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Posts by Michael Taft

Michael Taft @notesonthefront

Michael Taft is an economic analyst and trade unionist. He is author of the Notes of the Front blog and a member of the TASC Economists’ Network.

Questions that should be put to the Minister

Michael Taft 27/07/2011

Michael Taft: The Cabinet has approved the interim Household Charge of €100, designed to ‘raise’ €160 million from 1.8 million households. …

Enclave-led recovery

Michael Taft 20/07/2011

Michael Taft:The Enterprise Minister was extremely upbeat about the recent CSO report that the trade surplus had grown. Mind you, it was not due to …

The butler did it

Michael Taft 14/07/2011

Michael Taft: On Morning Ireland, Fergal O’Brien, economist from IBEC, stated: “Austerity is not killing the economy." Oh. We are treading into, …

Trapped in an analytical prison

Michael Taft 07/07/2011

Michael Taft: Seamus Coffey has written a provocative post over at Irish Economy on the recent Exchequer statement, showing that Government borrowing …

A long, long, long way to go

Michael Taft 16/06/2011

Michael Taft: A good step; but a very small step: the Finance Minister’s announcement that the Government will seek a substantial write-down of the …

A picture paints a thousand essays

Michael Taft 07/06/2011

Michael Taft: After all the arguments, tables, charts and footnotes, sometimes it takes just a picture to tell it as it really is. Courtesy of Mark …

Why are businesses going out of business?

Michael Taft 01/06/2011

Michael Taft: To listen to employers’ groups and Minister Bruton, you’d think that businesses are going out of business because the lowest paid …

Stating the facts again .... and again

Michael Taft 10/05/2011

Michael Taft: Apologies for going over this ground again but if employers’ organisations insist on misrepresenting the issues, we have to keep …

Full steam nowhere?

Michael Taft 06/05/2011

Michael Taft: Sometimes we get a set of numbers which leaves us guessing. In some cases, we have someone who can give some insight. On the face of …

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