Reasons to Vote for Fianna Fail

Money Shot

If I asked for reasons Not to vote for Fianna Fail, this thread would be 10 pages long by this time tomorrow.

Apart from being in a coma for the last ten years, can anyone explain to me why anyone in their right mind should vote for Fianna Fail this time round, remembering certain buzz words like crime, health, education, infastructure, environment and so on and so forth., ?

I only ask because I can't think of any of hand.....

Mailman

Because they have destroyed the economy but the money hasn't run out yet so there is still a feel good factor out there.
Fianna Fail need to be in power when it goes bang then when the next government is elected they will be elected with a mandate to correct our economy\public service\taxation policies.
If FF get thrown out now they will escape blame and will brazenly claim to be the solution to everything come the next election.

Like in France, the people have given Sarkozy a clear mandate for change. We need the same here.

At present FF are offering more of the same and the opposition don't want to rock the boat as the public can't see a problem with the Economy.

Dave!

I think 'corruption' is turning into a buzz-word too Actually no, 'payments' is.

I can't think of any reason to vote FF except for they've been in power for the last 10 years and there didn't happen to be a recession in that time, lol

delta_bravo

Im almost guaranteed to get slated for this but I suppose a reason for voting would be that the unemployment rate has been so low for most of their tenure.

Sully

delta_bravo wrote:

Im almost guaranteed to get slated for this but I suppose a reason for voting would be that the unemployment rate has been so low for most of their tenure.

A change seems to be on the card tho.. a lot of companies are moving out of Ireland and people are strating to complain that FF have not done anything to stop it.

delta_bravo

delta_bravo wrote:

Im almost guaranteed to get slated for this but I suppose a reason for voting would be that the unemployment rate has been so low for most of their tenure.

Please don't mention stats about the economy. Don't mention the economy at all, or the transformation in the North. Don't mention that ririsng crime is hardly unique to Ireland, that everyone (bar the French, apparently) complains about their health system but it has improved etc. etc.

Do you have an anecdote about being stuck in traffic in Dublin by any chance?

Money Shot

Deleted User wrote:

Please don't mention stats about the economy. Don't mention the economy at all, or the transformation in the North. Don't mention that rising crime is hardly unique to Ireland, that everyone (bar the French, apparently) complains about their health system but it has improved etc. etc.

I totally agree that Bertie seems far more concerned with getting himself in the history books for his involvement in the Northern issue than the dull bread and butter of domestic politics. Crime is out of control, and he doesn't even see it as a problem. I'm sure a lot of people can offer anecdotes where they have been effected by crime - I know I can.
Are you suggesting that the economy we have now is soley due to FF's brilliant management of the economy and not the many other cyclical and economic reasons ?

Do you have an anecdote about being stuck in traffic in Dublin by any chance?

Sadly, it's not just anecotal evidence that can be put forward here. I have been all over europe, eastern europe and most cities, and even very poor cities have far superior, integrated and cheap transport solutions for their cities. Shall we take Prague as an example - fantastic underground system, trams, busses - all work well and connect. 12 pence a ride.

In summation I see where you are coming from - there is no problem and we are all being over the top. This is Bertie's stance on Crime, health etc...

RalphCifaretto

To ensure Enda Kenny isn't elected Taoiseach.

patsyh

Why vote Fianna Fail?

Because look at the alternative government.

Múinteoir

delta_bravo wrote:

Im almost guaranteed to get slated for this but I suppose a reason for voting would be that the unemployment rate has been so low for most of their tenure.

The economy was already growing at a rate of 8% in 1997, when this current government took office, so that's actually a very weak argument for their competance. The boom was already in progress, yet FF/PD would love you to believe that they pulled the CT of a hat on the day they entered office.

cm2000

-because the vast majority of us are an awful lot wealthier now than we were ten years ago
-in 2006 the united nations development index showed us as having the 4th best standard of living in the world -this includes more than just gdp-
-the north of ireland is now in a state of peace
-in brian cowen we have a great future taoiseach
-the alternative (with particular reference to the labor party) has never produced a consistently good economy
-two and a half years of being minister for tourism is not good enough experience for the leader of this country

wow sierra

cm2000 wrote:

-because the vast majority of us are an awful lot wealthier now than we were ten years ago
-in 2006 the united nations development index showed us as having the 4th best standard of living in the world -this includes more than just gdp-
-the north of ireland is now in a state of peace
-in brian cowen we have a great future taoiseach
-the alternative (with particular reference to the labor party) has never produced a consistently good economy
-two and a half years of being minister for tourism is not good enough experience for the leader of this country

Thank you - I was too lazy to type all that myself!!!!

