a game of two haves - Elvis McGonagall
(download)
web lab
(coefficient of stiffness) C = square root of C / P (density) ~ 768mph
December 2011
Remember the Property Tax 1996?
Under pressure from the super wealthy in Ireland, Fine Gael & Labour abolished Property Tax in 1996. It was previously levied on the most expensive houses & mansions across Ireland.
The yield from that property tax peaked in 1994 at 14 million pounds and had fallen to 12 million pounds by 1995. Under pressure from press barons and talk show radio hosts representing the interests of the super rich the then rainbow government of Fine Gael, Labour & Democratic Left (now leading members of the Labour Party) scrapped that property tax.
Now Fine Gael & Labour reintroduce a household tax for ALL homes.
Back in 1995 77% of Property Tax collected was on homes in the Dublin area source: Dail answer by Minister for Finance Ruari Quinn http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1996/05/21/00078.asp#N2
1996 v 2012: The banks that made mega bucks from selling mortgages on homes are now being bailed out by the same home owners. Enough is Enough.
We need to broaden the tax base. We need to seriously tax wealth.
That same government were forced to abolish water taxes in December 1996. A campaign called the Federation of Anti Water Charges Campaigns led tens of thousands of households in a non payment boycott of that charge making its collection unworkable while winning the arguments about the unjust nature of that double tax.
Now the veterans of that campaign along with newer forces are taking the Household Tax issue to a national level.
Join the Campaign Against the Household & Water Taxes
http://www.NoHouseholdTax.org
Don't Register Don't Pay
"nothing to lose but their chains"
Threats to deduct household tax misleading & will be fought
20 Dec 2011 Press statement from Joe Higgins TD and Clare Daly TD, Socialist Party
/ United Left Alliance Threats to deduct household tax misleading & will be fought
Alarmist media headlines over the past week give the impression that
€2,500 could easily be deducted from the wages and welfare payments of
householders boycotting the registration and payment of the new
household tax. In fact such legislation does not even exist at this
time. Nor does any legislation allow for the tax itself to be
deducted. The headlines add to the scaremongering by the government which sees
the anger of ordinary people over a new burden on them and hopes to
intimidate and frighten them into submission. The critical issue here is that there should be a massive boycott of
the registration and payment of this new tax. The government has set a
deadline of March 31st for registration, but if as the Campaign
Against Household and Water Taxes urges, we arrive at the end of March
with a massive number of householders refusing to register, this will
demonstrate that this tax does not have any legitimacy and that a
powerful campaign can be built to defeat it. It is quite amazing that the government is willing to consider
forcibly deducting fines from the poor and from ordinary people but
has treated rich developers and bankers with kid gloves. People should not be detered by the government's threats as a whole
range of steps would have to be gone through to deduct a fine. After legislation, a person would have to be identified as liable for
the tax, summonsed to court and brought before a judge for not
registering for the tax; a case proved that they should have
registered; and then a fine issued. Only if this fine is unpaid could
an attachment order be issued. If one million people refuse to cooperate with registration, these
threats would be made utterly unworkable. more http://www.socialistparty.net?household%20charge
more http://NoHouseholdTax.org
/ United Left Alliance Threats to deduct household tax misleading & will be fought
Alarmist media headlines over the past week give the impression that
€2,500 could easily be deducted from the wages and welfare payments of
householders boycotting the registration and payment of the new
household tax. In fact such legislation does not even exist at this
time. Nor does any legislation allow for the tax itself to be
deducted. The headlines add to the scaremongering by the government which sees
the anger of ordinary people over a new burden on them and hopes to
intimidate and frighten them into submission. The critical issue here is that there should be a massive boycott of
the registration and payment of this new tax. The government has set a
deadline of March 31st for registration, but if as the Campaign
Against Household and Water Taxes urges, we arrive at the end of March
with a massive number of householders refusing to register, this will
demonstrate that this tax does not have any legitimacy and that a
powerful campaign can be built to defeat it. It is quite amazing that the government is willing to consider
forcibly deducting fines from the poor and from ordinary people but
has treated rich developers and bankers with kid gloves. People should not be detered by the government's threats as a whole
range of steps would have to be gone through to deduct a fine. After legislation, a person would have to be identified as liable for
the tax, summonsed to court and brought before a judge for not
registering for the tax; a case proved that they should have
registered; and then a fine issued. Only if this fine is unpaid could
an attachment order be issued. If one million people refuse to cooperate with registration, these
threats would be made utterly unworkable. more http://www.socialistparty.net?household%20charge
more http://NoHouseholdTax.org
thin end of the wedge #householdtax
illustration by paul maccormaic
Household Charge
Department of Environment release
Bill to provide for €100 Household Charge to fund vital local services in our communities is published
05/12/11
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Phil Hogan, T.D. today (5 December, 2011) announced the publication of the Bill to provide for the introduction of the household charge of €100 to fund vital local services in line with the requirement in the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland. The Government had announced, in July, 2011, its intention to introduce the household charge in 2012.
The Minister stressed the Government’s firm commitment to introduce a valuation based property tax to replace the household charge. The Minister indicated that work is to commence early in the new year on the development of the property tax.
