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Jailings will only intensify the protests against the bin tax

category dublin | bin tax / household tax / water tax | press release author Friday September 19, 2003 21:20author by No Bin Tax - SP

Latest Fingal Anti-Bin Tax Campaign Press Release

THE JAILING of Joe Higgins T.D. and Cllr. Clare Daly for a month will not break the massive opposition in Dublin to the bin tax and to the draconian policy of leaving thousands of bins of householders boycotting the bin tax uncollected.

How ironic that fighters for taxation justice should be imprisoned, while sitting in the Dáil and Councils around the country are many establishment representatives who were in the pockets of developers and speculators.

The anger that is coming from working class communities on the bin tax reflects a wider anger because the Government lied its way back into office, because of the imposition of a whole range of increased charges and stealth taxes and because of the cuts in our health and education services. In the last two budgets, multinationals and the rich have been given a €1.5 billion tax cut while working class people are expected to pay the bin tax. It won’t be lost on people that none of the Ansbacher tax cheats were even taken to court, never mind imprisoned.

The Fingal Anti Bin Tax Campaign fully supports the stance taken by both Joe Higgins T.D. and Councillor Clare Daly. We call on all the Campaigns Against the Bin Tax to intensify their struggle by following the example of Fingal residents until the bin tax is abolished and both public representatives are released.

Protest Rally

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 20th
2.00 PM at Fingal County Council Offices,
Blanchardstown Town Centre

The Fingal Anti Bin Tax Campaign is also calling on all the Anti Bin Tax Campaigns to organise solidarity protests in their communities at lunchtime tomorrow.

Ø Collect All Bins
Ø Abolish the Bin Tax
Ø Release Joe Higgins T.D. & Cllr Clare Daly


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Email your messages of support for Joe and Clare, demand that they be released and demand that the bin tax is abolished.

William Soffe - County Manager - manager@fingalcoco.ie
Sean Dolphin - Fine Gael Chair of the Council - sean.dolphin@fingalcoco.ie
Phone him at [code from NI and Britain] 003531 or 01 890 5025 (w)
The Council address is - Fingal Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Fingal County Dublin. Phone 003531/01 8905000
Fianna Fail - Tel 003531 or 01 6761551 Email: info@fiannafail.ie
Progressive Democrats - Tel 6794399 Email: info@progressivedemocrats.ie

For further information, Cllr. Ruth Coppinger (FABTC Secretary) at 087 673 0187

Related Link: http://www.socialistparty.net/bintax/index.htm

Comments (8 of 8)

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author by No Bin Taxpublication date Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:23author address author phone

THE JAILING of Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and Cllr Clare Daly for one month for their refusal to cease campaigning against the bin tax in Dublin is an attack on working class peoples rights to protest against injustice.

Both Joe and Clare were elected to the Dail and Fingal County Council respectively with a mandate to oppose the introduction of bin charges and to represent the thousands of families who are opposed to bin charges. Bin Charges are a form of double taxation.

Under the present Southern Government, more than 80% of all income tax is collected from the working class under the PAYE system. PAYE workers do not object to paying for the service but certainly do object to paying twice.

The agenda of the establishment is to defeat resistance to the bin tax, make the tax collectible, reintroduce the hated water charges and bring local taxation up to the 1000 euro a year mark.

The Government and the Councils try to portray the tax as an environmentally friendly measure based on the principle that "the polluter pays". However, the point is that the polluter manifestly does not pay in the southern State. A couple of years ago total national waste came to 80 million tonnes. Of this, a mere 1.2 million tonnes was accounted for by household waste. Most of the rest was accounted for by big business and agriculture. Yet ordinary householders were hit with service charges and big business was rewarded with the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The jailing of Joe Higgins and Clare Daly for fighting for the rights of working class people is been met with outrage throughout the country. This is at the same time that millionaire tax dodgers have been found to have cheated the tax man of a small fortune by hiding money in offshore Ansbacher bank accounts. Not a single Ansbacher Man has seen the inside of a prison cell.

The defeat of the bin charges in the South would also be a victory for working people in Northern Ireland. Campaigns are presently being built across the North to organise non-payment of the planned water charges which are also designed to financially cripple working class people even further.

