Another disaster for Hollande

[Aly]

The French constitutional court has thrown out the 75 percent tax hike for high earners. What will he tax now I wonder?

[Hereford]

Thrown out for being unfair, government says it will be re-worded and re-introduced.

[Aly]

I cannot see how rewording is going to make it fairer. They are trying to save face by ading a spin.

How will he make up the short fall?  That plus returns will be down as many of the wealthy have left.

[Clair]

Aly,

I don't think they expect this tax to actually bring anything like the kind of money which is needed.

It is just an exercise in demagogy, a way of making people feel 'the rich' are being squeezed. See the last sentence of this article about it in the Guardian.

Hollande can be seen to be trying to do something to help the working-class, and if it doesn't work, it's the fault of people like Depardieu!

Win-win! [:-))] [:-))]

[Aly]

I understand his logic, but when he announced this tax hike at a press conference many in his own party were surprised. I am not sure that Hollande represents the working class. He definetly represents the functionaires, the 7 million state workers, The working class are probably more represented by other groups such as the  far left or the far right.  Not sure abt `win win` he has the lowest approval rating of any French president  ever this soon after an election. The failure to implement this hike will cost the French treasury some 500 million.in a year where they have to find some 30 billion just to keep afloat.

The actual loss will be far greater as the wealthy who have left will be spending  and investing in other lands. He will probably have to find somthing else to tax like new shoes or maybe we will all have to pay an annual solidarity tax ?

[louloulaloopski]

[quote user="Aly"]The French constitutional court has thrown out the 75 percent tax hike for high earners. What will he tax now I wonder?

[/quote]

"foyers fiscaux"[:D]

[Sprogster]

Aly, I believe that the French government expect to raise no more than 300 million euros from 1500 taxpayers, so the new tax is largely symbolic.

However, it has been a PR disaster for France and the concern is that it gives the wrong message to international investors and puts off foreign investment and associated job creation.

[mint]

[quote user="Sprogster"]Aly, I believe that the French government expect to raise no more than 300 million euros from 1500 taxpayers, so the new tax is largely symbolic. However, it has been a PR disaster for France and the concern is that it gives the wrong message to international investors and puts off foreign investment and associated job creation.[/quote]

Do you think that M Hollande might be running out of BRIGHT ideas?[I]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254565/Lights-turned-France-save-money-sobriety.html

[idun]

This is sort of old news about the lights. On french tv news they were talking about it weeks and weeks ago. And there was a report about groups of 'helpful' people were going round turning shop lights off, they use a long pole and can switch off some sort of external light switch. Many shop keepers were not happy about it, but frankly, in the middle of the night, do we need everywhere brightly lit up? Even for me, who stays up late and rather likes night time, I do think it un-necessary.

[woolybanana]

Unfortunately, the local light fingered lads might well see this as an opportunity to refurbish their wardrobes, electrical supplies and whatever else they will.

[PaulT]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Do you think that M Hollande might be running out of BRIGHT ideas?[I]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254565/Lights-turned-France-save-money-sobriety.html

[/quote]

Why is this not a good idea? The amount of light pollution that cities generate is enormous - cannot remember where I saw it but there was a photo taken from in space at night and the amount of light present was staggering.

All those lights require energy which causes pollution and adds to the costs of businesses which in turn is passed on to the consumer.

[Quillan]

Which side of the earth was it, probably the American continent. You should try night flying and see London, it can been seen from a considerable distance on approach the Thief Row.

Our village got street lights last year. The mayors wife picked the fittings, very ornate and expensive they are to. She won't be pleased if Hollande, who she supports, tells her old man to switch them off. Whilst we have one outside our gates which is handy for our quests I must admit my view of the sky at night is somewhat blighted now.

[Aly]

Hollandes latest idea seems to be to broaden the 75 percent tax to households rather then just individual earnings. This will add another 20-25000

additional French to his  tax hike scheme. More people on the move then.. He has also decided to raise capital gain to 60 percent on private equity investments - several companies according to German press are already relocating to the UK from Paris and taking there pots of funds with them. I think the problem is the socialists are ideologically stuck and cannot reconcile with the realities of  global capitalism. There sole priority is to protect the functionaires and  there core votes.

[mint]

[quote user="PaulT"][quote user="sweet 17"]

Do you think that M Hollande might be running out of BRIGHT ideas?[I]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254565/Lights-turned-France-save-money-sobriety.html

[/quote]

Why is this not a good idea? The amount of light pollution that cities generate is enormous - cannot remember where I saw it but there was a photo taken from in space at night and the amount of light present was staggering.

All those lights require energy which causes pollution and adds to the costs of businesses which in turn is passed on to the consumer.

[/quote]

Hey, Paul, I DIDN'T say it was NOT a good idea.  In fact, I took care NOT to express an opinion!

What I COULDN'T resist was the pun on "bright" and, of course, I HAD to use the light bulb icon...[:@]

Some of us never grow up....sigh....

