1. On the one side they are giving a free license to trash the water source of Kilkenny City, the river Nore which we have been protesting about for weeks. On the other side, they tried to install their first 20 water meters today. There are protests active now about both. The council either value the water or they don't. They can't have it both ways.
2. In other counties, fracking is under way, polluting underground reservoirs and ground water indiscriminately. Simultaneously, there are plans to pipe water from the river Shannon to Dublin. Which do they want? Fresh water or polluted water.
3. Then there was the water authority assembled and paid a vast amount of money, to sort out the leaks in the water system. It wasn't done. But now there is another authority assembled to charge for water. This has, of course, been done. Mending the leaks would have meant that water usage would be halved. Good for preservation and good for bill payers but the government do not care in the least.
Kilkenny people are now very much clued in and seem to be taking a lead in collapsing this old paradigm of misuse of power and public money. This ignorance and neglect of what Ireland has of value is being flagged up here. We are going to hold on to all that is good with passion, compassion and regard.
It is tempting to disempower the council further, get the most ludicrous characters who haven't changed their perspective, or owned up to any oversight for years, sacked. So lets do that but lets keep the councillors with great integrity, even if its just one or two. Let them build up a force to be reckoned with. Because the thing is:
Every local council has the power and authority to refuse fracking and other destructive plans in their county!! This is gold dust power. This means if Kilkenny people force out the undemocratic councillors in a vote of no confidence it will set a precedent for every county. It will be an empowering message to everyone in a public office. Find out what authority you have and use your influence in a wise and timely fashion... and for the benefit of the people, animals, wildlife and greater environment.
We need the exact balance to collapse the old paradigm (which includes council arguments like - 'we can't do anything about it now' 'we can do something about it but we will have to pass on the cost to you' 'we don't have to tell you what we're planning' 'we threaten citizens with arrest if they object')
The balance is, out with the old and in with the new. Let a new council lead with integrity, transparency and participation from the now seriously well-informed public.
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