If Fianna Fail win the next election, will we see boom time policies?

antimatterx · 13-10-2019 6:54pm #1

There's going to be an election within the next year. That's for certain. But if FF won, do you reckon we will see a return to boom time policies?

Tax cuts, money thrown at people. Big big plans on paper? Relaxed mortgage rules, big capital investment projects?

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 6:59pm

no, there is no party who have any ambitions of cutting taxes. they'd spend like the clappers but sure its the same with all the rest of them.

EmmetSpiceland · 13-10-2019 7:09pm

No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.

noodler · 13-10-2019 7:10pm

We've been seeing book time policies for the last five years.

lawred2 · 13-10-2019 7:11pm

So now penal levels of personal taxes are just to be accepted!?

Couldn't be seen to be looking for 'tax cuts'...

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 7:17pm

lawred2 wrote: »

So now penal levels of personal taxes are just to be accepted!?

Couldn't be seen to be looking for 'tax cuts'...

nah, people who work don't matter, they just target the groups easiest to appease , give the unemployed some more dole and they won't come out, give parents a little more child benefit or ECCE schemes or whatever and theyll calm down, start another quango to investigate giving us a service we dont really need or want, hand the contract to a mate, let its costs spiral, sure you'll be retired on a TD's pension before anyone realises you took us all for a ride.

13-10-2019 7:17pm

Given the imminent recession, I'm gonna go with no.

lawred2 · 13-10-2019 7:18pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

nah, people who work don't matter, they just target the groups easiest to appease , give the unemployed some more dole and they won't come out, give parents a little more child benefit or ECCE schemes or whatever and theyll calm down, start another quango to investigate giving us a service we dont really need or want, hand the contract to a mate, let its costs spiral, sure you'll be retired on a TD's pension before anyone realises you took us all for a ride.

Well parents generally tend to be subject to the same penal taxation so I'm not sure why you made them an exclusive group.

All these schemes are bollocks anyway.. give money direct to the provider to work as a contribution but then increase staff to child regulations and the child care provider has to increase fees to cover added costs. Net benefit to working parent.. near zero.

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 7:20pm

lawred2 wrote: »

Well parents generally tend to be subject to the same penal taxation so I'm not sure why you made them an exclusive group.

the government keeps them quieter by handing them back their own money through silly schemes and makes it seem like theyre being sound by 'giving' them something.

noodler · 13-10-2019 7:29pm

Taxes have been cut four budgets in a row.

This time, just extra tax credits for self employed (well, getting them closer to PAYE ones).

Pension increases four budgets in a row, same with welfare.

Capital spending is doubling.

An extra billion a year on health.

Free gp care for over 70s and under 8s.

More medical cards for wealthy old people. Lower prescription charges as well.

New childcare schemes.

There's tonnes more.

We are spending and cutting tax plenty.

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 7:31pm

noodler wrote: »

Taxes have been cut four budgets in a row.

This time, just extra tax credits for self employed (well, getting them closer to PAYE ones).

Pension increases four budgets in a row, same with welfare.

Capital spending is doubling.

An extra billion a year on health.

Free gp care for over 70s and under 8s.

More medical cards for wealthy old people. Lower prescription charges as well.

New childcare schemes.

There's tonnes more.

We are spending and cutting tax plenty.

with the exception of that self employed tax credit, there has been no meaningful cut at all for the middle income earners who pay most of the tax in this country. A person on 30-80k a year is no better off than they were a decade ago.

Danzy · 13-10-2019 7:33pm

They've received millions in donations in the last few years.

They'll go in owing favours and tax money to give to friends.

GMSA · 13-10-2019 7:35pm

What about the c.220bn debt after the last episode?

lawred2 · 13-10-2019 7:36pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

with the exception of that self employed tax credit, there has been no meaningful cut at all for the middle income earners who pay most of the tax in this country. A person on 30-80k a year is no better off than they were a decade ago.

I'd say worse off.

touts · 13-10-2019 7:38pm

Well sometime soon a party is going to cop on that the welfare class don't actually vote. The party who runs on cutting tax and cutting welfare to balance it gets an overall majority.

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 7:39pm

lawred2 wrote: »

I'd say worse off.

with the increase in the cost of living and the things taxes have gone up on, absolutely yes. Sure in 2007 a litre of diesel was 89 cent at the pump , now 1.30 a litre is a great price. The cost of alcohol, cigarettes, food, hotels, everything up. It was 100% more affordable for the average person to live during the pinnacle of the property boom in 07 than it has been at any point since.

Loafing Oaf · 13-10-2019 7:42pm

touts wrote: »

Well sometime soon a party is going to cop on that the welfare class don't actually vote. The party who runs on cutting tax and cutting welfare to balance it gets an overall majority.

Strange that the route to power is so straightforward yet nobody is availing of it

lola85 · 13-10-2019 7:54pm

GMSA wrote: »

What about the c.220bn debt after the last episode?

All is forgiven.

Harry Palmr · 13-10-2019 8:14pm

FF are the party party so the answer is yes if they achieved an overall majority but they obviously won't, so be thankful for small mercies when it turns out they are being kept in power by various sectional malcontents from across the ideological specturm.

noodler · 13-10-2019 8:24pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

with the exception of that self employed tax credit, there has been no meaningful cut at all for the middle income earners who pay most of the tax in this country. A person on 30-80k a year is no better off than they were a decade ago.

