Not so. While minimum wage workers will see one Euro wiped off their hourly rate, and modestly paid workers will take home substantially less in net earnings, the high-earning self employed will see an increase in theirs.
According to a piece by Harry McGee (IT Dec 10th), those on €500,000 will pay €9,000 less tax in the year, while those on €1,000,000 will be €24,000 better off.
I’m no fan of Sinn Fein, but their finance spokesman Pearse Doherty summed it up well by pointing out that “someone with an income of €500,000 will get a 4 per cent increase in their net income. At the same time someone on PAYE and earning €25,000 will be 4.3 per cent worse off”.
Labour’s Roisin Shorthall described the budget as a “working-poor tax”, which “significantly shifted the tax burden away from high earners and on to those on lower pay”.
Another example of Fianna Fail continually pandering to its wealthy friends was the lowering of stamp duty to one per cent on transactions up to €1 million, and only 2 per cent on those over €1 million, while first-time buyers will lose their stamp duty exemption.
Again, the very wealthy are the biggest beneficiaries. Under the old system, someone buying a house for €2,000,000 would have had to stump up €180,000 in taxes, whereas now they will only have to pay €40,000. A first time buyer purchasing a house for €240,000 did not pay any stamp duty before the budget, now they will be liable for €2,400.
The one consistent thing here is that Fianna Fail is still the party of the builders, the developers and the wealthy – despite the populist appeal it holds for the gobshites who vote for it and join its local party branches. Even in this economic climate, when Fianna Fail ministers are under so much scrutiny, they are quite shameless about where their true priorities lie.
It is a racing certainly that the same ministers will be turfed out of office at the next election, leaving the task of cleaning up their mess to a Fine Gael / Labour coalition. By the time the election after that comes around, Fianna Fail will have a new leader and its TDs will have been making all the right noises from the opposition benches. They will hope people might forget how they brought the country to the edge of ruin with their skewed policies.
Let's hope people do not forget, and they deem the party's behaviour now and throughout its whole time in government to have pushed it beyond the rubicon. Let’s hope that - for once - the Irish electorate shows itself capable of being rational, and remembers what Fianna Fail has done to the country and its working poor.
Let’s hope they never vote the cute hoors back into power again.
But that’s only wishful thinking.
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10 comments:
take from the poor to give to the rich? Europe was always gonna be a rich mans club! i work partime supporting my partner and 3 children, i recieved a letter from the department of social protection stating i owe them 485 euro from '2003, they overpaid me and want the money back. i was on the dole getting 160 euro i should of been getting 133? why come after me and not those who have brought the country to its knees
Let's not blame Europe. This mess is the fault of our own Gombeen politicians. Ireland has always been a rich mans club, full of clientism, chicanery and shennanigans.
Don't let them off the hook by letting them divert the blame elsewhere. This is a home-grown mess, and a Fianna Fail budget.
But yes, your experience does not suprise me in the least. Up until recently they were locking up people for not paying their TV licence in this country - and how many bankers and politicians who have destroyed the economy have been brought to book?
Same as it ever was, I'm afraid.
If only I had voted for them in the past, then I could stick it to them now by not voting for them.
Maybe I should start voting FF now and at some point in the future I will have the satisfaction of denying them my vote... or maybe I shouldn't.
Gahhh, powerless again.
Ha. Glad to say I've never voted for the f***ers either!!!
We can console ourselves that our consciences are clear ;-)
Q: What’s the difference between Iceland and Ireland?
A: One letter and 6 months down the line?
True: BUT that was SO 2008-
(2010)
Q; What’s the difference between Iceland and Ireland?
A: On 7 Dec 2010 Ireland ’s budget robbed the poor to save the rich- and Iceland came OUT of recession.
This blog really shows the Breathtaking Audacity of the feckers - I earn 38,000 , fine for single person- but my friends support 3 children on that.
RIGHT TO THE LAST THEY SUPPORT THE RICH: as Joan Burton ( Labour TD - and future Tánaiste , in imminent revolution ) said ,‘It’s the last sting of a dying wasp.’ Or as Fintan O‘Toole said ‘ Our Leaders have no shame, and they think we have no voice.’
