The Case for Introducing a Property Tax, Collected at Local Government

I propose that an annual residential property tax be introduced and collected at central government for an introductory period with a view to control being handed over to local government and the revenues generated by the tax to be used solely for local publicly provided goods. But for this to be an efficient and effective method of funding local authorities and not adversely affect the balances of the exchequer there needs to be an overhaul as to how local authorities are currently funded and run. Introducing a property tax will hopefully broaden the tax base and go some way to overhauling how the tax system works in Ireland and how local authorities are funded. Rationale for a residential property tax in Ireland Stability There are many reasons in support of a residential property tax. Firstly, it will provide a stable and less volatile income for the exchequer, as is the case with a transaction such as stamp duty, and generally improve macroeconomic stability. The tax income collected by stamp duty made a huge contribution to the exchequer, but as we can see from Fig 1.1, it tended to fluctuate, making it more difficult to budget long-term and susceptible to market forces, as is the case currently. A â€Å"recurring annual tax is less economically distortionary than the imposition of tax on either income or capital† (TSG 09/07) and a more reliable and stable tax income achieved from a proposed residential property tax would help with investment planning, as an â€Å"over-reliance on expenditure and transaction taxes has resulted in tax revenue dropping more quickly than (nominal) GNP† (Commission on Taxation Report 6:2.2). As we can see from the data contained in the ‘Commission o n Taxation Report 2009’ (Fig 1.1), revenues from sta... ...t such scenarios and ensure the equitable nature of the tax is maintained and â€Å"serious administration and avoidance problems arise when rates differ between jurisdictions† (McDowell 1988). Bibliography Research Papers McDowell, M. 1988. University College Dublin, Department of Political Economy. Financing Local Authorities: The Questionable Viability of a Local Property Tax. Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Gurdgiev, Dr.C. 2009. Trinity College, Dublin. Macroeconomic Case for a Land Value Reform in Ireland. Dublin 2, Ireland. Reports Tax Strategy Group. 2009. Property Taxation. Dublin. Ireland Commission on Taxation. 2009. Report 2009. Dublin, Ireland: Stationary Office Online Resources Collins, S. 2011. Property Tax Brought Forward. The Irish Times, 21st December. Available at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1221/breaking6.html