[Quillan]

Street lighting has its place but we don't have to floodlight the whole planet.

I remember when I lived in Docklands and a certain railway station which had no external street lighting. Some people might remember but two women were assaulted, raped and quite badly injured. Docklands had just been handed over to local councils, this station came under Newham. The mayor at the time suggested women didn't use the station in the dark. It took a lot of signatures and lobbying for two years to get street lights installed. You had no choice in using the station during the winter if you lived nearby.

[PaulT]

Q it was of the entire globe - placed 2D as per a map.

Europe and the UK were extremely bright.

A few years ago I was taken on a surprise flight in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights. Set off from Gatwick at about 20:00 in January, flew up the Norrth Sea until we were near the Arctic Circle (unfortunately just a slight tinge). Flying back and obviously everyone one was aware of light. Then, there was an bright orange glow in the sky. One of theleaders explained that it was Edinburgh about 200 miles off.

[idun]

As someone who worked permanent nightshifts for several years, I later heard that the car park I had to use had had some assaults and then two rapes. So I do understand the value of street lighting.

There again, when I was young and would be walking home alone, because at some point I always ended up alone, as I always lived further away from town than all my friends, and it was rare we were on a night out in 'my' direction. So we would walk everyone home and then the last two, would do what we called, 'set' the other one on their way, that was to walk half the distance with them, and then there'd be two girls walking in opposite directions in the streets alone. We couldn't afford taxis. I often used to think that I would have prefered no street lighting, as no one would be able to see me. And in those days we did walk big distances.

I admit it is awkward, but I still don't think that shops and office buildings other than the actual ones that are being cleaned at night, need lighting up. The actual street lights could be reduced, by half and I don't think that  that is really a bad idea.

Also in cities at night, do the dual carriageways that have no pedestrian access need to be so brightly lit, cars and motorbikes etc all have lights.

[mint]

[quote user="idun"]

Also in cities at night, do the dual carriageways that have no pedestrian access need to be so brightly lit, cars and motorbikes etc all have lights.

[/quote]

Id, there has been research to demonstrate that lit roads are a lot safer, with fewer accidents, than unlit ones.  They looked at sections of lit motorwarys, for example near towns and intersections and unlit stretches.

Mind you, I am NOT advocating lighting roads as I haven't really thought it out and therefore have not yet formed an opinion.

Certainly, I have read that there would be fewer accidents in the home if the elderly would (or could afford) to light passages, stairways, etc in their homes.

Ironically, it always appears that all the houses that are dark or dimly lit seem to belong to elderly people.

[idun]

I remember reading that we should have our sun visors down at night when on these brightly lit roads. I don't find them safer, especially with the pillocks who have set off in a brightly lit road without their lights on. And that really does drive me potty as it is so dangerous, even on a brightly lit road.

[parsnips]

[quote user="Aly"]The French constitutional court has thrown out the 75 percent tax hike for high earners. What will he tax now I wonder?

[/quote]

Hi,

     Returning to the original subject , there seems to be a severe lack of light in the brain of Mr. Flamby, who has got to be the most useless ,incapable, un-charismatic , and indecisive president France has had in modern times.     We are stuck with him for the next 5 years (God help us) , but there is always a hope that his "government" ( a motley collection of incompetents) may fall as a result of a no-confidence vote ,and be replaced by something a bit more effective.   

[Aly]

[quote user="parsnips"][quote user="Aly"]The French constitutional court has thrown out the 75 percent tax hike for high earners. What will he tax now I wonder?

[/quote]

Hi,

     Returning to the original subject , there seems to be a severe lack of light in the brain of Mr. Flamby, who has got to be the most useless ,incapable, un-charismatic , and indecisive president France has had in modern times.     We are stuck with him for the next 5 years (God help us) , but there is always a hope that his "government" ( a motley collection of incompetents) may fall as a result of a no-confidence vote ,and be replaced by something a bit more effective.   

[/quote]

The only way that will happen is if the left starts tearing into each other as in the past. I think its unlikely especially as Aubry is gone. and Segolene well?  The UMP also looks a mess. Perhaps France needs to head into the brink before any meaningful changes can happen.

[NormanH]

I think Chirac was pretty invisible in his second term.

We suffered from the too visible Sarkozy who has left a mess that Hollande is finding difficult to clean up.

[woolybanana]

The mess goes back to Mitterand, Norman.

[NormanH]

You are not totally mistaken [:)]

[Aly]

[quote user="NormanH"]You are not totally mistaken [:)]

[/quote]

Well I really hope Hollande saves France and Europe but sorry to say I am not very optimistic as he has achived well very little. Despite all his pre election posturing. In Europe its Merkel  who calls all the shots. He has stopped talking abt Eurobonds, his big idea for saving the euro. The majority of the French. seem to agree according the polls  -Sarko and chirac have never been so popular.