tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post536057528683332792..comments2024-03-28T12:23:39.665+00:00Comments on Coppola Comment: Oh no, not againFrances Coppolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09399390283774592713noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-19056446359844473922014-02-01T17:25:31.674+00:002014-02-01T17:25:31.674+00:00Sun Tzu a strategic management information system ...Sun Tzu a strategic management information system proto on paper. Presentation is available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/166713444/Sun-Tzu-A-Strategic-Management-Information-System-Aug-2013.<br /><br />Funding is appreciated, contact me for details.johnny1980https://www.blogger.com/profile/09815317614582934897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-64372174738928112322014-02-01T17:23:53.529+00:002014-02-01T17:23:53.529+00:00Would you like to criticize my business plans, as ...Would you like to criticize my business plans, as I would like to distribute them for financing?<br /><br />One of my plans is outlined at <br />http://www.scribd.com/doc/138339690/Outline-of-a-Strategic-Management-System. My spreadsheets indicate an initial funding of around 500k EUR to 1M EUR and investment public relations advice would be appreciated, please.<br /><br />This plan involves the development and marketing of a strategic management information system which includes econometrics therefore I would need consulting on the project eventually.johnny1980https://www.blogger.com/profile/09815317614582934897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-78961851755078188172014-01-29T11:07:55.427+00:002014-01-29T11:07:55.427+00:00I'm coming at this from a slightly different d...I'm coming at this from a slightly different direction. I agree with commenters saying that some of the opponents of the 50p rate are protesting too much: we're not talking about going back to the 1960s and 95% super tax, just the early 80s. Is 50% over £150k really a "very high" marginal tax rate? If it is - if political common sense has shifted that far to the liberal Right - I'd tend to support politicians trying to shift it back again.<br /><br />Given that it obviously hasn't been costed out properly (and probably can't be), the proposal to reintroduce the 50p rate can't be justified in economic terms, & Balls shouldn't try. That doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing, though. Even with Osborne's repeated lowering of the 40p threshold, quite a substantial majority of people don't pay higher-rate tax and never will; the number who are likely to be hit by the 50p rate is minuscule. It's - potentially - good politics, in other words, signalling a return to the genuinely progressive income tax system which was irresponsibly dismantled by Nigel Lawson in the boom years of the 80s (or so it could be argued).<br /><br />On the other (third) hand, the argument above is made moot by Balls's bizarre pre-announcement that the rate would be temporary. This not only conceded the political argument before it had been made, but punctured the economic argument, openly inviting all the kind of back-shifting & forward-shifting shenanigans you describe in the post. Overall, it's woeful stuff.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07009879034507926661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-77028072437254703912014-01-28T13:28:25.036+00:002014-01-28T13:28:25.036+00:00Your point about the 50p tax rate not generating s...Your point about the 50p tax rate not generating sufficient revenue to form the centrepiece of a deficit reduction strategy is obviously correct- even if we work on the most optimistic scenarios for revenue collection. Though perhaps many of modest income - including most of the population if polling is to be believed - disagree with you and think that higher taxes on very high income earners is actually the moral thing to do. How many of those on 150K plus are real wealth creators as opposed to rent seekers? Not a high proportion I imagine.<br /><br />The final paragraph is spot on. The only long term solution to reduce the debt burden involves some form of programme for growth. To work equitably this must include some form of industrial activism and regional policy. It is difficult to see how they wouldn’t involve taking on and ultimately weakening the City. This is a big undertaking and I can't see that Labour has any appetite to change its attitude towards the financial services sector.<br /><br />You state in your article that 'Very high marginal tax rates are a serious disincentive not only to work, but even to remain in the country'<br /><br />Is there any evidence for this? - If so I would like to see the research.<br /><br />And if it is so easy for high income earners to just evade the tax then why do they oppose it so vociferously? <br /><br />Some of the most valuable work in the economy such as the research and teaching in the University sector is done by people on much less than 150K per year I have a great deal of doubt about how much damage increases in the top rate of tax would inflict on the economy as a whole. There is also the argument that many of the people on salaries of over a 150K a year work in parts of the casino banking industry which are a more a liability than an asset to the country. With this in mind it is doubtful whether an exodus of some of these to other financial jurisdictions would be a loss as opposed to as benefit. A smaller financial services sector would also mean a more competitive exchange rate which would help exporters.<br />Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-68500755216488006202014-01-27T20:01:04.787+00:002014-01-27T20:01:04.787+00:00Thanks Mark! Thanks Mark! Frances Coppolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09399390283774592713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-17417013338849570692014-01-27T20:00:30.865+00:002014-01-27T20:00:30.865+00:00I don't think Osborne has any intention of run...I don't think Osborne has any intention of running a surplus either. It is all electioneering - from both sides. Frances Coppolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09399390283774592713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-40124751487474454742014-01-27T19:43:21.853+00:002014-01-27T19:43:21.853+00:00I don't think Balls has any intention of runni...I don't think Balls has any intention of running a surplus. Instead he is talking tough because this apparently reassures voters. They like low taxes and the benefits of public spending but are nervous of government deficits and rising debt. He has noticed that Osborne was able to maintain a high deficit while talking tough.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12842168504621695596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-39521406136195159902014-01-27T17:33:47.298+00:002014-01-27T17:33:47.298+00:00The 50p rate would be an astute political move if ...The 50p rate would be an astute political move if it were part of a comprehensive alternative to the current orthodoxy. Unfortunately, like so many Labour policies, it appears to be a purely political move - Balls has form as being as political as Osborne in his policies. Indeed Balls has shown no sign of opposing orthodoxy. Until that happens, he is a dead weight - ensuring that Labour remains mired in the mistakes of the past.gastro georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-54759688749166521512014-01-27T16:27:47.542+00:002014-01-27T16:27:47.542+00:00the The 50 p rate, 2009, was described as tempor...the The 50 p rate, 2009, was described as temporary anywayDinerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14632385731642361211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-62578122403512153972014-01-27T12:34:37.060+00:002014-01-27T12:34:37.060+00:00It strikes me he's trying to sound like a Labo...It strikes me he's trying to sound like a Labour Chancellor when really he's not one. He's a Neoliberal like so many of the others but he's trying to hide it. Really if you're anti-Neoliberal in the UK there's no-one to vote for at all.Big Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18373906955091066795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-46704604150605668652014-01-27T12:17:01.582+00:002014-01-27T12:17:01.582+00:00Brick says.
