Rumours of
tax cuts from Gordon Brown are rife and there's no doubt that they might boost a little
confidence in
the short term. make folk feel that they had a little more cash again. The trouble is, as I have said before, e.g.
here, to meet a failed consumerism with more
consumerism is not a
sustainable strategy. If effective political
decision-making relates to how people feel however, and I think it is, there is one thing Gordon could do in
conjunction with tax cuts;
raise taxes for
the rich. Not for those just over the 40% bracket, but say an additional 1 or 2 % for those earning over £150,000 or even £200,000 of which there are still plenty. This would have three effects
- It would raise some cash to pay for the tax cuts for the less well off so limit the political damage caused in folks minds by the idea of increasing government debt even for tax cuts.
- It would be classically redistributive and not a difficult political sell once the high volume protests from the few who were having to pay a little more had died down.
- Perhaps most importantly, it would feel like he was being fair, because he was being so.
- The Tories would not have anywhere to go with it as to object would see them the party of the rich and to support gives them no political traction with their followers.
So how about it Gordon; there's always room for a wee move back to your roots ever now and again.....
Rumours of tax cuts from Gordon Brown are rife and there's no doubt that they might boost a little confidence in the short term. make folk feel that they had a little more cash again. The trouble is, as I have said before, e.g. here, to meet a failed consumerism with more consumerism is not a sustainable strategy. If effective political decision-making relates to how people feel however, and I think it is, there is one thing Gordon could do in conjunction with tax cuts; raise taxes for the rich. Not for those just over the 40% bracket, but say an additional 1 or 2 % for those earning over £150,000 or even £200,000 of which there are still plenty. This would have three effects
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2 comments:
I know you're into your rugby Ewan. Think this is a fair comment?
http://malcintheburgh.blogspot.com/2008/11/thwarted-again.html
Malc; I think its time you got off the fence and said what you really feel!
You are pretty much where I would be. Parks is not international material. he runs flat, kicks too often and rarely finds the space as a result. Like Godman, he''s ok a club level, (I watched him destroy Edinburgh last year, much to my chagrin) but he has never been the man for Scotland. The problem with Chris Paterson, for all his brilliance, is that he's not really a fly half who inspired beyond his kicking either. Do you remember, for example, John Rutherford- no theres a man who could change a game on one twist and pop up pass. That takes real vision and Paterson, for all he's better than Parks, doesn't have that either.
That being said, there were positives, even from the all black game which I was at but until the lynchpin is in place we will always be struggling....
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