If I was Minister for Finance I would ...

draiochtanois

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MyKeyG

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Why should it be cut in year two?

Tell you what when I go back to work I'll pay all the tax I owe in year 1. Then in year two I'll pay 75%. Now we have balance again.

Welease

draiochtanois wrote: »

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So you would make a random series of changes with (I'm assuming here) no idea of the cost or impact?

Or do you actually have any figures for what the impact of the changes would be?

draiochtanois

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irishh_bob

bring in a flat rate of income tax of 20%

cut public sector pay by 40% on those earning above 200 k

30% on those earning above 100 k

20% on those above 50 K

10% on those above 30 K

cut dole back to 150 euro per week

cut the old age pension back to 180 euro per week

reduce the medical card threshold back from 699 euro per week to 400 euro per week for the over seventys

get rid of rent allowance , it ends up in landlords pockets and maintains a floor on property prices and especially rental prices

deregulate the energy industry but retain state ownership of the national grid

deregulate the consultant , dentist and GP sector , time theese sheltered sectors of the economy were made feel some real competition

lower the minimum wage to seven euro per hour , deregulating energy and medical services will soften the blow to low earners and leave thier purchasing power uneffected

thats a start

Welease

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Not necessarily.. If you means test it at put the limit at 100K then it will cost you more to admin the means testing and you'll actually spend more.. You need to be slightly more specific..

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Again, depends on how its implemented.. If you lower motor tax and add an insurance element and tolling then you will likely have considerably increased the tax on fuel.. OK.. so now it's considerably more expensive for the high milage users.. Sounds fine.. but whats the impact on business's and the transportation of goods? They are now going to have to subsidise the cost of those motorists who are paying less.. Is this going to help our competitiveness or the fact you are also paying a considerable portion of the country less in welfare?
So once again, you need to be more specific.

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Thats assuming that you increase the amount of VAT based transactions (CGT movements are completely different beast).
Do you believe that dropping VAT by that much will have an equivalent or better rate of transactions? and how have you worked this out?

draiochtanois wrote: »

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So it's the VAT rate that's stopping them? I'm sure they are just queueing up to benefit from our broadband infrastructure <cough>

draiochtanois wrote: »

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On the assumption that such a rate has a drastic increase in spending.. Any proof such a drastic moved has done the same before in the middle of a recession?

Hootanany

Give everyone the same pension in PS €300 a week including ministers and back track it all on a state pension. Save an absolute fortune.

hmmm

Social welfare benefits seem to increase the longer you are out of work (free housing etc.). That should be reversed, people who have contributed and lose their jobs should be the priority, and the long term layabouts should get less.

ardmacha

Combine tolls, motor tax and 3rd party insurance as a per litre charge on petrol, diesel. No renewing tax, tax or insurance evasion, or tolling.

Now there's a good idea. I'll open a petrol station in Jonesborough and be sorted for life.

miqeel

What about universal debt forgiveness? Good or bad idea?

Al Capwned

hmmm wrote: »

Social welfare benefits seem to increase the longer you are out of work (free housing etc.). That should be reversed, people who have contributed and lose their jobs should be the priority, and the long term layabouts should get less.

Rubbish.

I'm a plasterer, and I am in receipt of JSA since mid 2009, and if I wasnt receiving my €188, i would be on the street, simple as that. I've applied for numerous jobs, got 1 interview in that time, i spend hours upon hours every week applying for jobs; everything from plastering jobs, to smal building jobs, to new Iceland stores, to van driving....


I will NOT be called a layabout just because I am long-term unemployed. I want to work, if not to contribute to society, then for my own bloody sanity. Opinions such as these (that everyone on the dole is a lazy, useless f*cker, that doesn't want to work) make my blood boil...

:mad:

MyKeyG

draiochtanois wrote: »

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Yes but why pick on those on SW and leave them €47 short per week in year 2? Is it because you think we're a bunch of lazy sh*te hawks that are creaming off the government? The jobs aren't there! SIMPLE AS!! The SW recipient should not be punished for a lack of jobs.

