General Election 2007 -- What's the most important issue for you?

Dave!

Hey folks,

I'm not really sure if there's been a thread on this before... I searched for 'most important issue' and there was nothing relevent in the 5 pages, so I'm making a new one.

This topic was brought up on City Edition, on Newstalk106, a few months back, and I'm only remembering it now.

It's a pretty straight forward question I think... If a politician knocked on your door, and said "Hello [boards user], if you vote me into power in this election, I will focus most of my time, and most of your tax money on [blank]" -- what would be that [blank]?

Housing? A&E? Violent crime? Traffic?

The choice... is yours...

monkeyfudge

More monkeys!

qz

Politics forum surely.

Anto McC

A and E,actually the whole health service!

Dave!

qz wrote:

Politics forum surely.

Well I was thinking that, but I'm sure the politicians won't be only knocking into houses of those who are politically active or interested, they'll be knocking on every door (well, ya get the idea), and that's what AH is -- every door!

This way we get to hear what your every day dum-dum thinks! (just messin )

If the mods think it'd be better off in Politics, then feel free to move it, I don't mind!

New_Departure06

The economy.

besty

Housing.
Educational investment at all levels.
Traffic/congestion
More saving initiatives to curb inflation.
Health Service in general, not just A&E.

I know you said 1, but I couldn't limit my choice.

jimmycrackcorm

Anto McC wrote:

A and E,actually the whole health service!

A and E is only for sick people and they're too ill to vote!

simu

Transport, educational inequality, treatment of asylum seekers

scojones

The health service. Free medical care for all!

Neil_Sedaka

Government Corruption, Government corruption and possibly Government corruption.

nesf

Transport infrastructure improved outside of Dublin. Investment in rural areas increased (just services stuff). Fine Gael losing, badly.

That's what I want from the next election tbh.

shoutman

Its all good and well saying I want my taxed euro's to be spent on the health system, but that would solve no problems.... The current government never stops telling us how much of an increase they have spent on the health system but it is making no difference as it seems that all the money is going into administration and not enough of it is going into where it is needed in the a+e departments.

I have heard things like there are 4 administrators for ever member of staff in Irish hospitals (and by hospital staff I mean Doctors and nurses)

So throwing money at the healthcare system would make no difference, as for free health care for all, I dont see how this would be feasible in the long run.

nesf

Healthcare is a blackhole in which to throw money into. It requires a lot more than just a boost to funding to make a difference there. You can build a new 1000 bed hospital, but you have to wait for the staff to be trained before you can open it...

Pighead

Pighead would like to see more money pumped into the internet. Theres too many ninnys out there for my liking. I want more Mods and more punishments meated out. I'd also like the issue of equality to be looked at.

Did you know After Hours is totally devoid of female Mods. Not good enough apparently because, and I quote "They're too emotional"
Well actually nesf you're wrong. Pighead reckons theres not enough emotion around After Hours nowadays. Too robotic for my liking. More Chicks, Less Dicks.

lostexpectation

social/affordable housing

jrey1981

tbh he / she wouldnt get as far as the door, not even through the gate, so they wouldnt get a chance to ask me the question.

Grem

Affordable Housing

Traffic (Toll on cars entering the city center's)

Scumbags (kill them all in a big bonfire)

Huggles

Health and Housing for me.

For me, the most important issue is keeping FF and the PDs in power. I'm confident they'll look after the rest...;)

Okay, the economy, the Peace Process...

Pherekydes

Getting the FFers and PDers out of power.

Stephen

There's a number of issues that I will be questioning any canvasser that comes to my door about:

VRT: Get rid of it. We're supposed to have free movement of people and goods within the EU. They wasted no time in elimenating things that benefited the taxpayer in any tiny way, such as airport duty free shops within the EU. I'm sure they'll replace it with some other tax to recoup the revenue, but why should motorists bear the burden? Far more money is collected from them in the various motoring related taxes and levys than is spent on our roads.

Stamp duty: Why is it that the government rakes in about €80K in 'stamp duty' (what-fukking-ever) on the sale of each house? I sure can't afford a place of my own.

Justice: Why is our system so retarded? It needs modernisation. Tougher sentences for repeat offenders rather than the stupid revolving door style prisons we have now. Get rid of the stupid wigs and robes while yer at it.

The health service: Throwing bags of money at it clearly hasn't solved anything, i think its time to cut through the beaurocracy and get some new management in.

