Cork set to Follow Dublin with Foolish Rate Hike

According to the front page of today's Cork Independent, Cork City Council is set to increase business rates by 1.5%. This follows Dublin's 'dumbest' move to increase there rates by 3.3%. This is just plain stupid. Cork business are under pressure and an increase will mean that many independent stores will go to the wall. This is not what we need.

Lets have a look at the composition of the council and try and figure out how they will vote.

Fianna Fail have ten Councillors and will probably vote for the increase. Fine Gael have eight and will vote no. Labour have six and could go either way but going by their Dublin vote I would say they will vote yes to the increase. Sinn Fein have three and will based on their Dublin vote, vote yes to the increase. Socialists have one and will most definitely vote Yes. Greens have one and could go any way, but may side with Fianna Fail. PD's (whats left of them) have one and will (hopefully) vote no. That leaves one independent who is former Fianna Fail and could go with is old party or not.

So that means that roughly 20 votes to 11 and the measure will pass. It is a pity that businesses are being forced to pick up the tab for the rest of the city. I really think that with the local elections next year that how local government is financed is looked at.