Jagle

legalise regulate and tax soft drugs

amacca

irishh_bob wrote: »

bring in a flat rate of income tax of 20%

thats cool............................BUT everyone and I mean everyone pays regardless of income (except of course zero income), no exceptions....no clauses...no schemes....no taking circumstances into account....no tax write offs...no non resident status etc etc

irishh_bob

amacca wrote: »

thats cool............................BUT everyone and I mean everyone pays regardless of income (except of course zero income), no exceptions....no clauses...no schemes....no taking circumstances into account....no tax write offs...no non resident status etc etc

agree 100% , make denis o brien and bono pay too , strip them of thier passports if they dont , the beauty of a flat tax is that no one can claim to be disproportionatley leaned on , the idea is nothing but a fiction of course , flat tax proposals would do nothing for politicans

Amberman

MyKeyG wrote: »

Tell you what when I go back to work I'll pay all the tax I owe in year 1. Then in year two I'll pay 75%. Now we have balance again.

So you think people shouldn't be incentivised to find/create work for themselves through the benefits system...no matter how long they are unemployed?

MyKeyG

Amberman wrote: »

So you think people shouldn't be incentivised to find/create work for themselves through the benefits system...no matter how long they are unemployed?

Is that what I said? Talk about putting words in my mouth:rolleyes:

The long term unemployed for the most part don't need an incentive. The fact that they've spent a year plus scraping together a few quid to pay the bills is incentive enough. There's a bit too much ignorant SW bashing on these boards.

Amberman

MyKeyG wrote: »

Is that what I said? Talk about putting words in my mouth:rolleyes:

The long term unemployed for the most part don't need an incentive. The fact that they've spent a year plus scraping together a few quid to pay the bills is incentive enough. There's a bit too much ignorant SW bashing on these boards.

Just asking a question, thats all.

Still not sure where you stand.

You seem to be saying that incentives are fine.

Do you believe that someone who has been unemployed for 5 years should get the same amount of money as someone who has been unemployed for 5 weeks?

I suppose that is my question to you.

whatawaster

- get rid of PRSI/USC and introduce a flat income tax rate, with no credits or reliefs
- cut both rates of VAT
- cut Corporation tax to 9%

- PS Pay - Limit public salaries to €150,000. Cut pay proportionately - anything over 100k drops by 30%, anything over 50K drops by 20%, anything over 30K drops by 10%. Anything under 30K is untouched
- PS Pensions - no idea if this is legally possible, but limit any pensions paid out of the public purse to €50

- Dole to reduce the longer you are drawing it. €200 a week for 0-6 months. €150 a week for 6-12 months. €100 a week for 12 months and longer
- Cut old age pension
- Slash rent relief
- increase disability benefit and carers allowance
- no individual or family can draw benefits valued at more than 75% of the average wage for a family/individual

MyKeyG

Amberman wrote: »

Just asking a question, thats all.

Still not sure where you stand.

You seem to be saying that incentives are fine.

Do you believe that someone who has been unemployed for 5 years should get the same amount of money as someone who has been unemployed for 5 weeks?

I suppose that is my question to you.

If they have made a genuine effort to make themselves available for work e.g registered with agencies, FAS, back to education then yes I do. It's hard for people with jobs to comprehend how difficult it is for qualified people out there to find work. I had one interview last year. I haven't heard from the agency since. I've decided to go back to college in which case I'll be claiming full benefits for a further four years and I would demand full benefits regardless of what any deluded SW basher thinks.

The OP's comments allude to those on SW needing 'a kick up the arse' after a year by cutting the payment which is ignorance of the highest order. That's not constructive incentive. There are plenty of doleys desperate for work. I went to sign on today and I swear to god I'd have been in higher spirits on my way to a funeral.

I don't agree it should be an automatic certainty that people lose 25% of their SW across the board just because they can't find work.

Now you know where I stand.

Hootanany

The Pensions are the Elephant in the room slash them and let them sue

igorbiscan

Start by announcing that I and my fellow ministers and t.d.'s will immediately cut
our salaries to no more than 40k plus reasonable vouched expenses for the a two/three year period while the country recovers.Show real leadership,start from the top down and you may get people who actually want to do real public service rather than the shameless greedy pigs who have gone before us and continue to bleed the system dry.

Amberman

MyKeyG wrote: »

Now you know where I stand.

Yes.

In the UK, the rate of income support is less than £70 a week.

What do you say to that?

MyKeyG

Amberman wrote: »

Yes.

In the UK, the rate of income support is less than £70 a week.

What do you say to that?

I know this will sound flippant but genuinely I say that's the UK's problem.

Amberman

MyKeyG wrote: »

I know this will sound flippant but genuinely I say that's the UK's problem.

