Louis XIV's minister for finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, never endeared himself to the small farmers of France whose pockets he efficiently plundered to fill his master's coffers. His maxim, however, is one that all ministers for finance live by. "The art of taxation," Colbert insisted, "consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the least amount of hissing."
Colbert, no doubt, would frown on the introduction of bin charges by Fingal County Council, and now Dublin City Council, which has provoked a great deal of hissing, and more, on the part of groups like the Socialist Party which hope to repeat their success of a few years ago in defeating water charges. But reports from the streets indicate this is by no means the mass campaign which its organisers suggest, and yesterday, Fingal County Council claims it successfully completed all but two of its bin routes. It also reports that sales of bin tags in the Dublin 15 heartland of the protest have risen 40 per cent in the last week.
Quite apart from the foolhardy willingness of campaigners to defy court injunctions, the campaign is based on a number of deeply dubious propositions. Campaigners insist the charges are an attack on the poor, and the precursors to both service privatisation and the introduction of local household and water charges which they claim will raise bills to "€1,000" per household. Neither privatisation nor other charges are currently on Fingal County Council's agenda, and where the mysterious "€1,000" has come from is not clear.
While the tax system in general may indeed unfairly favour the rich, some real sense of proportion is necessary - 10 per cent of Fingal residents are exempted from the charges because of low incomes, and 70 per cent face bills of only €130 a year (because they are opting to put out rubbish only once every two weeks).
Moreover, the significant reduction in the number of bins being put out by residents and their growing willingness to participate in recycling is also, dare it be said, a progressive development. It seems strange indeed to hear "socialist" campaigners make such a principle of a measure, which, like the metering of water, is based on an attempt to apply the polluter pays principle. Opposition in principle to local taxation is odd from those who deplore the democratic deficit in local government.
Such illogicalities, and the increasing impatience of locals who have willingly paid charges for services now being disrupted, suggest the campaign may not survive long. Fingal County Council would be well advised not to prolong it by making martyrs in the courts.