Accountability for politicians: When government departments blow millions of euros of taxpayers money on ridiculous wastes of money (see the whole e-voting machines and health service computer fiasco, many more), people should be accountable for it. The same goes for infrastructure projects that seem to have this hilarious habit of finishing at a cost of about 4 times the initial quoted cost.

netwhizkid

1) Keeping Fianna Fail and the Pd's out of Government.

2) We have the worst health care system in Europe, this needs to be improved massively.

3) Stopping all forms of Immigration into Ireland, our country is being swamped by all sorts.

4) Direct Fibre to the home, we need broadband :- Nationalise Eircom

5) End VRT, Cut Fuel taxes and reduce Motor Taxation, end all road tolls.

6) End privatisation, Re-Nationalise formally privatised companies and successful private ones like Kerry Group, use their profits to fund more infrastructure, High Speed rail linking all our cities and a national non-tolled motorway network.

7) Increase taxes for those earning over €60,000+ to 60% eliminate lower earners from the Tax bracket, cut VAT and use profits from Nationalised Industry to run the country. Curtail Diplomatic Relations with the USA as long as George W. Bush is in office, Cut all Diplomatic relation with Israel and refuse to recognise it. Recognise the Hamas Led Palestinian Authority.

8) Greater links with Great Britain, force a United Ireland.

9) Ban the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats Party, try them for corruption and re-introduce Captial Punishment and make it applicable in cases of corruption. Repatriate 120,000 Polish home to Poland.

10) Reform the Irish Constitution banning free market politics and gradually phasing out Capitalism.

netwhizkid

netwhizkid wrote:

Re-Nationalise formally privatised companies and successful private ones like Kerry Group, use their profits to fund more infrastructure, High Speed rail linking all our cities and a national non-tolled motorway network.

Ban the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats Party, try them for corruption and re-introduce Captial Punishment and make it applicable in cases of corruption.

I don't know whether to laugh or object to such an obvious attempt to wind up and troll. I love the 'execute FFers' stuff.

On the other hand...

netwhizkid wrote:

3) Stopping all forms of Immigration into Ireland, our country is being swamped by all sorts.

Repatriate 120,000 Polish home to Poland.

I don't think this board should allow itself be used as a mouthpiece for racism and hatred. There must be a BNP site somewhere for this kind of stuff.

Stephen

Oh netwhizkid, you are such a f**king nutter. You effectively want us to be a european North Korea.

Stephen

Stephen wrote:

You effectively want us to be a european North Korea.

Bit harsh on North Korea. Whatever about the kerrrazeeee economics, I don't think they have as overt a racist policy as favoured by Netwizkid.

BMH

Follow the suit of every other modern country and not admit patients through A&E.

netwhizkid

Deleted User wrote:

I don't think this board should allow itself be used as a mouthpiece for racism and hatred. There must be a BNP site somewhere for this kind of stuff.

Once again the PC brigade is out, I talk about Immigration and I am branded a Racist, the BNP (a British Political Party get mentioned) I guess your are the type who would rename Christmas "Winterfest" and sing "Ba Ba, Rainbow Sheep" I think the people with issues are those who immediately jump down the throats of anyone who says anything to question Immigration.

I just happen to think that immigration is out of control here, Am I alone absolutely not. Ireland and the UK were the only countries to throw our doors open to free-movement of people from the 10 new members. Anyone remember the Nice Treaty..... We voted no, and we were forced to revote.... Is that democracy..... Is it????

The Referendum Commission (who is supposed to be unbiased) ran Commercials and AD breaks costing over €5million which were designed in such a way to make it look like Voting was our Destiny and had references to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. We were conned into accepting an enlarged Europe we didn’t want.

I am 19 and have tried several places for work but have been told we are all full up or we only employ Eastern Europeans for those tasks now.

They will try to re-jig the European Constitution now again despite Holland and France saying no. France voted no as they were concerned with the services directive and as a backlash to Chirac. Holland voted no because they are concerned about rampant uncontrolled Immigration and raising Religious Intolerance. Pim Fortuyn anyone??

If the European Constitution is passed it will enshrine Privatisation and the erosion of workers rights and an every man for himself federalist approach.

Maximilian

qz wrote:

Politics forum surely.

I don't think "politics forum" is an election issue for me or would influence my voting choice & to be honest it sounds like a waste of money -there's already a politics forum here on our very own Boards.ie!

shoutman

netwhizkid wrote:

1) Keeping Fianna Fail and the Pd's out of Government.

2) We have the worst health care system in Europe, this needs to be improved massively.

3) Stopping all forms of Immigration into Ireland, our country is being swamped by all sorts.

4) Direct Fibre to the home, we need broadband :- Nationalise Eircom

5) End VRT, Cut Fuel taxes and reduce Motor Taxation, end all road tolls.

