Sir, – Miriam Lord reports that the new Social Democrats promote "good quality public services" and "equitable taxation" ("SockDems ready to shake up old politics", July 16th). The new party is set up on the premise of a "missing link" in terms of promoting new ways of conducting national business.
It is fair to say that the three joint leaders of this new party have been relatively severe critics of the same current Government that has brought this country back from the Greek-style abyss it faced when taking office in 2011.
Voters may be attracted to something new, but these citizens should ask themselves whether they wish to support “reality land” politics, as pragmatically invoked during the last four years, or the realm of “fantasy land”, ie the generic, non-viable alternative vision typically espoused by the Opposition.
When the Social Democrats speak about “equitable taxation”, this is a buzzword essentially for additional, new taxation, offset against presumed reductions elsewhere, so they should clarify the subset of citizens that would be subjected to any tax rises, and in what manner.
Many voters have expressed anger against the Government because of certain spending cuts and tax rises. It is strikingly easy for any Opposition figure to oppose each and every one of those instances, but is it obvious that a balance must be struck somewhere for the sake of fiscal stability.
It is time for a fair dialogue to be initiated by both Government and Opposition politicians to highlight that extra expenditure must be offset somehow against extra revenue, and that if a Nordic social model, for example, were to be adapted for incorporation into Irish society, then part of the conversation would involve persuading many of those who have complained about property taxation, water charges and other recent new revenue-raising measures, that they would need to pay even more in future for that societal vision to be realised. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNEDY,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Given that the Social Democrats claim they are here to stay, might I suggest a suitable slogan for Róisín Shortall? Shortall for the long haul! – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CASSERLY,
Bishopstown,
Cork.
Sir, – How sad. Another political party and the first boast of some of its founders is that they intend flouting the law, ie not paying their water charges. – Yours, etc,
TOM QUINN,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – I see that some of the Social Democrats have not paid their water charges and state that if that party forms part of the next government that it will move to abolish the charges. Allow me to be the first to say that I refuse to pay whatever replacement form of funding it plans to impose to cover the loss of revenue. I paid taxes that should have gone to fund utilities but these were squandered by previous governments and I do not want to go back to the system that failed us for so long. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DOYLE,
Dublin 14.