BUT we need strong people.- not just decent TDs. The Icelanders mobbed parliament- and got change- Irish people have been very slow to anger UNTIL now; All is changed-a terrible anger is born: Encouraging no’s political attend political talks and meetings.
At a Leviathon meeting in Nov Green Minister Eamon Ryan said ,’The next 5 yrs will see bigger political change than the previous 90 .’
We all have to protest, organise , vote etc
BUT it may not always be Irish born who effect change: It is encouraging tha 10% of our population is now foreign born : Why? I thought insufficient education was why Irish people hadn’t protested for decades, BUT that’s not all : There’s a Deep LACK OF SOLIDAIRTY among Irish people, refusal to see the big picture; far less often seen in non Irish .
Here’s Sean (acquaintance from my local pub). He works for a local council:
“ I’m pleased the budget won’t really affect public servants, so I’ll vote FF “.
And , “ I’m glad child benefit was cut for later children- the Irish only have 2,it’s foreign nationals who have more children- so that’ll affect them “(!!!!) .
“FF still are robbing the poor and ruining health services, etc “ I said “ what if you need urgent treatment, and can’t get it?”
“Won’t affect me - I have health insurance“ he said (!) Too bad about dying children in Crumlin hospital, lowest cancer survival rates in Europe over the whole country etc…“I voted FF last time” he said” I will do again - because if FG got in they ‘d cut the public service“!!!
Yet Thanks to his FF heroes the IMF came in ( IMF who are very BIG on slashing public jobs) . If Sean gets cancer in a few years, what will be left of the health service after this FF heroes gave all the health money to rich crooks? We both are public servants so we have a bit in common; HOWEVER I have been on every protest march against this government BUT he complains 20 times more about foreign nationals claiming benefits than about government. I used to pay benefits in UK civil service- so I know fraud drains funds . I am keen to see crack down on fraudulent claims , as that will mean money is there for those who need it.
Sean’s rants are VERY TYPICAL : Find an easy scapegoat ; instead of opening your eyes to the Huge Elephant in the living room!! WE Know We’re ruled by rich crooks- That’s only 1 side of the equation- Irelands’ biggest problems is its apathetic, back stabbing , gutless people , full of interest groups fighting their own corner, or people who can’t see beyond them selves ;
30 yrs ago the Late Late show always had an audience draw for @ £100 : The Prize ( As was CLEARLY STATED was to be for THE WINNER’S FAVOURTITE CHARITY )
“So what’s your charity ?” Gay Byrne said cheerily to the middle-aged female winner. “Oh, I’m my own charity!” she beamed back.
A startled Gaybo, repeated the question, to a gob smacked nation, Emphasising the prize was For a favourite Charity . “ I’m my OWN charity!” she repeated, belligerently.
( WWUGI??). I do think of that show when I see greed, suspiciousness and self interest in this country- what Went Wrong after Independence?? Did people just think,” Our leaders are rich scum, who don’t really care for ordinary people- so it’s dog eat dog, and why should I have any interest in how others are faring?”
Is that why no real National Spirit developed? Why No ONE even protested much At The Time against priest paedophiles? Ireland has Always (even before now,) been like after a war time, people scrabbling about in the rubble, and looking out for themselves. Yes -there Are Great Irish people, kind , generous- and Very often those of Modest means . Let’s hope after the revolution, they’ll be the majority .
Protest, protest, protest, And to all our new Irish foreign nationals, do turn up at the rallies , especially with your children- this country needs all the support it can get.
Everybody knows that Irish politicians, Fianna Fail in particular are synonymous (one and the same) with The Knights of Columbanus: KSC, (the Irish KKK ). The KSC are deeply embedded in every aspect of national and local politics, The Catholic Church, The Army and Garda, the Judiciary and every other organisation: hospitals, schools, transport. The amount and degree of their influence in political corruption is old history, and yet it continues.
Fintan O'Toole and Kieran Rose
"The Evaluation of Gay and Lesbian Politics in Ireland" (Cork, 1994) p. 29.