Also thank you Fianna Fáil for leading the way with the Smoking Ban - it is awful now to be in a pub anywhere abroad.

Fianna Fáil are being blamed for everything that is wrong with the Country but getting no credit for the positives - that is so illogical its pathetic.

Someone put up a poll on Boards looking for the most important issues in the election and didnt mention the Economy as an option - back in the old days it was the ONLY issue - unemployment, emigration etc etc.

cm2000

wow sierra wrote:

Also thank you Fianna Fáil for leading the way with the Smoking Ban - it is awful now to be in a pub anywhere abroad.

QUOTE]
good point it would have never happened with fine gael and their protecting the farming lifestyle etc.
also over one million people have also been give thousands of euro through the SSIA scheme

Time Magazine

cm2000 wrote:

also over one million people have also been give thousands of euro through the SSIA scheme

Lol, they were just given it were they?

It wasn't theirs in the first place, no?

Vote for FF if you agree Official Development Aid should be five years behind target. If you think those bloody Africans don't need their aid, vote for Bertie's team.

Elmo

-the alternative (with particular reference to the labor party) has never produced a consistently good economy

A Labour Finance Minister got a surplus in his last year in office, was that Ireland's first surplus?. During a 5 year term which saw Ireland go from a weak country (with a FF/PD government) to a strong country (with a FF/PD government).

Reason to vote FF: -

If they get a majority they won't need the PD's.

McSandwich

Deleted User wrote:

Please don't mention stats about the economy. Don't mention the economy at all, or the transformation in the North. Don't mention that ririsng crime is hardly unique to Ireland, that everyone (bar the French, apparently) complains about their health system but it has improved etc. etc.

Do you have an anecdote about being stuck in traffic in Dublin by any chance?

So should I put my head back in the sand then and hope they sort it out in the next 5 years?

InFront

cm2000 wrote:

wow sierra wrote:

Also thank you Fianna Fáil for leading the way with the Smoking Ban

QUOTE]
good point it would have never happened with fine gael and their protecting the farming lifestyle

You'll have to explain this one, what has that got to do with an agricultural lifestyle?

McSandwich

To ensure Enda Kenny isn't elected Taoiseach.

Why vote Fianna Fail?

Because look at the alternative government.

Are there no better reasons to vote Fianna Fail, are they really that uninspiring? I'm glad I didn't come here to help make my mind up.

Change sounds even more appealing after that (if I wasn't convinced enough..)

cm2000

plenty. there is a pub culture within rural communities where smoking was a huge part. unlike in cities where smoking started to become unattractive and increasingly regarded as unnacceptable, in rural areas this wasn't really the case and opposition to the ban was strongest in these areas.

InFront

I'll take your word for it, sounds like a bit of a stretch. Are you sure you're not thinking of the cafe-bars and McDowell?

McSandwich

cm2000 wrote:

plenty. there is a pub culture within rural communities where smoking was a huge part. unlike in cities where smoking started to become unattractive and increasingly regarded as unnacceptable, in rural areas this wasn't really the case and opposition to the ban was strongest in these areas.

Sorry, you must be smoking some real strong stuff to come out with something like that...:D

I know lots of farmers included most who think that the smoking ban was a great idea (as I did). Not all culchies smoke you know..

patzer117

eh, how about because they've the most experience at running the best economy in Europe? because Bertie's well respected and liked at home and abroad? because they've created 1 million jobs while cutting taxes and improving services? that we've had budget surpluses for 8 of the past 10 years? because our standard of living is the highest in the EU? Because they've increased the minimum wage to one of the highest in Europe lifting lots of people out of poverty? because our unemployment rate is the lowest it's ever been?


hmm, also, I'll be voting Fianna Fail because Fine Gael haven't agreed what they'll do with Labour. That they haven't costed everything but STILL are forecasting a budget deficit if our economy slows be even .2%
And for the poster who talked about Third World Aid? Because Fine Gael mysteriously left that out of their election spending manifesto - yep, nowhere to be seen, a great big 500 million black hole where there used to be third world aid.
Or maybe because Enda Kenny is a lightweight politician who doesn't know how to handle his brief, which is why Richard Bruton has been their front man this campaign? Or because Labour have decided to sell out and cut taxes? Perhaps you think that Labour and Fine Gael's plan to send the Health Service down the river by investing 2 billion in the private health care system by providing all U16's with private health insurance, instead of putting it into the public sector? Or maybe it's cause your fed up of Fine Gael saying "we want the nurses to be paid" when they've the exact same position as Fianna Fail on the strike? or maybe you disagree with the idea of the Greens (yes, they'll be in the Rainbow) deciding to cut the size of the Dail? or of raising capital gain's tax to 25% taking a hell of a lot of value out of our economy, especially the construction and investment section which is entirely based on Capital gains?