We are calling for workers throughout Northern Ireland to protest and show solidarity with Joe and Clare and with the working class people of Dublin fighting the bin tax.

Yours,

Carmel Gates, NIPSA President (personal capacity)

Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Brian Booth, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Kevin Lawrenson, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Paul Dale, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Mary Cahillane INTO Executive member

Gordon McNeill,

Madan Gumpta,

Chris Bowyer, sacked airport shop stewards

Jim Barbour, FBU Executive Committee

Jim Quinn FBU, Chairperson NI

Tony Maguire, Belfast Trades Council

Anton McCabe, Omagh Trades Council

Mickey Duffy, NIPSA Fermanagh & Tyrone Health Branch

Harry Hutchinson, Secretary T&GWU Mid-Ulster & West Branch

Peter Hadden,

Gary Mulcahy,

Ciaran Mulholland,

Northern Regional Executive Committee, Socialist Party

For more information contact: Gary Mulcahy 07742087602

author by No Bin Taxpublication date Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:26author address author phone

Protest rallies are scheduled for Tallaght, Swords and Blanchardstown for Saturday and for the City Centre on Monday evening.

Currently three bin trucks are still under long term blockade in Fingal. Community action on this issue is set to get stronger and stronger.

author by Ted Tynan - The Workers' Partypublication date Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:51author email wpi at indigo dot ieauthor address author phone

The Workers’ Party has strongly condemned the jailing of Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and his colleague Cllr. Clare Daly for their part in the widespread campaign against bin charges in North County Dublin.

Workers’ Party spokesman Ted Tynan, who was himself jailed in Cork on the same issue in the 1990s, said the jailing of the two activists was an outrage and he called for a nationwide mobilisation to support the Dublin anti-bin tax campaigners.

“Once again we see ordinary workers and their representatives being jailed for resisting an unjust form of double taxation while those with wealth and power in high places can openly flout the law and engage in criminal tax fraud and bribery on a obscenely massive scale. The judge in this case has declared loudly and plainly that there is indeed one law for the rich and crooked in this country and another punitive and unjust law for PAYE workers”, said Mr. Tynan.

The Cork based Workers’ Party spokesman offered his and his party’s full support to Deputy Higgins and Councillor Daly, their families and supporters and said that nationwide displays of solidarity will follow, starting with a demonstration at Cork City Hall on Monday evening (full details to follow).

author by Orla Ni Chomhrai - SWPpublication date Fri Sep 19, 2003 22:29author email nichomhrai at eircom dot netauthor address author phone

BIN TAX SHOWDOWN
SUPPORT THE ANTI-BIN TAX PROTESTERS
STREET DEMO SAT. 20/9 LYNCH'S CASTLE,1-2pm

Protesters are fighting to resist double taxation,against undemocratic laws and practices...express your outrage at the jailing of protesters.

author by wolfatad4publication date Sat Sep 20, 2003 02:49author address author phone

. . .. let's get joe and clare the same

mail - irishheads@hotmail.com

author by iosafpublication date Sat Sep 20, 2003 12:36author address author phone

Get them all laptops and mobiles.
May the elected representatives of the Socialist Party of Ireland use this time to learn about the appaling conditions in Dublin's prison, and work towards the succesful conclusing of many injustices against the poor of Ireland.

ONE OUT ALL OUT.

Related Link: http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/53841/index.php
author by iosaf ipsiphi O as ifpublication date Sat Sep 20, 2003 16:52author address author phone

I've decided to keep an eye on the Oireachtas daily biz. Now this is quite a new venture for me, but rest assured I won't be alone, and will be counting nay utilising wisdom, wit and that ancient cunning for which I am prematurely known.


Would you do us a favour and ensure that there's enough paper and computer access, printing, freedom of expression and that sort of stuff "in the Joy"?

Related Link: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61193
author by Ailínpublication date Sat Sep 20, 2003 21:22author address author phone

Dublin Republican Sinn Féin

September 20, 2003

At an emergency meeting of Comhairle Ceantair Átha Cliath, Republican Sinn Féin a resolution was passed in support of the campaign against the Bin Tax.

The meeting also noted the ease with which prominent leaders of the anti-bin tax campaign were imprisoned while corrupt politicians seem immune to prosecution.


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/61194

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