How does Brian Friel establish the theme of language Essay

How does Brian Friel establish the theme of language and its effects on communication, power and identity in Act one? In the play Translations, language and its effects is clearly one of the central themes. This is evident because the characters all show what language means to them ranging from Hugh who uses his knowledge of languages as a form of power over the British to Owen who does not show any concern for his language and identity and allows the British to call him Roland. Furthermore the title of the play Translations is ironic because although one of the themes of the play is keeping your identity the book itself looses its identity. This is because although the play is written by an Irish author and set in Ireland, it is written in English. Thus the title foreshadows the outcome of the play. One of the ways Brain Friel establishes the theme of language is by using Sarah as a device to convey the bare minimum of language. Her limited knowledge of language limits her communication. However this could also be a benefit to her as she is able to have secrets without being expected to share them. Sarah is first introduced in the play by the stage directions which say â€Å"Sarah shakes her head vigorously and stubbornly† this is because Manus wants her to speak so she has an identity in the world. This could foreshadow that the Irish, who do not want to speak English will be forced too for there own good as it will help their country prosper. The character Sarah can be interpreted as the symbol of Ireland due to the play opening with her trying to claim her identity by saying â€Å"My name is Sarah†. This achievement of Sarah saying her name at the start of the play shows just how powerful language can be as just a few words can turn you from someone who is unknown to a person who has status in the world. Manus understands this and reacts by saying â€Å"nothing’ll stop us now†. This can either be interpreted as nothing will stop Sarah from learning Gaelic now or that the â€Å"now† in the quote refers to all of Ireland and that as long as people are still learning Gaelic the British will not stamp out their language. The character Manus is Hugh’s eldest son and is a teacher at Hedge School. The relationship that Manus has with his father is made very clear by Brain Freil when Hugh first enters the play as he treats Manus like a slave by handing him his hat and coat â€Å"as, if to a footman†. Brain Friel shows that due to Manus’s lack of communication with his father and his willingness to do all the things his father asks of him, that he has become a servant. Out of all the characters in the play it is only Manus who really sees the British as an enemy in the First Act. This is likely to be because Manus clearly loves his country and his language and sees these two things as part of his identity. Also although the play is not overtly political, political issues do run under the surface. For example when Dan Doalty moves the British’s poles Manus says this is just a â€Å"gesture† to indicate a â€Å"presence†. However when analysing Doalty’s character it can easily be seen that it is highly unlikely he was doing it for this reason and was more likely just looking to make fun of the British. Furthermore Manus is the only one who sees Owen’s job as traitorous to Ireland. All the other characters do not even mention it. However although Manus feels this way about Owen, he himself is guilty of betrayal as he â€Å"ignores† Sarah when she tells him that she said her name. As Sarah symbolises Ireland’s identity ignoring her is like a betrayal to Ireland. The character Jimmy, although contributing to the comedy in act one when Doalty and Bridget are making fun of him. I believe also that this represents just how different the British and Irish culture was in the nineteenth century as his character reveals that in Ireland even the most poor man can speak Greek and Latin. In England it is most likely only the richer upper class people would be able to speak these languages revealing that language doesn’t represent status in Ireland. Furthermore Jimmy’s character is also the only character that stays true to his identity as he is unable to speak English and shows know signs of wishing to learn English â€Å"I have only Irish†. However although Jimmy shows know signs of wanting to learn English his love of Latin and Greek have caused him to be unable to communicate properly with other characters as they only speak Gaelic. Thus Jimmy portrays what could happen to Ireland if they do not learn English as they will be cut off from the world. Additionally Jimmy’s character also uses his knowledge of languages as a power over the British as he mocks captain Lancey for not being able to speak Latin â€Å"Nonne Latine loquitur?†. Brain Friel also shows that due to Jimmy’s reading of Greek stories such as the â€Å"Odyssey† he has created an alternative reality for himself in which figures of myth are as real to him as the people he sees everyday. This is revealed as he imagines situations when he would have to choose between Athene, Artimis and Helen. Due to these fantasies Manus calls Jimmy â€Å"a bloody dangerous man† suggesting that living in the past is dangerous. Thus foreshadowing that Manus, who does not embrace the English language in his country, may be dangerous as he is still living in the past The characters captain Lancey and Yolland although both working for the British army have very different views on what they have been ordered to do in Ireland. This is apparent by the way that they act when they first meet the Irish people. Captain Lancey who clearly symbolises England as his manner is polite and imperative, is very patronising when he talks, thinking that if he just talks slow and loud as if to a child the Irish will some how be able to understand him â€Å"a picture- you understand picture?†. However even though he uses this patronising tone it is clearly unjustified because when jimmy asks him â€Å"Nonne Latine loquitur?† he mistakes it for Gaelic showing that he is not as intelligent as them. Furthermore the language used by Lancey although already in English is very political and imperialistic and it is likely some British people wouldn’t understand what he was saying. In comparison Yolland although a soldier has few characteristics normally associated with the military as he is shy and awkward. This is shown when Yolland says â€Å"I – I – I’ve nothing to say – really -â€Å". The quote reveals that he is not uncomfortable being in Hedge Schools as he stutters. Furthermore unlike Lancey, Yolland is uneasy about not being able to speak Gaelic as he says â€Å"Sorry – sorry† when he can’t understand Maire. Additionally Yolland shows very clearly that he values language and identity as he wishes to learn G aelic. The â€Å"strong-minded, strong bodied women† Maire is a very pragmatic character as she will do things to better herself. This is shown by her willing to embrace the future and learn English so that she can move to America as it is the land of opportunities. This reveals that learning English to Maire is a form of power as it will allow her to escape her poor life in Ireland. However although she desires this, there is a clear uncertainty in what Maire wants as she speaks approvingly of â€Å"modern progress† but on other occasions finds comfort in the belief that things will never change. This is shown when she talks about Baile Beag’s potato crop never failing. The repetition of the word â€Å"never† suggests that her willingness to embrace the future is idealistic and selective showing that she wants some things to change while finding a misplaced assurance in the belief that something’s will never change. This could suggest that although she is willing to give up part of her identity, she is comforted by the fact that it is unlikely to happen. The character Owen is Hugh’s youngest son an presents a striking contrast to Manus, as he is lively and charming. Furthermore although Owen is the son who left his father to pursue his own ambitions he is treated more warmly then Manus. This could be why Owen and Manus’s relationship is uneasy. Owen can either be interpreted as a traitor or as a pragmatic character like Maire. This is because although Owen is helping the British â€Å"standardise† Irish place names, he could just be doing this as he believes embracing English is the only way Ireland will prosper. However due to Owen allowing the British to call him Roland, which is a common British name it is likely that the former is true. This is further apparent as when questioned by Manus about why the British call him Roland he replies with â€Å"It’s only a name. It’s the same me isn’t it?†. This quote reveals that Owen places know value in his identity. Owen’s translation of what Lancey is saying on pages 31/32 also show how Owen uses his ability to communicate with the English as power over the Irish. This is because his mistranslation of what Lancey is saying to the Irish allows Owen to make it seem that the British are in their country to help them, not remove their language. The character Hugh although conveyed as a figure of dignity in Baile Beag is ironically a heavy drinker and is shown little respect by characters such as Daolty as he mocks him behind his back by impersonating the way he acts. Hugh, who is fluent in English, Latin, Greek and Gaelic is very critical of the British language referring to it as a language for traders. Furthermore the distain with which he speaks of Lancey for not knowing any Gaelic, Latin and Irish shows how he uses his knowledge of languages as a weapon against the British as he is able to show his superior intelligence. In conclusion Brain Friel’s uses characters, dramatic setting and many other devices to show how language plays a key role in this play. Furthermore his use of characters in the play to convey the bare minimum of language (Sarah) and the height of language (Hugh) add to the effect of how he uses language.

