Government tax take on target for 2010?

[Shawady]

I've read about this story in two different papers and it is confusing as they both seem to have put a different slant on it.
One talks about a "surge in tax take" and the other mentions it is 'shrinking".
It is hard to know if the economy is improving.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/surprise-surge-in-tax-take-helps-cut-shortfall-by-euro20m-2284732.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0805/1224276243174.html

 

[Mpsox]

Lies, damm lies and statistics

Basically the tax take is down on last year (shrinking) but seems to have been higher then what was expected for July (surging). So both stories are correct. It's a case of is the glass half empty or half full?

 

[Shawady]

Lies, damm lies and statistics

Basically the tax take is down on last year (shrinking) but seems to have been higher then what was expected for July (surging). So both stories are correct. It's a case of is the glass half empty or half full?

True, no doubt FF will put positive spin on it.

Unemployment up again.
Does anyone else really believe the situation is stabilising?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0805/liveregister.html

 

[Sunny]

The unemployment figures are depressing.

 

[Chris]

Yeah, all political spin. What's laughable is that governments won't admit to being in a recession until there are 2 negative GDP quarters. But as soon as there is even a positive month, they are shouting about a recovery.

Unless industrial production (which is a better measure than GDP) and employment (which is a good measure of public earning power) start rising for more than 2 quarters, I believe any talk of hitting bottom, let alone recovery, is complete and utter propaganda.

There is no recovery; not here, not in the UK, not in the US. All there is is fancy, manipulated statistics.