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Long: 'I'd rather be called a racist than a traitor'
A POLISH businesswoman who is running for election in Limerick City South has told Fine Gael's Cllr Jim Long to brush up on his history before making any further remarks on immigrants.
Fianna Fail's Anna Banko said Cllr Long's remarks that migrant workers were largely not contributing to the local economy as "dangerous" and "unfair".
But Cllr Long, who has since suggested to German TV that it might be time for some immigrants to go home, has again defended his remarks, saying: "I'd rather be called a racist than a traitor."
Independent candidate Pat O'Sullivan has blasted Cllr Long saying the economic contribution of immigrants to the city was invaluable and Polish people alone had opened 75 enterprises in the city in the past two years.
One such is Ms Banko, who runs a salon on Foxes Bow. "We have seen more and more Polish people open businesses, paying all the personal and business taxes, giving jobs to other people, both Irish people and Polish people. I have my own business and I have loads of Irish girls coming for interview at themoment," Ms Banko told the Limerick Leader.
Ms Banko, whose grandfather fought the Nazis with Polish partisans, said Cllr Long's remarks were "improper" and "dangerous".
"I spoke with a friend of mine who is into politics yesterday and we were talking about the Second World War and what had happened to Jewish people. It started with abuse about giving them jobs, and that they were taking money from the German people and so on.
"So I wonder does he know his history? Does he realise what kind of words he said and how small words cause great trouble. It's very unfair. Polish people are very hard workers, like Irish people who I think work hard also. We are in the EU. We are not talking about refugee status. We have a right to work here and I don't understand what he is talking about."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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