Join Occupy Galway at this month's GCC meeting

galway | anti-capitalism | event notice Friday October 05, 2012 20:06 by Occupier

Just a reminder that the monthly meeting of Galway City Council will be taking place this Monday the 8th of October at 4pm.
Join us at 3:30, Monday the 8th of October at City Hall and demand your right to local democracy.

Hey all

Just a reminder that the monthly meeting of Galway City Council will
be taking place this Monday the 8th of October at 4pm.

We do not have local government in this country, we have local
administration. The decisions that affect our lives are being made at
national level (influenced and directed by the IMF, EU and ECB) and
are being enforced by local authorities all around the country. These
councils, our councils, are supposed to be the avenue for ordinary
people to participate in the decision making processes that impact all
our lives. Instead of this access we have the system that exists in
Galway City Council where elected representatives have little or no
power, where unelected city managers and directors decide how to waste
our money and are all answerable to nobody.

The voices or ordinary Galway people are being ignored in favour of
big businessmen, the wealthy landlords and building contractors who
made fortunes on the backs of the ordinary people. Millions of euros
in unpaid rates are being written off while house owners face the
threat of prosecution over the household tax as well as being blamed
for the cuts to local services and projects. Those applying for social
housing face months of waiting just to be assessed while houses sit
empty all around the town.

It is clear to see that the people in city hall have no interest in
improving the lives of the citizens who live here. We are nothing more
than numbers to them. They are well any truly on the side of the hotel
owners who make massive profits from tourism and the business men who
hold a monopoly over the media that demonises and belittles protest in
this town.

Every one of us has the right to be present at city council meetings
and be listened to by those we elected to serve us. If we do not
exercise these rights they will be taken away from us and corruption
will prevail.

We must not allow this situation to continue.

Join us at 3:30, Monday the 8th of October at City Hall and demand your right to local democracy.