Whys that? They aren't rioting in the streets demanding £80 a week...and the unemployment rate is relatively low compared to a lot of other countries.

Now, the low unemployment rate and the punitive impact of living on £70 may not be 100% related, but I suspect there is some relation.

The incentives are incredibly strong for people to find jobs, though you can afford to eat nutritious food, but thats about all. I think 200 euros a week is close to the minimum wage in the UK for someone working 40 hours a week.

What I mean to say is that, after tax, people work all week in the UK for what you get.

If I was an unemployed Irish man in London with few prospects, I'd be on the first boat back home.

MyKeyG

Amberman wrote: »

Whys that? They aren't rioting in the streets demanding £80 a week...and the unemployment rate is relatively low compared to a lot of other countries.

Now, the low unemployment rate and the punitive impact of living on £70 may not be 100% related, but I suspect there is some relation.

The incentives are incredibly strong for people to find jobs, though you can afford to eat nutritious food, but thats about all. I think 200 euros a week is close to the minimum wage in the UK for someone working 40 hours a week.

What I mean to say is that, after tax, people work all week in the UK for what you get.

If I was an unemployed Irish man in London with few prospects, I'd be on the first boat back home.

Yes which is why it may be justified in the UK, the same thing here is not. We have a critically high rate of unemployment due to unavailability of jobs. If we didn't I would be the first one to argue for vigorous SW reform. For example during the Celtic Tiger era there was an abundance of employment and training thus very little excuse for extended SW claim (eliminating FIS, disability etc).

I went to a meeting with my facilitator at the SW office a few months back and the word 'employment' wasn't even mentioned. She advised me on all the grants and support I could get if I concentrated on going back to education. So even the Welfare officers themselves are not so deluded. The unspoken opinion in the minds of a lot of people seem to be to ride out the recession while educating yourself.

zootroid

Benchmarking - bring public sector wages back in line with the European average, at all levels. According to recent media reports, those at the bottom have little to fear. It will be middle to top management who stand to lose most. After seeing the huge pension the secretary general to the department of the Taoiseach recently retired on, I'd have no sympathy for seeing their wages cut.

hmmm

I will NOT be called a layabout just because I am long-term unemployed.

Someone who lost their job in 2009 is hardly "long term unemployed". There are thousands who haven't done a tap of work in a decade and are probably receiving more "benefits" than you are.

Amberman

The thing is the country is broke and being run in no small part by international creditors and institutions. This should be a wake up call.

This level of benefits for an infinite duration is unsustainable given the current economic reality somehow. It will end. There are multiple drivers which could end it on the horizon.

When it does, maybe then people will create jobs, companies and provide services which others are happy to pay for from their own human ingenuity.

You don't have to get a job to make a living.

psychward

Amberman wrote: »

Yes.

In the UK, the rate of income support is less than £70 a week.

What do you say to that?

They get more than us just not in cash whereas our government threw money at a problem but didnt have the brainpower to do anything else. Plus they have lower prices for almost everything. Even Kerrygold is cheaper there ffs.

checkcheek

MyKeyG wrote: »

Yes which is why it may be justified in the UK, the same thing here is not. We have a critically high rate of unemployment due to unavailability of jobs. If we didn't I would be the first one to argue for vigorous SW reform. For example during the Celtic Tiger era there was an abundance of employment and training thus very little excuse for extended SW claim (eliminating FIS, disability etc).

I went to a meeting with my facilitator at the SW office a few months back and the word 'employment' wasn't even mentioned. She advised me on all the grants and support I could get if I concentrated on going back to education. So even the Welfare officers themselves are not so deluded. The unspoken opinion in the minds of a lot of people seem to be to ride out the recession while educating yourself.

sorry but i really dont believe that We have a critically high rate of unemployment due to unavailability of jobs because the summer just gone i was offered 3 jobs, yes only for the summer but i could still choose. Ok there werent CEO of a company but i got really well paid, so people who say there are not jobs there are just being too fussy. I constantly see shops looking for shop assistants and restaurants looking for waiting staff, or bars looking for bar staff!

Amberman

psychward wrote: »

They get more than us just not in cash.

My brother didnt. £67 a week he got.

Plus they have lower prices for almost everything. Even Kerrygold is cheaper there ffs.

Prices aren't so high to justify someone working full time in the UK and getting what someone in Ireland gets on the dole...sorry. Thats plainly absurd.

