I would like to thank the Far-Left.

national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | opinion/analysis Tuesday October 21, 2003 12:42 by Pat D

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Far-Left for providing one of the most entertaining political campaigns of the last few years. How I've laughed as I've watched a group of Socialist/SWP people badly run, badly represent and badly debate a ridiculous "struggle" that nobody wants. Everyone knows they're simply doing it to try and gain seats in next years local elections - but they may have achieved the complete opposite. Their campaign is about to implode (probably with the usual Left-Wing in-fighting and bickering), and the only thing they've gained is the comtempt of the vast majority of Dublin householders. Expect repercussions in the next Local and General elections. No wonder the Labour Party have kept relatively quiet on the issue over the last few weeks.

"There is no other way that Dublin's waste crisis can be solved. And the only way we are ever going to achieve this is by sticking to the principle of paying for what we throw away. Once you subsume the cost of a bin service into overall taxation, you remove any incentive for people to cut back on waste.

That is the reality. Nothing works like charging. Most of us are well-intentioned, but lazy. It takes an avoidable charge to get us to make the effort.

Why should you go to the bother of sorting out cardboard and paper, plastics, tetra packs, cans and biodegradable waste, if your neighbour just throws it all in the bin and gets rid of it for nothing?"

..sums it all up really.