"A leading right-wing activist wrote in 1988 that members of the Knights of Columbanus occupy positions of influence in many walks of life and at the highest level. They are asked to be confidentially politically active"
The Irish deserve all the angst and insecurity that the Catholic Church can deliver. Why should a slave trader give up his business when he is making great profit. A people who enjoy serfdom and inferiority should be exploited, because it makes them feel that they are suffering for the love of Jesus, and the rewards will come in the next world.
Why not let the KSC enjoy their Hennessy X.O. Cognac: Chateau La Vieille Cure Claret: Aberfeldy 26 year old Malt Whisky: Jameson 15-year old Pot-Stilled Whiskey: Cohiba Reserve Selection Havana Cigars etc., while the Irish people scratch around for some scraps of food. These particular brands (and many more) can be found in abundance at 183 Navan Road Dublin 7. Please don’t be too shy to ask , Christmas is for Giving.
"The Irish economy is facing it's greatest challenge since the foundation of the state. We have taken bold, decisive and innovative steps to manage our way through this crisis. The Government over the past 18 months has made budgetary adjustments of more than €8 billion for 2009. Had we not done so, the deficit would have ballooned towards 20%** (!!!!!!!!) of GDP. The measures we have taken have been commended (!!)by international bodies such as the European Central Bank, the European Commission, the IMF and the OECD and he approval of the international markets. In December 2008, Fianna Fail in Government launched a five year plan for economic renewal entitled “Building Ireland’s Smart Economy, A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal.” Our aim is to develop Ireland as a leading knowledge-based, high productivity economy by harnessing the best elements of the enterprise economy and the “ideas” economy. "
** IN fact the bailout is now costing @ 33% of GDP- above is from the Economy part of Fantasy World website, Fianna Fail: Bad news rarely filters through, and is given a quick video link with little commentary ( EG Cowan/ Lenihan & budget) - oh and they were shown alongside
“Soccer legend Packie Bonner approves Letterkenny link road.!”.GREAT NEWS !( for Letterkenny)
I got on the FF blogs for unguarded bloopers: best was one commenting in Oct 2010 on the great news that Ireland’s International debt rating had gone up a a notch:
BUT the Very recent news ( last week or 2) that Ireland’s debt rating had now Tumbled and is now on a par with some African/ South American countries, strangely was not mentioned…this site is full of fantasy and misleading info.
Even the mast head ’ The Republican party’ is meaningless unless you say what values That means.
The Labour site has the motto’for a better fairer Ireland’.
To my disappointment the FF site is not giving many hostages to fortune ( I must check more closely though) : I imagine 3 yrs ago when I wasn’t looking at it, it was Full of self praise for making Ireland world’s richest country. But now it’s full of short bland nonsensical statements : EG I couldn’t find anything in the A-Z under ‘National Catastrophe‘- the Erroneous comment above is all I found, under ‘Economy‘.
Couldn’t get on the FF site earlier, to my horror: I thought, has it crashed under weight of hostile emails?: Or are they frantically rewriting it in more fictional, oops, favourable terms? Finally got on it thorough a Wiki listing of Irish political parties.
And to those who despairingly says “ There will always be Fianna Fail“ I say look at bottom of Wikipoedia page- it lists 58 (FIFTY EIGHT ) Irish parties that existed in just the 20th century alone- who are all gone now- I can’t wait for FF to take their rightful place on that list.
careful guys... your blueshirts are showing :)
I've never voted FG in my life, Max, but I might well give them a preference this time. ABFF.
In fairness, their programme looks far more radical than Labour's - assuming they act on it (abolishing Senate, ending compulsory Irish) I think they have moved on from Eoin O'Duffy, and there has been a more liberal wing in FG for some time now.
I don't need to add much more to the observations of other commenters as far as FF is concerned. They've been in charge more than any other party in Irish history, and I think they have finally proven their ability to f*** things up good-o.
@ Anna. I have met many Seans myself. On the "Irish people stop at two kids" line - he obviously has not been out my way.
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