6) End privatisation, Re-Nationalise formally privatised companies and successful private ones like Kerry Group, use their profits to fund more infrastructure, High Speed rail linking all our cities and a national non-tolled motorway network.

7) Increase taxes for those earning over €60,000+ to 60% eliminate lower earners from the Tax bracket, cut VAT and use profits from Nationalised Industry to run the country. Curtail Diplomatic Relations with the USA as long as George W. Bush is in office, Cut all Diplomatic relation with Israel and refuse to recognise it. Recognise the Hamas Led Palestinian Authority.

8) Greater links with Great Britain, force a United Ireland.

9) Ban the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats Party, try them for corruption and re-introduce Captial Punishment and make it applicable in cases of corruption. Repatriate 120,000 Polish home to Poland.

10) Reform the Irish Constitution banning free market politics and gradually phasing out Capitalism.

At the start of this I thought you were being serious/crazy but on reading down through points 7 onwards you are obviously just messing... please tell me you are just messing.

Just on the off chance that you aren't some joker I'd like to pick you up on a few points.
1) Do you realise that if we stopped all immagration, not only would we have riots within our country but we would also be killing our economy. The Irish economy needs upwards of 50,000 economic migrants to fill vacant jobs in our economy.

2) Now even though I do agree with a more structured tax system, ie. the rich paying a higher level of tax then the poor, I think 60% will just lead to the rich leaving the country. Would you stay here if everytime you earned 10 euro you gave six away?
As for using the profits from our newly nationalised industries to run the country, well first of all how do you know they are even going to make a profit and even if they do, I cant see the profit coming anywhere close to the levels required to run a country. Stereotypically the main problems with nationalised companies are that they are unefficiant and can lead to a burden on the tax payer.

3) Curtailing diplomatic relations with America is just idiotic, I am a firm believer that the world would be a better place if W just choked on another prezzle but this time it wouldnt come out of his throat and kill him. But if the Irish government curbed diplomatic relations with his regime it could lead to disaster for the economy. The majority of TNC's in Ireland are in American hands and we need to keep them in Ireland otherwise it could lead us back to the 1980's when nobody had any money.

4) Refuse to recognise Israel but instead recognise the Hamas Led Palestinian Authority, ahh and what would be the point of this?

5)Greater links with Great Britain, force a United Ireland, please explain to me how greater links with GB would force a united ireland.

6) Ban the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats Party, try them for corruption and re-introduce Captial Punishment and make it applicable in cases of corruption: So kill all corrupt politicians? Well I'm afriad we might not have any left after all that killin'.

7)Repatriate 120,000 Polish home to Poland: and who is going to pay for all those airplanes :rolleyes:

10) Reform the Irish Constitution banning free market politics and gradually phasing out Capitalism. While we are at it we should scrap all industry and engage in some communal farming....


I find it strange because I think we share a lot of the same views, I think bush is an arse as do you, I also feel that the Palestinians have been disgustingly hard done by by the Israelis and I would also agree with a more structured tax system. Oh and I'm also 19, I suppose the difference is I havent been done out of a menial job by some blasted Poles!

You are coming across as a leftist member of the KKK.
Get rid of all the unclean foreigners and lets share all our wealth amongst ourselves....

nesf

netwhizkid wrote:

1) Keeping Fianna Fail and the Pd's out of Government.

2) We have the worst health care system in Europe, this needs to be improved massively.

3) Stopping all forms of Immigration into Ireland, our country is being swamped by all sorts.

4) Direct Fibre to the home, we need broadband :- Nationalise Eircom

5) End VRT, Cut Fuel taxes and reduce Motor Taxation, end all road tolls.

6) End privatisation, Re-Nationalise formally privatised companies and successful private ones like Kerry Group, use their profits to fund more infrastructure, High Speed rail linking all our cities and a national non-tolled motorway network.

7) Increase taxes for those earning over €60,000+ to 60% eliminate lower earners from the Tax bracket, cut VAT and use profits from Nationalised Industry to run the country. Curtail Diplomatic Relations with the USA as long as George W. Bush is in office, Cut all Diplomatic relation with Israel and refuse to recognise it. Recognise the Hamas Led Palestinian Authority.

8) Greater links with Great Britain, force a United Ireland.

9) Ban the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats Party, try them for corruption and re-introduce Captial Punishment and make it applicable in cases of corruption. Repatriate 120,000 Polish home to Poland.

10) Reform the Irish Constitution banning free market politics and gradually phasing out Capitalism.

Can I have whatever you are smoking?