Category Archives: Misc

maryhonohan

Mary Honohan, President of the Irish Tax Institute

Oh.

Those guys.

Taxpayer writes:

The Irish Tax Institute (read US Multinational tax Lobby Group) has an Op-Ed in today’s Irish Times [‘Irish income tax system is skewed, uncompetitive and too complex’ by the institute’s President Mary Honohan] looking at the role of Ireland’s personal tax system and its impact on our “global competitiveness.”

It goes on to make an absurd suggestion that Irish employees have no incentive to look for salary hikes or promotions due to “such high levels of personal tax“.

It also puts forward the notion that “skills and talent are in scarce supply” but the last time I looked we had an unemployment rate of 9.7%.

What is really galling though is that we give generous tax breaks for highly-paid executives of US multinationals or “globally mobile talent” as the ITI calls them.

It finishes by asking the whether “it is really sustainable to continue to draw on a small group of taxpayers who already contribute such a sizeable chunk of the income tax yield? We must also ask if it would be better to have broader participation in our tax system?”.

But the real question they are asking is whether the regular Irish taxpayer and those who earn the least in society are willing to INCREASE the amount of tax they pay in order that those at the top (the “talent”) who earn the most can benefit?

Gulp.

Previously: The Myth Of Progressive Taxation (Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times, September 29, 2015)

Pic: Irish Tax Institute

winniepuhh

Earlier, while dangling a Golden Discs voucher worth TWENTY FIVE Large (Euros) before your eyes, we asked: What was the best live music performance in your view?

You answered in your tens.

But there could be only one winner.

Upside down drums. Check

Acrobatic rhythm section. Tick.

Chewbacca on lead vocals. Present

Few could realistically compete with Winny Puhh playing at the Estonian Eurosong competition in 2013, chosen by Phelem Mooney and Rory, who recalls:

“They came second if memory serves. It’s a pity they didn’t make it to Eurovision.”

Phelem and Rory win a Golden Discs voucher each!!

Runners up:

Liam Deliverance: “The greatest live performance deserving of the Golden Discs voucher was obviously U2 and L. Pavarotti – Miss Sarajevo. We have to wait over three minutes for the great, late, Luciano Pavarotti to replace the soft and familiar voice of Bono with a voice from the gods and it’s so worth it. Instant goosebumps. Great video, wonderful lyrics and poignancy, timeless piece of live music.”

Mr P: “Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Madison Square Garden, NYC – 2009
A voice from God, delivering a song written by a genius, accompanied by the perfect musicians.The two just couldn’t get on together, but you can clearly see that they have deep love and respect for each other.Spine tingling stuff.”

Bertie Blenkinsop: “Paul Shane – You’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’”

Ouch: “Prince – Housequake , for the dance moves in the last minute alone!”

Squiggleyjoop: ‘The greatest live performance deserving of the Golden Discs voucher was obviously Girlfriend Is Better from Stop Making Sense.

The Bad Ambassador: “Can’t believe I’m saying this… but the most visually stunning live performance I have ever seen has been Pink’s “Glitter in the Air”. Would’t be my kind of music (Mrs. Ambassador loves it) – it’s not a bad aul’ song to be fair but when she is swinging around in some silks with spirals of water running off her body, it’s pretty impressive. Here she is at the Grammys.”

Waddy Dilson: “The greatest live performance deserving of the Golden Discs voucher was obviously Arcade Fire at Electric Picnic 2005. The tent could only hold a couple of thousand people but I’ve probably met ten times that who said they were there. Nothing makes a performance iconic like a whole lot of people faking memories of being there.That or Beastie Boys at a later Electric Picnic when the guards had to be called to restrict the amount of people trying to get into the tent, they had to remove the walls of the tent for people who couldn’t get near it to at least be able to hear it.”

Hank: “The greatest live performance deserving of a golden discs voucher was undoubtedly Linda Martin’s genre-defining version of Get Lucky as she writhed like an erotic python in front of a visibly engorged Brendan O’Connor”

Thanks all

Golden Discs

Earlier: We’ll Do It Live