Frederick Douglass One Pager Essay

Life comes with many obstacles. Overcoming these barriers requires a set mind and perseverance. Slave-born abolitionist speaker Frederick Douglass, in his autobiography The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass depicts his life as a slave and his experiences to show to evil in slavery. His story explains how he changed and what he accomplished throughout his life. This slave narrative illustrates the young slave’s struggle to free himself from the mental and physical traumas tied with slavery. On the visual, the rock wall represents a difficult barrier (or many barriers) one must overcome to achieve greatness. Frederick Douglass went through the pains of being a slave to criticisms and harsh judgments to achieve what he saw morally right. The quote reads, â€Å"In coming to a fixed destination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death.† Douglass says this to show his comparison in the evils of slavery and death, and that sometimes he saw slavery as worse than death. He, nor could any slave, settle for death. They fought until the end for freedom and rights. Douglass educated himself to become one of the most intellectual and influential speakers for the American Anti-Slavery Society. While reading this narrative, I gained a deeper comprehension of the lives of slaves and the hardships they faced. It also made me realize that everyone starts at the bottom of the rock wall and that each person must climb it to prove his or her worth in the world. Whether one is born into a wealthy or poor family, he or she has to earn the respect they deserve.

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations

How Belief Systems Effect Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations How Belief Systems Effect Politics The belief systems of the modern world have helped determine the policies and politics of nations around the world. For centuries before, and almost definitely for decades after now, there will be disputed between people and countries on account of their faith. Religions have started wars, ended them, impacted, and persuaded people. Needless to say, beliefs are very influential on the world today. People of different faiths dont only fight over their basic beliefs and land but they end conflicts. Making amends between religious groups greatly helps relieve the constant strain of division that we are all too aware of these days. The Lutheran religion began 482 years ago when monk, Martin Luther, attacked the practices of the Catholic Church. These who followed his ideas eventually into what we call Lutherans today. For those 482 years, Lutherans and Catholics have stayed divided on uneasy terms. Now the leaders of the modern Lutheran and Catholic churches both signed a document that laid to rest those many years of differences under the explanation that it was all a misunderstanding. Sometimes different faiths just dont seem like they want to even try to compromise on a conflict. The Jordanian Muslims and the Israeli Jews fighting over which side of the Jordan River Jesus was baptized on is a perfect example of this. The Muslims have invested over one million dollars t fix up the site. The site will bring in expectantly millions of tourists and with them billions of dollars that will be spent locally to boost the economy. Looking past the irony of the Jews and Muslims disputing over a Christian site, the focal point of the quarreling is that such a site will bring. The Pope and Prince Charles have already scheduled a visit, but as of now, no resolve has come about. These days its not always conflicts between two specific regions, but between regions occupied by faiths who disagree on certain topics. The two groups being the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the compromise on the rift in the settler movement conflict arising in those countries. To the Jews the West Bank is part of the greater Land of Israel, given by God to the Jews. To cement their control over the land, the Jews built forty-two hilltop encampments on the West Bank. They did this to prevent it from becoming a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government claimed that some of the outposts didnt have the necessary building papers and twelve of those sites were dismantled. This disagreement is, for the time being, settled peacefully despite the denounced accord from the Palestinians. In the future more outposts are likely to be taken down. Whatever the rhyme or reason, religions and belief systems have tremendous effects on the way things work in this world. Hopefully nations are learning from their past mistakes what not to do if such an occasion arise again. Whether the Lutherans and Catholics are putting years of disagreement behind them, the Jews and Muslims are settling their dispute, or Jewish outposts are being taken down, we are moving forward into a new and brighter future, and gaining information as we go along. Maybe in the future, more of the religious spats will be settled as the Lutheran/Catholic dispute was...peacefully.

