Madam, - I find it hard to believe that this nonsense about "bin charges" is still going on, after all these years. The protesters still seem to be as muddled as ever in their thinking.
The protest is not a matter of principle, such as "no double taxation". If it were, the protesters would refuse to pay all taxes, except one, presumably income tax. Do they also refuse to pay motor tax, for example?
Every society has many taxes. There is no one tax which can collect enough to pay for all the Government service we need - and demand.
It is utterly illogical to prevent households from having their refuse collected - a service they are prepared to pay for - on the grounds that some households do not want to pay for this service.
A country where people feel they can choose which laws they will obey and which they won't cannot operate fairly or properly. We have had enough examples in this country of people choosing which taxes to pay or not pay, leading to massive under-resourcing of vital services and a pervading sense of unfairness. These anti-refuse charge protesters are contributing to that sense of unfairness as they try to hold on to their money under the self-serving illusion that they are guided by some noble principle, when they are merely being mean, and very muddled. - Yours, etc.,
PAT McLAUGHLIN,
Hollybank Road,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.