Cut in top tax rate ruled out by Cowen

Colonel Sanders

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cut-in-top-tax-rate-ruled-out-by-cowen-1199584.html

The race is on to see how many of their election promises FF can break. Doesn't surprise me considering they completely ignored theri manifesto from 2002 and still got re-elected.

leninbenjamin

meh, it was to be expected really. i'm a lot happier though without a cut, under current climate it would just lead to a lot more penny pinching by them.... and we all know it could easily be the essential services that lose out with this shower...

leeroybrown

It's hardly unexpected given that those electoral promises were based on sustained economic growth at very optimistic levels. During the election most of the independent comment I read pointed towards the figures being out of touch with sound economics.

Keith186

Don't need a tax cut on the higher rate anyway they need all the money they can get or else learn how to manage the money properly and get value for money. Dam public sector workers have it too easy and get paid too much!

leninbenjamin

Keith186 wrote: »

Dam public sector workers have it too easy and get paid too much!

definitely. i really wish our government would look at cost cutting across the public sector and minimising the bureaucracy, it's what has to be done if we are to ever get decent standards in our public services...

Dirk Gently

It was always to be expected. Everyones election promises were based on over optimistic growth levels and I think everyone said anyway that a tax cut was last of their priorities and would only happen if growth targets were achieved. (in other words it wasn't going to happen but if you're fool enough to believe we can sustain growth levels then sure, why not, we'll cut the tax rate).

I'm happy enough for both higher and lower tax rates not to be cut as I felt it was just a headline grabber. I'd much prefere they kept the money but made sure to spend it wisely and get value for money, something I know wont happen either with the current government.

Gonzo_Fiend

All the other parties had similarly optimistic growth expectations.

Mr.Micro

The cuts have gone the other way instead health and a freeze on staff recruitment and other services .Where did all the surplus go ?Were those cuts in the FF manifesto?

moe_sizlak

leninbenjamin wrote: »

definitely. i really wish our government would look at cost cutting across the public sector and minimising the bureaucracy, it's what has to be done if we are to ever get decent standards in our public services...

our public service is not only chronically inneficent , its chronically over staffed , marc coleman wrote last week that 1 in 8 public servants are surplus to requirments , a mass cull is needed.
as many of us know , what passes for a job in the public service would be laughed at anywhere else as arsing around , a
this i believe is the key to our health service problems , the money being spent on health in this coutry is enormous yet most of it is clearly being spent on wages , now dont get me wrong here but while nurses are not the public servants wasters im talking about in general , it is important to remember that while all nurses here are short listed for cannonisation the day they put on that white uniform , they are the highest paid nurses in europe

that most of this money seems to be spent on the wages of surplus to requirment public servants like an admiistrator to a junior administrator makes you realise that the mess that is the health service will not be sorted out anytime soon , there are just too many with too cushy a number involved here
added to that the fact that we have a taoiseach who for fear of alienating a single demographic of the electorate and loosing a single vote , will not take on the public service unions, then we have an indefinate problem
FF are not the kind of party to deal with such a problem and the oppostion would include LABOUR and what chances are there of eamon gilmore taking on unions , expect the health service problems to keep joe duffy on the air for some time to come

juuge

Lets face it, who in the present 'gubberment' as bertie says, would get a job in the private sector?
I mean would you have the likes of little willy O'dea or mary harney represent your company ? I don't think so.

leninbenjamin

moe, wages = cost of production. that's pretty much what i was on about if i didn't make myself clear. other things would be cutting out some of the bureaucracy crap in regards implementation of capital expenditure... we don't need ten years of consultations before building a road.

moe_sizlak

leninbenjamin wrote: »

moe, wages = cost of production. that's pretty much what i was on about if i didn't make myself clear. other things would be cutting out some of the bureaucracy crap in regards implementation of capital expenditure... we don't need ten years of consultations before building a road.

oh you made yourself clear enough , all i did was follow up , i also added that in this country due to our taosieachs reluctance to make any enemys , its impossible to fire those in the public service

leninbenjamin

moe_sizlak wrote: »

oh you made yourself clear enough , all i did was follow up , i also added that in this country due to our taosieachs reluctance to make any enemys , its impossible to fire those in the public service

qft. of course this isn't helped by a huge level of short-termism within the general public and media. they'd rather focus on the sob story of someone who's lost their job instead of the potential long term benefits accrued to the service by freeing up more cash. oh well, such is life...

Mr.Micro

moe_sizlak wrote: »

oh you made yourself clear enough , all i did was follow up , i also added that in this country due to our taosieachs reluctance to make any enemys , its impossible to fire those in the public service

Pals of Fianna Fail are appointed to various Boards .Thats always been the problem in Ireland ,people appointed that are unsuitable and unqualified to do the job. Aer Lingus was a case in kind where pals, political and business were given jobs on the board as reward for help to the party in the past.I suspect thats why the HSE is in crisis, possibly the same appointment system for key jobs, not enough qualified and dedicated people were appointed just salary grazers .Cynical I know.

Voipjunkie

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cut-in-top-tax-rate-ruled-out-by-cowen-1199584.html

The race is on to see how many of their election promises FF can break. Doesn't surprise me considering they completely ignored theri manifesto from 2002 and still got re-elected.

Its 2002 all over again

expect this for the next couple of years and then the good times will be back around the middle of 2010 just long enough for us to have forgotten all about ithe broken promises and cutbacks for election 2012

guinnessdrinker

I think if Cowen did cut the tax rates it would not make sence at this present time. The government needs the tax revenue, simple as.

The gov. will also have to learn how to spend the money more wisely, which will not be a bad thing. It will be a major challange though, if the taxpayer is to feel they are getting value for money.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

I think if Cowen did cut the tax rates it would not make sence at this present time. The government needs the tax revenue, simple as.

The whole tax-cut thing is a bit of an illusion anyway, if they do cut income tax, they'll make up the money elsewhere.

Tipsy Mac

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

The gov. will also have to learn how to spend the money more wisely, which will not be a bad thing. It will be a major challange though, if the taxpayer is to feel they are getting value for money.

Exactly, they have only been in power for so long if they didn't learn how to spend money wisely by now I would seriously put them forward for jobs in the FAI :mad:

moe_sizlak

hopefully they wont decide to cut spending where it is needed like on infrastructure and make cuts where it is needed like on the public service
waste a time throwing more money at health as it all goes on wages to surplus administrators rather than on beds

oscarBravo

It doesn't matter a damn what they do. They could run the country into the ground and still get re-elected.

We get the government we deserve, I'm afraid.

Mr.Micro

oscarBravo wrote: »

It doesn't matter a damn what they do. They could run the country into the ground and still get re-elected.

We get the government we deserve, I'm afraid.

Have we ever had a Government that ran the country well?I think not .This lot misspent all the surplus of the boom years and how will they manage with less cash ?Business as usual incompetently.

moe_sizlak

your not far wrong there bravo , in this country people vote FF because there great great grandad did , its like supporting your county team or going ti mass in this country , voting FF , nothing to do with performance. vast majority of people vote for who there people vote