect our sick people

What about all the research carried out in our universities? I ask why does so much gather dust.

Ireland is still a young nation and does not deserve to be buried by more corruption in sectors of health, Justice, Housing,

Michelle Clarke

What about our Environment; our heritage sites; and the list goes on......