I write to protest at the appalling bias of The Irish Times against the Progressive Democrat Party as reflected in the cynical conclusion to your editorial on the Budget (December 4th) to the effect that "the PDs live on for a little longer". I suggest that not only is this grudging comment very wide of the mark in terms of political forecasting, but is also based on a lamentable view of who are the rich and financially well-heeled in Ireland today.
Your overall editorial hostility to the Progressive Democrats is clearly based on the premise that the proposed 2 per cent cut in the 48 per cent tax rate is an excessive concession to the so-called better off. But how sustainable is this leftist view of Ireland 1997?
Firstly, there are nearly half-a-million people, mostly PAYE workers, in the 48 per cent bracket. Secondly, the 48 per cent rate is a complete misnomer, since the effective upper tax rate is 54.75 per cent when the automatic PRSI burden is taken into account.
I do not believe that the vast majority of people earning £20,000 to £50,000 a year see themselves as excessively well-off, nor do they feel a need to apologise to anyone for their modest riches. This is the coping class who are paying through the nose for nearly everything; they work hard and they take risks. Even with a 46 per cent tax rate (plus PRSI), they are still paying too much tax.
I would also suggest that this category of people are the principal purchasers of The Irish Times each day. - Yours, etc.,
Sutton, Dublin 13.