Reintroducing the 50p rate is not po...Brick says.<br /><br /> Reintroducing the 50p rate is not pointless it gives tax accountants a lot more work to do and it will most likely win votes. It is seems to me a cynical example of electioneering. If they really wanted to target the rich then they might look a raising capital gains tax and limiting it on inheritances. If they want to help the economy then they could move the tax bands upwards so higher rates start at higher wages. The problem is that taxation has been used for social engineering,and for helping business so that it now leaks like a sieve. There are much better ways to do these things than constantly tweaking tax rates and hiding taxation in obfuscated forms. Since we are in a race to the bottom on corporation tax, due to global imbalances and the matra that free trade is always good what else can we expect.<br /><br /> Benefits suffer from the same madness as taxation having been tweaked and changed for social engineering purposes to make statistics look good. A universal basic income would tend to reverse that engineering and highlight the real problems. Selective Statistics drive electioneering these days rather than statesmen like bold initiatives.<br /><br /> Besides think of the unemployement potential from all those individuals who currently have to battle everyday with the complexities of taxation and benefits. Its sort of makes you wonder why the coalition government does not run with it. That people can be retrained will not enter politicians heads of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-80749111847103933582014-01-27T11:24:49.787+00:002014-01-27T11:24:49.787+00:00Well said Frances
Good to see a sane and independe...Well said Frances<br />Good to see a sane and independent voice spelling out the real facts so clearly. Mark Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11524316185528362603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-53166190784964022802014-01-27T10:13:22.297+00:002014-01-27T10:13:22.297+00:00Labour are a random policy generator. Random not i...Labour are a random policy generator. Random not in that the policy is selected by roulette but more they read polls do focus groups and then hang a policy on a perceived issue. Sensible or thought through or joined up it is not. Then when their spokespeople appear in media they have some panacea to float. We got this from Rachel Reeves last week on Benefits and more 'Tough' whatevers - note every policy has to be 'Tough'. In govt this led to 1000s of laws most of which have convicted no one.<br /><br />Given Labour's tax and spend plans never differ by even the rounding error (and then only a small fraction) their continual howls of morality are perverse. Indeed as a party who warmly endorsed US torture and rendition (not to mention by Libya, Bahrain, Egypt etc) and created the PFI fraud/over spend their [Miliband and his MPs] care for the poor and public finances have no basis in reality. Even their onion in handkerchief tears for the poor and disabled is ridiculously opportune. Who introduced AtoS and A4E and Serco et al to the public sector? <br /><br />All I find when I think of the Milibands, Balls, Osborne, Cameron, Brown, Blair et al is how they must discredit the schools that validated them like Oxford or Cambridge.bedfonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08734407435275515547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-5277013504956140702014-01-27T09:28:47.556+00:002014-01-27T09:28:47.556+00:00Frances says “If Labour are so short of policies t...Frances says “If Labour are so short of policies that they have to borrow from the Tories, they don't deserve to win.” <br /> <br />That phenomenon (i.e. the political left being so brainless that all it can do is copy the political right) is actually a world-wide phenomenon, as Bill Mitchell has pointed out several times on his “Billyblog” site.<br />Ralph Musgravehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09443857766263185665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-52048754827572287392014-01-27T08:48:32.046+00:002014-01-27T08:48:32.046+00:00I disagree. This plays to the gallery in his own p...I disagree. This plays to the gallery in his own party, but it isn't going to impress the swing voters he desperately needs. They aren't "those on high incomes who don't vote Labour". They are those on low to middle incomes who might vote Labour if it did something for them. The 50p rate is irrelevant to them. Marginal tax rates are not. Frances Coppolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09399390283774592713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-88467609817657654022014-01-27T08:41:28.343+00:002014-01-27T08:41:28.343+00:00Frances,
I think this is a political masterstroke...Frances,<br /><br />I think this is a political masterstroke from Labour as those on high incomes don't vote Labour anyway. They will go into the 2015 election with the clear distinction of being for the many not the few. The Tories, getting hammered on all sides by UKIP, will be seen protesting the rights of the rich whilst still claiming we're all in this together, oh dear. <br /><br />Mr Balls clearly doesn't have much of a grasp of economics as his sudden decision to run a surplus shows. Recessions follow government surpluses as night follows day. It is a regression to the Household Fallacy of the very worst kind, again all political because it sounds good. <br /><br />The sheer amount of noise created in the MSM suggests protesting the proposed 50p tax rate is defending the indefensible. bill40Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-77654051876520223522014-01-27T07:02:43.199+00:002014-01-27T07:02:43.199+00:00The Davos crowd will love you for this.The Davos crowd will love you for this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com