Essay Helper

Essay Helper Essay Helper So you need to write a great application essay and dont really know when and how to get started. If so dont despair because this article is an essay helper that will put you on the right track and show you how to write personalized, brilliant and compelling admission essays that the admissions committee is sure to appreciate and reward by stamping it with that special word accept. As an essay helperthis article would like to point out that writing an admissions essay is the only step in the entire admissions process in which YOU are incomplete charge. So give it your best shot. Now is the time to: Think Plan Organize Structure So that you end up with an exceptionally written and crafted essay that is as unique as you are. Here are some useful tips from your essay help to point you in the right direction: Avoid saying too much too soon: stick to the vital point by focusing on your achievements and qualifications as well as the qualities that allow you to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. You do not want to go around repeating things that you have already written in the application form-focus more on who you are rather than what you have done. Dont just say it, prove it: if you claim to have a particular quality then you need to substantiate this with real life events in which these qualities were demonstrated along with more examples and reasons. There is no comparison between merely making a claim and letting it unfold as an interesting story. Use vivid details: from real life events-a thorough description can be a real essay helper.Instead of saying, I am interested in people from different backgrounds with a variety of interests Think of how you can say the same thing in a more detailed and captivating fashion Be precise: another realessay helperis when you zero in on actual incidents and events rather than making general sweeping statements that sound clichd and contrived. Avoid using statements like I always wanted to help people Be original: there is nothing (yawn) as boring as reading something that has been said a hundred times before. Keep these essay helper tips in mind and you are sure to come up with an essay that will make the admissions committee sit up and take notice: If you need term paper help, research paper help, or college essay help, do not hesitate to order professional custom paper writing services on our site and get your term paper written from scratch! Popular posts: Womens Rights Essay Romeo and Juliet Essays Malayalam Essays Lord of the Flies Book Review Life Experience Essay

What is the nature of the controversy between Christians and Essay

What is the nature of the controversy between Christians and evolutionists - Essay Example However, the evolutionists disagree with the spiritual aspect of man and the existence of God. Most of the evolutionists are agnostics or atheist; they believe that the existence of the universe is a never-ending cycle. Evolutionists believe that man is born, has the ability to live and survive, and dies. For them, there is no life after death and that men are created in order to struggle to survive and not to abide from the Scriptures of God; in this case, ethical principles are more important than religious obedience. For the evolutionists, people must be taught with the ethics of the existence of the universe and life per se while the Christians believe that people must learn from the Scriptures in order to gain the life that is set to them after death (Gibbs, 2005). Since time immemorial, these two views have been battling the grounds of the beginning of life and the creation of the earth and the universe. Nonetheless, the nature of the controversy behind is that, up until today, the decision lies within the

The Promise of Stem Cell Research for Solving Complex Medical Problems Paper

The Promise of Stem Cell for Solving Complex Medical Problems - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that stem cell research might seem to be a catch-all solution to a myriad of clinical problems. If the public listens to certain corners of the bioethics field, stem cell research might seem to be a scientific solution that comes at a great cost to human life. Of course, most approaches to stem cells contain far more nuance than â€Å"for† and â€Å"against† embryonic cell research; however, it is a polarizing subject that is divisive even among researchers in the field. The purpose of this paper is to define some of the challenges—both ethical and scientific—posed to embryonic stem cell research, which includes looking at possible future directions for clinical practices, research agendas, and ethical systems that might oppose the use of embryonic stem cell lines. Overall, the â€Å"promise† of stem cell research includes not only the potential for benefiting mankind with novel kinds of treatment for painfu l and debilitating diseases, but also the potential for creating these treatments in ways that do not harm human dignity. First, a distinction should be drawn between embryonic and adult stem cells, particularly with regard to differences in their potentials to grow and regenerate tissues. Stem cells in general are a rare subset of primitive cells that, at the single-cell level, can self-renew as well as give rise to mature, differentiating daughter cells. According to the NIH, embryonic stem cells are grown easily in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues. Accordingly, isolating these cells from an adult tissue is difficult, and methods to develop more cells in cell culture have not yet been developed. This distinction is significant insofar as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies. In other words, adult stem cells cannot provide a sufficient level of coverage for stem cell research, let alone stem cell treatments on a public leve l. Therefore, stem cell research is normally biased toward the use of embryonic stem cells. Such stem cells are taken from embryos that are fertilized in vitro. The development of cells in a laboratory setting is known to scientists as â€Å"cell culture.† Embryonic stem cells are grown by transporting cells from a pre-implantation embryo into a culture environment that holds a nutrient-rich base known as a culture medium. Over the process of development, the cells divide and coat the surface of the dish into which they were transported. Once a cell line is developed, the original stem cells can produce millions or perhaps billions of embryonic stem cells for researchers to utilize in making discoveries and potentially treating diseases. Stem cells that proliferate in a cell culture of an extended period of time but have not differentiated into a specific kind of cell are known as â€Å"pluripotent† (meaning, literally, not constrained toward a specific developmental p athway). These cells are truly useful because they can be