“A full property tax, requiring a property valuation system, will take time to implement, so the Government is introducing the interim household charge to apply to the majority of owners of residential property in the State. I will establish an inter-Departmental expert group to advise me, by mid 2012, on the design, scope and implementation of the property tax,” the Minister stated.
The Bill will provide for the raising of some €160 million from the household charge which will be used to support the continued delivery by local authorities of vital services for our communities. “It is essential, if we want to continue to have the level of local services we expect, such as fire and emergency services, well maintained streets, public parks, waste services, libraries, open spaces and leisure facilities, that we provide the necessary financial resources to pay for them. I understand that the introduction of the household charge, even though modest at less than the equivalent of €2 a week, represents an additional cost for homeowners so I have provided in the Bill that it may be paid in a number of instalments. I have also introduced provisions in the Bill to protect vulnerable groups in society by providing a waiver for those on mortgage interest supplement and those residing in certain unfinished housing estates.” The Minister indicated that further details on the unfinished estates that will qualify for the waiver will be announced as soon as possible.
In conclusion, the Minister stated “This measure is a further demonstration of this Government’s commitment to restoring balance in the public finances. It will provide a new stream of funding for local government enabling the sector to continue to respond to local needs and contribute to a more efficient, accountable and effective local government system. This is local democracy in action.”
Ends.
The EU/IMF Programme of Finacial Support for Ireland commits the Government to the introduction of a property tax for 2012.
The introduction of the household charge is an interim measure and proposals for a full property tax will be considered by the Government in due course.
The household charge will be €100 in 2012 (equivalent to less than €2 a week).
This charge is another step in reforming the way local authorities are funded; it follows the introduction of the charge on non-principal private residences (NPPR) in 2009.
It will contribute to the funding of local services such as fire and emergency services, libraries, street cleaning, lighting, planting etc.
It is expected to raise some €160 million - based on the number of properties expected to be liable to the charge. The amount raised will be dependent on actual collection rates and the costs incurred in collecting the charge.
Owners not occupiers will be liable.
Monies raised will be paid into the Local Government Fund and will be allocated back to local authorities by the Minister in General Purpose Grants.
The liability date will be 1 January in 2012 and subsequent years and households not availing of instalment arrangements will have three months to pay. Late payment penalties and late payment interest of 1% per month or part thereof will apply thereafter.
Late payment fees, calculated as follows, will apply in the case of a household charge paid
not later than 6 months after the due date, 10 per cent of the amount outstanding,
later than 6 months and not later than 12 months after the due date, 20 per cent of the amount outstanding, or
later than 12 months after the due date, 30 per cent of the amount outstanding.
Collection Arrangements:
Collection by LGMA (Local Government Management Agency) by post or website (once off or instalment by direct debit four times a year).
Main overriding principles
Self declaration basis
Administration costs to be kept to a minimum
Late payment penalties
Exemptions:
Residential Properties that are part of the trading stock of a business (not sold or not having generated an income)
Social housing, including voluntary and cooperative housing units
Residential properties owned by Government/Health Service Executive
Residential properties owned by a charity
Residential properties to which commercial rates apply
Where a person is forced to leave their dwelling due to long-term mental or physical infirmity (elderly person that has moved into a nursing home)
Waivers:
Those in receipt of mortgage interest supplement on the liability date.
Those in certain unfinished housing estates to be prescribed in 2012 and 2013 by the Minister.
Maastricht treaty will include sanctions for excessive budgets
Maastricht [leaflets]
please sir can we have some more #fish
[live post - content subject to change & additions]
please europe can we have some more of our fish
The Marine minister has come back from Europe with a deal on how much and of what type fish the Irish fleet can catch.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1217/breaking6.html
Ireland an island nation with huge fishing sectors around all coasts and we share the fishing rights with other countries of the european union.
Cod stocks are dangerously low see ear to the ground (RTE 13/12/2011) 16:14mins http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1126596
So the industry / science / politics has the cod stock where it is. We the people don't eat enough fresh cod here in Ireland to be the cause of the decline. So these stake holders ignore calls to ban cod catching, decrease the cod catch by 25% and I have yet to read have there changed policy on dumping the cod they catch that they can't land. A practice that is vey wateful under capitalism. Surley there must be a way to land above quota and use the catch for social good.
We are being over fished. Dec 3rd I wondered if there was much fish left at sea. To find this out you need a survey.
@briangreene Tweeted Dec 3rd. Plenty more fish in the sea! are there? http://j.mp/rsLoay Marine Institute - The Stock Book 2011
@ellamcsweeney Tweeted Dec 17th By all accounts Coveney has negotiated a good deal for Irish fishermen. If fish could vote, however, I'm not sure they'd tick his box...
@JimHigginsMEP & Pat the cope Gallagher welcome the deal.
further reading: Conor McCabe in "Forgotten Faces of Capitalism in Ireland, Agriculture and Fishing" deals with Irish fishing and its relationship to the Irish economy.
http://url.ie/dq3d
"Class relations in fishing are somewhat different from those in manufacturing industry or agriculture in Ireland. The ease with which international capital has penetrated the fishing industry is a feature of the lack of a big, native bourgeois class controlling fishing in this country. In agriculture, as we see, there is a definite presence of a big bourgeois or rancher class, fractions of which have certain contradictions with international capitalism."
let the children play