MyKeyG

checkcheek wrote: »

sorry but i really dont believe that We have a critically high rate of unemployment due to unavailability of jobs because the summer just gone i was offered 3 jobs, yes only for the summer but i could still choose. Ok there werent CEO of a company but i got really well paid, so people who say there are not jobs there are just being too fussy. I constantly see shops looking for shop assistants and restaurants looking for waiting staff, or bars looking for bar staff!

So your singular experience negates a national problem?

I resent the suggestion that people are out of work because they're fussy. It's very impertinent. Yes there are bar jobs none of which I was considered for because I had no experience. And a summer job is NOT considerable employment.

Tell me, if things aren't as bad as you say why do we have such high levels of emigration?

Amberman

MyKeyG wrote: »

So your singular experience negates a national problem?
And a summer job is NOT considerable employment.

Not to be flippant, but to make a serious point.

If you were getting 70 euros a week rather than 200, would you still say that?

Surely any employment would look better on your CV than an extended stint on the dole. It would show you as a "do what it takes" kind of guy and make you infinitely more employable if you explained the situation to an prospective employer.

It sounds as though you feel this type of work is beneath you?

psychward

Amberman wrote: »

My brother didnt. £67 a week he got.

was he a single man with no family ?

Amberman

psychward wrote: »

was he a single man with no family ?

Yes.

Debtocracy

checkcheek wrote: »

sorry but i really dont believe that We have a critically high rate of unemployment due to unavailability of jobs because the summer just gone i was offered 3 jobs

(3/450,000)*100 = .0007%

I don't know why this .0007% decrease in dole claimants was not reported in the media. Maybe another 3 people lost their job that day.

MyKeyG

Amberman wrote: »

Not to be flippant, but to make a serious point.

If you were getting 70 euros a week rather than 200, would you still say that?

Surely any employment would look better on your CV than an extended stint on the dole. It would show you as a "do what it takes" kind of guy and make you infinitely more employable if you explained the situation to an prospective employer.

It sounds as though you feel this type of work is beneath you?

Don't worry about flippancy I'm more open minded than that, feel free make your point.

However you appear to be going off topic, my argument is the lack of permanent employment. If somebody offered me a three month job shovelling sh*t I'd accept it readily because it would mean more cash but then what happens when it's over? I'm back on the dole at what rate? And don't you dare second guess what I would or would not do when you know nothing about me instead going off topic to contrive a character assassination.

To cut 25% of payment in the view that the long term unemployed are merely twiddling their thumbs is presumptuous and with all due respect I will not sit idly by and let the ignorant judge me and tell me I'm fussy or lazy when my own welfare facilitator all but told me there's no work..

I refuse to discuss the state of British welfare or hypothesise how I would feel were I on lower rates as that's all it is, hypothesis. In fact I refuse to continue any conversation with you if you're main tactic is going to be unfounded accusation.

liammur

draiochtanois wrote: »

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The minister of finance should resign and admit he doesn't know what he's doing.

hatrickpatrick

draiochtanois wrote: »

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So you'd clamp down on those who depend on social welfare, but you are totally silent on the corrupt financial sector which depends on nation-killing bailouts? Would you do anything at all to address that?
*facepalm*

Nothingbetter2d

hmmm wrote: »

Social welfare benefits seem to increase the longer you are out of work (free housing etc.). That should be reversed, people who have contributed and lose their jobs should be the priority, and the long term layabouts should get less.

only problem here is there is NO jobs for most of us...

most IT jobs here go to foreigners because they speak multiple languages and get paid peanuts for it.

I would love to be working again instead of trying to make do with only €75 a week after i've paid the rent. (€110/wk)

even the Internships positions being offered and not going to new college graduates but rather people with 5+ years experience.... which companies are totally exploiting by the way.


All politicans should have their wages cut to internship payrates (€188 + €50) and let them see how hard it is to make ends meat.

