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From: Tuars
Date: 07/01/00
Time: 16:21:53
So if I understand your argument correctly you are blaming the cost that the travellers place on the state for the fact that you pay high taxes.
I wonder how much burden travellers actually place on the state? Here's a few examples off the top of my head.
They have the lowest life expectancy of any section of society, so most will not reach pension age. There's some money back for you poor tax payer.
They have the highest rate of illiteracy and within the education system, few get past the middle years of secondary school. So no college fees to be subsidized by poor long suffering tax payer either.
They have no voice and no representation in government or in opposition, so no opportunity to steal your hard earned tax or divert it to there own special interests in that circle either.
Because they are socially marginalised they have no opportunity to become part of the big business golden circles who the government favour with grants that disappear down black holes (to resurface in the Cayman Islands) and still somehow manage to exclude themselves from the tax net.
Despite this marginalisation, the ingenious traveller successfully hides his millions by disguising his affluence in the apalling living conditions of a caravan on the side of the road.
So poor disgruntled tax payer, will you swap your lifestyle for the life of a traveller? It sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
There are good and bad in both the settled and travelling community. I am not making excuses for the bad behaviour of certain travellers. However, I think you are jumping on an easy and highly visible target, you're picking on the weakest section of society, just because they are different and have a lifestyle you don't understand.
You won't see many of them with the luxury of a PC to come here and defend themselves.
The reasons we pay high taxes are because of decades of corrupt and incompetent government in cahoots with big business, not because of a few travellers claiming dole in 3 counties.
And finally, relating to your comment about looking for work, how easy to do you think it is for a traveller to find work when attitudes like yours prevail throughout the county.
I suggest you educate yourself to the reality of where your hard earned taxes are going. It is your money after all and you seem very concerned about it. You might get a few eye openers when you find out who is really sponging off the state. Then again it's alot easier and more fun to put the boot into the travellers.
Good luck.