Re: Re: Irish Rural Dwellers Association

@FIN wrote:

that’s a nice stat. we go to college more. what is your point there? i can only assume that you are saying that we are more intelligent. lower class sizes…it may be very true because there isn’t that big a population here. )

Typical Western evasion on being presented with the facts. What the nice stats presented by the Western Development Commission mean is that the West is educationally advantaged because of the public funds invested in the region. For example, I remember noticing last year that the Castlebar campus of GMIT had the distinction of being the only non-private third level college where the entry requirements for courses was a bare leaving cert.

So the higher participation rate is not so much related to the innate talent of Western people, and more that they benefit from small class sizes and lower third level entry requirements because they get a generous share of state funds. @FIN wrote:

our children have to get educated and go to college to get anywhere in life. and basically leave the region.

That’s because you’ve opted for a dispersed settlement pattern, with all the social costs that implies. Cut down on the one-off housing, concentrate on developing one or two towns, and you’ll start seeing a change. @FIN wrote:

the reason we pay less is because there is less people here.

You make no net contribution, either looked at as a group or per capita. You receive a subsidy from central government – which essentially means a transfer of resources from Dublin and the Mid East region. Your suggestion that Western taxpayers make a contribution to Dublin is simply wrong, and that is the core point I want you to concede. I don’t have a problem with the idea that national resources should be shared. I just want to you to acknowledge the plain fact that this happens, and to give up your wrong and insulting suggestion that the Dublin region does not share its resources. @FIN wrote:

we have less services so we pay less services charges.

The Western Development Commission information confirms you are educationally advantaged compared to other regions. @FIN wrote:

it is the sheer arogance to think that jackeens pay for the lifestyle we have outside the pale

It is simply a fact, based on CSO data, that this is the case. I cannot understand why, other that for reasons of pure embarrassment, you cannot simply acknowledge this plain, documented fact. After all, you were quick enough to suggest that Western taxpayers paid for the M50 although this is patent nonsense. @FIN wrote:

throughout the years all the european money has gone to improving the road network around the pale. i am not saying this is a bad thing as it is the capital and has the biggest population but don’t tell me we are better off.

This is simply not true – all regions got a poke out of EU funds, while the cities suffered in the early part of our EU membership as traditional industries closed – not having any benefit from CAP. @FIN wrote:

it is true that farmers are getting paid to do nothing with their lands and can then sell sites off but why not.

Earlier, you were complaining about people needing to leave the region. The process that includes one-off housing is one of the things that screws the West. If you see no problem with farmers selling sites, then please don’t complain about the social cost. @FIN wrote:

they pay their way. not as much as others i admit but they don’t get the same service.

As the CSO and Western Development Commission material documents, your statement is false on both counts.