Cookie_Monster

Get rid of one of the gov jets
Half the defence budget and focus it on naval assets/personnel over land based ones
33% cut to dole, bringing it into line with UK/EU over the next 5 years (it's currently 3 times UK rates)
remove child benefits for 2nd child onwards
reduce rent supplements by min 50%
Dail finance reform, lowering pay and capping expenses for travel. removal of many of the expenses such as the signing in expense. All expenses backed up by receipts
Removal of USC and restructuring of income tax to a flat 15-17% on all income from 0 upwards, no credits or exceptions
water charges in the same vein as elec and gas charges, all proceeds to be re-invested in water infrastructure, surpluses ring fenced and not to go to central taxation
PS reform including replacing annual increase with performance appraisals (if they deserve a rise they can get one), capped salaries for high level PS roles, pension reform, flexibility and deployment agreements and a general pay cut across the board in the current year to reflect the dire state of the finances
Sell ESB and BG, creating a separate state owned company responsible for infrastructure, the same with Irish Rail
Removal of as much H&S and bureaucracy and red tape legislation as possible to cut costs for businesses
Banning upward only rent contracts
Removal of quangos reintegrating their roles back into the respective departments, such as the RPA, NTA back into dept of transport.
Cut off Anglo bondholders from any more funding, break up and sell AIB

Commit to not rerun at the next election, assuring I've no re-election agenda and get the hell out before it all goes south despite all the reforms

not have a clue where to begin. Alot of people replying here are doing so as if the thread was called 'If I was taoiseach I would...' or 'If i had omnipotent powers over Ireland' I would. Truth is none of us have any idea what it is like to try to run a country and make those decisions, and none of us ever will as the EU and IMF are bound to have the final say over such decisions for at least the rest of our lifetimes. There are a few decent plausible ideas coming out in this thread all the same.

touts

1. 10% off all public sector pay across the board.

2. Merge ESB, Bord Gais and Bord Na Mona into a single energy company. Redundancy where administration and other overlaps exist.

3. Immediately stop all new Road/Rail building for a period of 5 years. Maintain existing infrastructure only.

4. Immediately withdraw all army resources from UN overseas operations. Close ALL army barracks by the end of 2012 and shut down the Army. Transfer special forces (Rangers, bomb disposal etc) to Gardai.

5. Stop all Air Corp operations except Naval air support. That means no pretend fighters and no government jet.

6. Reduce all social welfare payments by 15% across the board.

7. Cap the maximum social welfare payments that can be received into a household at 95% of the minimum wage.

8. Means test the extended families of all rent allowance applicants under the age of 30. If their parents are found to have spare rooms then no rent allowance will be paid. They can still choose to live away from parents but taxpayer will not subsidise that lifestyle choice.

9. Anyone in receipt of a state pension (e.g. TD, Teacher etc) cannot be employed by another state body while in receipt of that pension (e.g. retired teachers cannot so subbing, correct exams etc)

10. Property tax based on flat rate plus local services provided. For example €200 flat for all houses. Then €100 if on a state run sewage system. €100 if within 10km of a motorway. €100 if within 1km of a regular bus route. etc etc.

11. Charge €100 per house for water in 2012 and 2013 leading to water metering in 2014 and beyond with a flat allowance per registered resident in the house. Above the allowance a fee will be charged. Households must pay for installation of the meter. If no meter installed the flat rate increases to €1000 in 2014 at which point the state will install the meter. If access is denied to install the meter the rate or €1000 applies each year until the household installs a meter.

12. New income tax of 60% on all income above 100K for an individual or 150K for a jointly assessed couple.

13. Tax breaks are allowed to be applied only on the income bands below 100K (e.g. you can only claim back for capital gains losses etc on the first 100K you make)

14. Introduce a tax system similar to the one in the US. If you hold Irish citizenship you MUST file a tax return. Taxation will be applied to worldwide income at a rate adjusted to account for not availing of local services and tax paid in other countries would be deductable from the bill.

15. Full rate PRSI to be applied to self employed but they are admitted to the full benefits of the scheme.

16. Announce a 50% reduction in overseas aid from 2013. Include the cost of refuguees (housing, welfare, deportation etc) coming to Ireland from countries that benefit from overseas aid in the remaining 50%.

17. Charity industry in receipt of government aid will have to demonstrate agreed administration savings to receive funding. E.g. If concern and trocaire want money they have to merge into a single organisation and thus reduce administration overheads.

18. All funding for arts, sports etc and similar luxuries cut by 75%. Those activities that are actually popular will survive. Those that are merely self indulgent will cease to exist.

19. Reduce the children’s allowance by 75% across the board. Introduce a child care allowance to the value of 75% of the existing allowance. The allowance will only be paid to children attending a registered child care facility or provider in Ireland.