That simply isn't true.

Budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 all either reduced tax rates, bands or increased tax credits. Would have cost well over a billion.

I dunno why they do it, no political credit for it.

road_high · 13-10-2019 8:36pm

lawred2 wrote: »

I'd say worse off.

Personal taxes are still at an extremely high level/ whilst this might be ok if those same workers could ever see anything for those taxes but unfortunately it’s the exact opposite. FG had a mantra of rewarding work but tbh all they’ve done is pander to the ungrateful welfare classes who don’t even vote for them and will never be satisfied. FF are a high welfare spending party too so for genuine workers Irish political parties offer very little

road_high · 13-10-2019 8:39pm

noodler wrote: »

That simply isn't true.

Budgets 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 all either reduced tax rates, bands or increased tax credits. Would have cost well over a billion.

I dunno why they do it, no political credit for it.

That’s because they’re coming off a massive level and any small cut seems like tinkering around the edges and made very little sizeable difference to what is robbed monthly off our salary slips.
And yet the Xmas bonus remains for those contributing zilch. It would be funny if it wasn’t our money and so despairing

lola85 · 13-10-2019 8:41pm

road_high wrote: »

That’s because they’re coming off a massive level and any small cut seems like tinkering around the edges and made very little sizeable difference to what is robbed monthly off our salary slips.
And yet the Xmas bonus remains for those contributing zilch. It would be funny if it wasn’t our money and so despairing

Have to laugh when people say FG only care about the rich.

The welfare brigade have been spoiled under this government.

noodler · 13-10-2019 8:42pm

road_high wrote: »

That’s because they’re coming off a massive level and any small cut seems like tinkering around the edges and made very little sizeable difference to what is robbed monthly off our salary slips.
And yet the Xmas bonus remains for those contributing zilch. It would be funny if it wasn’t our money and so despairing

That's ridiculous.

Income tax increases are tinkering around the edges, by and large, and it's the same when they go down.

It would be wholly irresponsible, and unaffordable, to reduce income taxes at the scale you are hinting at.

And I say hinting because you'd need to be a bit less vague.

Edit:. For an example, someone on 50,000 gross will pay approx. 1,300/1,400 less in tax in 2020 than they would in 2015.

That's very expensive when applied to entire working population.

Sleeper12 · 13-10-2019 8:59pm

antimatterx wrote:

Tax cuts, money thrown at people. Big big plans on paper? Relaxed mortgage rules, big capital investment projects?

We've had reckless budgets since the Troika left. We got away with it because of low interest rates, low fuel prices & almost zero inflation but the government has played fast and loose with our finances all the same. We have had billions pumped into Irish water so the water infrastructure won't be on our ballance books. Guess what? It's still on our books. They spent over 50 million on consultants setting up Irish water and its billing structure yet no domestic bills go out. We have the most expensive children's hospital in the world being built on the wrong site. We have a national broadband rollout providing broadband service to every home in the county weather you want it or not. Throwing billions into a company we will never own.

Do you really think FG have been prudent with our finances? Honestly?

Eric Cartman · 13-10-2019 9:01pm

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Strange that the route to power is so straightforward yet nobody is availing of it

they always add a religious angle or somethign else to crock it up.

lola85 · 13-10-2019 9:05pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

We've had reckless budgets since the Troika left. We got away with it because of low interest rates, low fuel prices & almost zero inflation but the government has played fast and loose with our finances all the same. We have had billions pumped into Irish water so the water infrastructure won't be on our ballance books. Guess what? It's still on our books. They spent over 50 million on consultants setting up Irish water and its billing structure yet no domestic bills go out. We have the most expensive children's hospital in the world being built on the wrong site. We have a national broadband rollout providing broadband service to every home in the county weather you want it or not. Throwing billions into a company we will never own.

Do you really think FG have been prudent with our finances? Honestly?

The national broadband plan is sound and anyone with a bit of sense knows that.

Plumbthedepths · 13-10-2019 9:06pm

lola85 wrote: »

The national broadband plan is sound and anyone with a bit of sense knows that.

You should do stand up.

Plumbthedepths · 13-10-2019 9:08pm

I fully expect Leo to run to the 'Park' before Christmas. 4 bye elections in November. If a Brexit deal ( it is looking more likely)is secured we will have the pleasure of being told multiple lies on our doorsteps . FF will lead the next government but there won't be any boom as a recession is just over the horizon unfortunately.

lola85 · 13-10-2019 9:10pm

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

You should do stand up.

What’s wrong it?

Honestly I’m reading the NBP thread here regularly and people who know about this stuff reckon it’s a good idea.

I’m open to correction if you provide examples.

Plumbthedepths · 13-10-2019 9:12pm

lola85 wrote: »

What’s wrong it?

Honestly I’m reading the NBP here regularly and people who know about this stuff reckon it’s a good idea.

I’m open to correction if you provide examples.

A poster has already outlined the issues to you which you choose to ignore.

If Fianna Fail win the next election, will we see boom time policies?

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