Budget

Hope y'all have yer lipstick on...we're being screwed again
This time however...the scaremongering over the last couple of months, combined with charlie's stealth tactics have the boys coming out of this looking all right...50c on fags...truly wretched in its own right, but everyone heaves a (chesty) sigh of relief they didn't go up e4...nothing on petrol & only 3c on diesel?...nice one...but then again they put up the vrt...& lets not start on that ...he's giving 1st time buyers a tax break, not a week after abolishing their grant...
im just worried that their going to get away with all of this...this budget today has people thinking that it could have been a lot worse...in five years time the outrage concerning the lies before the election could all be forgotten

rien_du_tout

FF were telling Brussels a different story to use about the publics finances at about the same time. I cant believe people have such apathy about how the present government acted during the election. Maybe I'm just young and idealistic but I believed that most of what was said during elections were at least half-truths. It seems even this doesnt suit FF. Although I doubt if FG would have acted much better. I only hope this isnt all forgotten, but I guess FF has overcome the rough patch of re-election, Nice referendum and Budget.


I've to check if cider tax went up...... I might be convert to a drinker of guinness or Bud pretty soon. now that I'm legal and all:)

byte

Originally posted by rien_du_tout
I've to check if cider tax went up

It better not have! The oul' Bulmers is dear enough!:eek:

bonkey

Originally posted by rien_du_tout
Maybe I'm just young and idealistic but I believed that most of what was said during elections were at least half-truths. It seems even this doesnt suit FF. Although I doubt if FG would have acted much better. I only hope this isnt all forgotten, but I guess FF has overcome the rough patch of re-election, Nice referendum and Budget.

If you want to know whether or not this will be forgotten, passed over, or even have any effect....ask yourself one question :

When did Ireland last have a good, honest, forthright government, and what have the poeple done in the meantime to return to such a state.

OK - its technically two questions, but still.

jc

Cork

I am disappointed with this budget. It will make houses more expensive by increasing the vat rate. Hiking up the mortgage interest relief for first time buyers is a cosmetic measure. I think the whole housing situation is gone so ridiculous that the bubble will bust.

The first time buyers grant was only added on to the price of houses. What is driving up the price of houses is the fear factor that houses will continue to increase in price and peoples stupdidity. The government cannot be blamed for either. When the bubble bursts - they'll be all ringing into Joe Duffy.

I think that the tax rates did not increase. This is a positive. I also think if people want to avoid paying extra taxes on their credit cards and bank cards - they can avoid having a card when the tax is levied.

I think the Celtic Tiger has left the building - but I think - we as a nation cannot accept that the Tiger has left Ireland.

We are in the middle of an economic slowdown. The good Times are gone. But many in our socierty will pay more after this budget. People are going to be hit.


But it is nice that the exeption regarding our art folk and arty people remains unchanged. They deserve all these tax breaks.

Consistancy in a world gone mad.

daveg

When did Ireland last have a good, honest, forthright government, and what have the poeple done in the meantime to return to such a state.

I head a statistic the other week that Ireland has the 4th most corrupt goverment in the world (after Russia and 3 others ?). I find it hard to comprehend the amount of corruption that has come out with all the tribunals. I wonder what would happen in the UK or in the States.

Meh

Originally posted by daveg
I head a statistic the other week that Ireland has the 4th most corrupt goverment in the world (after Russia and 3 others ?).

No way. Lowry, Lawlor etc. may be bad, but they're not even on the same scale as many other countries. For example, the former Italian prime minister organized the Mafia murder of a journalist. Kind of puts a little planning corruption into perspective...

dahamsta

Not that bad. But not that good either...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72590

adam

bonkey

Originally posted by Cork
We are in the middle of an economic slowdown. The good Times are gone. But many in our socierty will pay more after this budget. People are going to be hit.

I fail to see your point....or were you complaining that taxes were going down when we were doing well? By your logic here, it would appear that the better a country is doing, the more the people should pay, so that when the economy goes down the toilet, they can pay less.

Which, of course, is the opposite of how it works.

What is driving up the price of houses is the fear factor that houses will continue to increase in price and peoples stupdidity. The government cannot be blamed for either.

Gosh...I never realised that eceonomics was such a simple subject. I was always of the mistaken belief that supply and demand figured in here as well. For example - when demand exceeds supply, prices rise towards the limit of what people can afford. The stronger the economy, the higher that was.

Also - the government can be blamed. They can be blamed for consistently failing to address the issue of rented accomodation. In effect, the renter has so little protection under law that owning a house becomes almost a necessity rather than a luxury. Furthermore, not enough has been done to dissuade people from buying houses and selling them on for huge profits several months later, which has only contributed to the rise in prices.

But it is nice that the exeption regarding our art folk and arty people remains unchanged. They deserve all these tax breaks.

Its such a paltry amount in overall terms that Im guessing the government didnt want to gain a tiny amount of cash and in turn suffer the backlash of a mass exodus of artists. I mean - half of Dalkey would turn into a ghost town within a short period of time for a start. The negative impact on the economy could actually offset any gains to be made.

I'm not an economist, but at least I'm realistic enough to realise that its a far more complex issue than you seem to be making out.

And as for consistency....whens the last time we had a budget which was actually popular or deemed to be "good"? During the last few years, every giveaway budget was slammed for doing the wrong thing now that we had money. Before that, every budget was slammed for not doing the right thing to get money. If we were to believe the complainers and begrudgers, it would be impossible to understand how Ireland manages to survive from year to year.

Then again....I'm sure you'll spin this in a couple of posts to say that despite being disappointed with the bufdget, you dont think anyone except your beloved FF could have done as good a job, and so on and so forth.

You know - for a staunch party supporter, you seem to have more problems with the current government than most people I know....

jc

Victor

Originally posted by Victor
I can understand such a system for the "struggling artist" and I would have the limit under €50,000

Originally posted by Cork
Well - I agree. Even a limit of 50k would encourage the arts.

Originally posted by Cork
But it is nice that the exeption regarding our art folk and arty people remains unchanged. They deserve all these tax breaks.

Consistancy in a world gone mad.

How much consistancy is there between your two statements here?

bonkey

Well, I decided he was being sarcastic, as opposed to being a faithful Fianna Failer and backing the party decision on this one.

Course...he forgot the <sarcasm> tags....mortal sin

jc