20. All funding for gaeltacht and Irish translation services to be immediately cut. Stop the expensive pretense that there are people on the island that speak only Irish. Provide a link to google translate on websites and documents to cover the constitutional requirement for Irish services. Hold a constitutional referendum if necessary.

21. €5 extra on a packet of cigarettes. This would probably cost the state money in terms of revenue but will save money long term in health costs. Introduce a 10 year jail sentence for those caught selling black market cigarettes and a €100 on the spot fine for someone found in possession of a packet.

22. Abolish the senate and ALL local councils. Let county managers run the counties. Merge authorities where that makes sense (e.g. North and South Tipp)

23. No more funding to be given to Mahon and other remaining vampire tribunals. They publish now or they rapay the money given to them over the last 14+ years.

24. Local hospitals to be reviewed with an objective to transition several to emergency centres (i.e. basic A&E and Maternity). All elective surgery etc to be moved to larger regional hospitals. That way people are not too far from emergency care but cost savings still come through.

25. All administration functions in all hospitals to be outsourced to a private service provider with an objective or reducing administration costs by 50% within 3 years. Those staff that don’t like it can take redundancy capped at €50K.

26. Immediately introduce emergency legislation outlawing strike action and withdrawal of service in the public service.

27. Merge the department of Children and Youth affairs back into department of Education and Children. Review of excess staff to be conducted with aim of minimum 20% staff reductions across both departments

28. Merge the department of Public expenditure back into the department of finance. Review of excess staff to be conducted with aim of minimum 20% staff reductions across both departments

29. Merge the department of Defence into the department of Justice. Review of excess staff to be conducted with aim of minimum 20% staff reductions across both departments

30. Abolish the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Make the function a junior minister under the department of the Taoiseach. Review excess staff with aim of minimum 50% staff reduction.

31. Review embassies across the globe with the aim of further closures by the end of 2012.

32. Appoint Colin McCarthy to implement a cull of Quangos. Shut down the useless ones and Merge as many of the remaining ones as possible.

33. Sell the remaining government stake in Aer Lingus.

34. Retain the Lotto in state control but reduce payouts by 20%

35. Immediately withdraw from all climate change treaties for a period of 5 years. Ireland’s impact is negligible anyway and we are not paying fines to self appointed international watchdogs while the main polluters (US, China, India etc) remain outside these treaties.

36. Abolish VAT on renewable energy solutions (Solar Panels, Wind turbines etc) and allow generators to sell excess energy onto the grid at favourable rates.

37. Introduce University fees. Compensate for this by forcing state controlled banks to offer student loans payable only after graduation at 0.5% above ECB. Offer lower fees for economically beneficial courses like Engineering and Science. Courses of dubious benefit (e.g. many arts courses) to be charged at full cost of holding the course.

antoobrien

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

most IT jobs here go to foreigners because they speak multiple languages and get paid peanuts for it.

As a software engineer I have a problem with call center jobs being labeled IT despite the fact that it only requires the ability to turn on a computer to get a job (yes I did work in - shudder - an internet helpdesk).

The company I word for was hiring over the summer (Senior SE, so there should be plenty of Irish people available). 10 CVs made it to the mangers involved - not one of which was from an Irish person.

So the problem is one of:
Irish people don't have the right qualifications
Irish people have pay expectations that are too high
Irish people are not good enough

Personally, having seen some of the people coming from 3rd level in the past few years, I'm leaning towards a combination of all 3.

draiochtanois

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Pharaoh1

I know this is not a substantive issue but I wonder would the Minister consider some simplification by incorporating the USC into either PRSI or income tax. Also why do we need Superannuation and a seperate Pension Levy - why not combine the two into a Pension Contribution.

draiochtanois

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Slozer

do exactly as I am told by the EU/IMF

MyKeyG

draiochtanois wrote: »

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I don't agree with conscription since despite Ireland's supposed neutrality some would not be comfortable serving under the control of an armed force. But I certainly agree with some form of service to the community. I believe it will give people a purpose and make them feel like they're earning their pay should they choose not to enter into full time education.

The work would be commensurate with SW pay according to either CE rates or the minimum wage. Not sure what the minimum wage is these days.

earlyevening

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Removal of USC and restructuring of income tax to a flat 15-17% on all income from 0 upwards, no credits or exceptions

lol, Crippling to anyone on the average salary (loss of PAYE tax credit). Anyone on 100 grand a year would be over the moon. They currently pay about 42% effective tax rate.