George Lee's Economic Plan for Recovery

[Benz]

so the FG economics team could be
Richard Bruton Phd. economics, from Oxford University
and George Lee,
while FF offer
Brian Lenihen and
Mary Coughlan....

yep that would be a hard choice for voters to make

Sandar, that's an impressive team, but what would you make of those two having to make submissions to, and ultimately relinquishing control to, Finance Minister Eamonn Gilmore. FG and Labour are ideologically way further apart than FF and FG are.

[Mna na hEireann]

I was very disappointed.

I was really hoping for something clever from Lee that might force the government to act.

Sell off the profitable part of the ESB? And then we can just leave the taxpayer supporting the unprofitable part?

Promises of tax cuts in an election year.. with no mention of how he would pay for them?

I expected better from a professional economist, especially one who makes so much of 'accountability in politics'.

It's early days yet but, so far, he hasn't got my vote.

[odie1kanobe]

I was very disappointed.

I was really hoping for something clever from Lee that might force the government to act.

Sell off the profitable part of the ESB? And then we can just leave the taxpayer supporting the unprofitable part?

Promises of tax cuts in an election year.. with no mention of how he would pay for them?

I expected better from a professional economist, especially one who makes so much of 'accountability in politics'.

It's early days yet but, so far, he hasn't got my vote.

He is a journalist for gods sake and uses about 20 takes to get it right.

[sandar]

abENZ. i'LL TRY YOUR SECOND POST FIRST.
a LABOUR FG coalition may happen, the last time it happened it worked well.
There is no garauntee that Gilmore or any other labour person would want or get finance.
The last labour leader in an FG labour colaition didnt become minister for finnace.
As to your analysis of George lees' plans.
The Vat reduction points you make are less than walid, the point is that a VAT reduction will increase the marginal propensity to consume, as even when the british VAT rate is higher, irish people going over the border must spend money getting there and time getting there.
Thus the smaller the gap between the VAT rates north and south, the more incentive to shop in the south.
Your probably correct about the PRSI reduction, though the details of that would have to be examined, and I perosnally would just cut the PRSI across the board.
Mna Na Heireaann:
AYour post contains a non sequitor, you highlight the plan to sell off the profitble bits of the ESB, then say: tax cuts and no mention of how to pay for them.
But the sale of parts of the ESB would pay for them.

[beagan]

Its a simple and achievable plan focussing on growth. As a Dublin South constituent I say bring it on George

[Benz]

Its a simple and achievable plan focussing on growth. As a Dublin South constituent I say bring it on George

It won't bring growth. I don't even think George wrote it, surely he's far too good for that. Sounds to me like the FG press office sent it out in his name.

[DS-09]

I have a better idea

[Mna na hEireann]

AYour post contains a non sequitor, you highlight the plan to sell off the profitble bits of the ESB, then say: tax cuts and no mention of how to pay for them.
But the sale of parts of the ESB would pay for them.

Except that he didn't propose to sell off the ESB to fund tax cuts, he said he would do it to fund broadband and clean water projects.