Or maybe you'd vote Fianna Fail because you like that class sizes have been reduced dramatically and there are more teachers in training than ever before? that more people are in third level education than ever before? that state pensions are higher than ever before? or that generally we're better off than we have ever been, all thanks to Fianna Fail??


I'll be voting for them because I'm scared of the inexperienced opposition and their foolish spending plans

McSandwich

patzer117 wrote:

eh, how about because they've the most experience at running the best economy in Europe? because Bertie's well respected and liked at home and abroad?

Except in Germany, Frau Merkel seems immune to his charm...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=29376-qqqx=1.asp

patzer117

McSandwich wrote:

Except in Germany, Frau Merkel seems immune to his charm...

yeah, that was the real thrust of my arguement, i'm defeated now, you've beaten me!

McSandwich

patzer117 wrote:

yeah, that was the real thrust of my arguement, i'm defeated now, you've beaten me

:rolleyes:

Sorry, that was meant as light relief. However, you lost me with:

improving services?

Fianna Fail haven't managed to get the most basic of services right, i.e. clean drinking water that doesn't lead to a long wait in a crumbling A&E dept:

http://www.politics.ie/news_index.php?topic_id=18933

patzer117

McSandwich wrote:

Sorry, that was meant as light relief. However, you lost me with:



Fianna Fail haven't managed to get the most basic of services right, i.e. clean drinking water that doesn't require a visit to a crumbling A&E dept:

http://www.politics.ie/news_index.php?topic_id=18933

ok, sorry, that's kinda funny so...

on this though they actually gave 20 million to Galway co co to improve their water supply a while back, but Galway Co. Co. couldn't agree on how to spend it so the money was taken back...
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2003/0218/1961080055HM5RURALWATER.html

if you can't get to that just google it, but i'll take a few passages from it

€100m to improve drinking water quality

By Alison Healy
Tuesday, February 18, 2003


Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen,... yesterday:

He was announcing details of a €100 million fund which will be spent on rural water supplies this year. County councils receiving the largest grant allocations include Monaghan, Galway, Cavan, Clare and Mayo.

...

A new water services Bill will be introduced later this year to give local authorities the power to take over the running of water schemes if they have not met the necessary standards by next year.

so really that was a County Council problem, not a central government one... but again this is getting derailed... I'll happily tackle any issue you give me though

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

InFront

patzer117 wrote:

so really that was a County Council problem,

I see you decided to leave out the first sentance of that article

Substandard rural water supplies will be eliminated during the lifetime of this Government, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, said yesterday.

Now if he can make a promise like that, regardless of whose behalf he makes it on, he is the guy who should take the rap when it doesn't happen. This shifting of blame is cowardly and undignified.

Failure to admit a mistake makes the issue far worse. We had Micheal Martin blaming the civil servants for the nursing homes fiasco, Harney blaming everybody but herself for the continued health crisis, even Bertie blaming the opposition for electronic voting: why on earth can't anyone in that Government bear any responsibility?

McSandwich

patzer117 wrote:

so really that was a County Council problem, not a central government one... but again this is getting derailed... I'll happily tackle any issue you give me though

Yeah, I read about this and it's unbelievable. However, pollution of a major waterway and the epidemic which followed are both national issues. The depts. of Environment and Health should've taken control and prevented the situation from arising, sorted out the problems, and then put the council in line.

These problems are not restricted to Galway, the water supply in Ennis has been undrinkable for over 2 years with nothing done. The problems stem from bad agricultural practice and inadequate waste treatment for new housing developments (why was planning permission granted?). These problems were not difficult to foresee...

leninbenjamin

patzer117 wrote:

ok, sorry, that's kinda funny so...

on this though they actually gave 20 million to Galway co co to improve their water supply a while back, but Galway Co. Co. couldn't agree on how to spend it so the money was taken back...
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2003/0218/1961080055HM5RURALWATER.html

if you can't get to that just google it, but i'll take a few passages from it




so really that was a County Council problem, not a central government one... but again this is getting derailed... I'll happily tackle any issue you give me though

that's one of the very problems with Fianna Faíl though isn't it? throwing money down the feckin plughole? it's no good throwing money at a problem if you can't find a way to spend it effectively yourself.

McSandwich

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

They worked well last time, they also left the economy in a better state than it's in now, i.e. we were more competitive, had more exports, and were less reliant on construction.

- The Economy (not what people think, I'm utterly convinced it's going down the tubes and we might aswell let FF go down with it!)

Or give an alternative a chance to put it right, again..