FF overall majority: its time to get out of this country

edanto

Wino82 wrote:

Thats why I think Dub SE will be so important...could make the difference between PD or Green coalition or am I overstating the case. Anyway I think a FF/Green coalition would be interesting and hope to see it. Come on Gormely!

Looks like Gormely is a dead cert. After the first count he was a couple of hundred ahead of McD, as soon as the Doolan, Hearne etc transfers kick in McD is toast.

TCollins

ainemolloy1 wrote:

That's a big question and as I'm not yet an economist I can't give a qualified answer. The normal reply that people have is that it's the only system we have and we can't do anything about it. It's either capitalism or socialism. I see this as nonsense, all we need is a better type of capitalism.

As a capitalist myself, I am certainly in favour of tax incentives and that the system should reward those that succeed. However (property) based tax breaks have been extended way beyond their shelf life in this country for many years and have been of benefit generally to those who do not need it in any way, and the trickle down effect has been slight.

We need to quickly move our attention to other industries, developing R & D in universities, and investing very very heavily in science education at all levels, and establishing widespread incentives for people to progress to 4th level education. For god sake we still have no adequate broadband, this kind of infrastructure is as basic as having a phone by international standards. If there are no exports, there is no income, property development is only passing money from Peter to Paul. The money moves in ever decreasing circles and eventually runs out. Instead of there being no tax on the horse industry,or on holiday homes why not give substantial tax breaks for indigeneous start ups, or even no tax for a number of years. I don't think people realize (or remember come to think of it) how bad things can become.

Let's say if we look ahead 10 years and the political priorities domestically have been the same as the last 10 years. The major issues will be energy/waste and the dominance of China / India (the city of Bangalore knocks out 100k computer graduates a year) as economic powers.

After 10 years of FF/PD government does anybody really think they will be able to deal with these monolithic issues coming down the line? I'm not saying that FG would be any better, but as I said before they at least touched on these issues during their campaign.

Are we not providing tax breaks and grants for companies already? I thought we were?
R&D in unis is alive and well.

Broadband is rolling out, tough i would like to see a much better performance on this as its not rolling out fast enough.

Campaigns touch on a lot of issues. Its ability to provide for the future of the country that i based my vote on.

radioman

dh2007 wrote:

but the turnout would've been much better if the election was on the weekend. It was a tactical decision to have the election yesterday. Students are still doing exams. Younger people are less likely to vote FF.

Polling stations were open early morning to late night, students doing exams would still have had time to get to their nearest polling station at some stage during the day.

From where do you base your opinion that younger people are less likely to vote FF?

Lennoxschips

it's been well researched by pollers.

TCollins

dh2007 wrote:

but the turnout would've been much better if the election was on the weekend. It was a tactical decision to have the election yesterday. Students are still doing exams. Younger people are less likely to vote FF.

If people are too lazy or dumb to make sure that they have a vote then the fault lie only with themselves.
If they cared enough they would be voting.
People who dont care enough are no loss in the polls.

ainemolloy1

TCollins wrote:

Are we not providing tax breaks and grants for companies already? I thought we were?
R&D in unis is alive and well.

Broadband is rolling out, tough i would like to see a much better performance on this as its not rolling out fast enough.

Campaigns touch on a lot of issues. Its ability to provide for the future of the country that i based my vote on.

Too little, too late.

There is no sustainabilty to the current economic model of foreign investment and property tax paying for everything else. It is very risky for the reasons I gave on the ''What Does Bertie Have To Do To Lose Popularity???'' thread

edanto

Does this thread even have a topic anymore?

Steoob

miriam o callaghan is a fox

ainemolloy1

This is not really only my own opinion TCollins, ask any economist worth their salt who is not involved with the property business and they will tell you the same I'm sure.

What made you think the FF/PD's can provide for the future of the country?

radioman

Paddy Power offering 13/2 on Brian Dobson or John Bowman saying 'erection' instead of 'election' whilst looking across the studio at Miriam...

Cake Fiend

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

There's a big difference between an informed opinion and that of Joe Random-Punter. Tyranny of the majority, eh?

seamus wrote:

She specifically disagrees with a number of the candidate's positions on things, but was compelled to vote for them because of the family connection :rolleyes:

Case in point.

Fraggle Rocks

radioman wrote:

Polling stations were open early morning to late night, students doing exams would still have had time to get to their nearest polling station at some stage during the day.

From where do you base your opinion that younger people are less likely to vote FF?

how is someone registered in , say Kerry, supposed to vote when they are doing exams in Dublin?

TCollins

ainemolloy1 wrote:

Too little, too late.
There is no sustainabilty to the current economic model of foreign investment and property tax paying for everything else. It is very risky for the reasons I gave on the ''What Does Bertie Have To Do To Lose Popularity???'' thread

What is too little too late?
would fg/lab have been in a better position than ff minus the pds to go forward?

TCollins

Fraggle Rocks wrote:

how is someone registered in , say Kerry, supposed to vote when they are doing exams in Dublin?

Postal?
or even register in Dublin - duh

Villain

3 FF for Carlow Kilkenny by the looks of it MJ Nolan only needs 2000 to reach Quota, Phelan from FG I reckon for 4th seat then all to play for 5th but I reckon White GP might seek it.

radioman

Fraggle Rocks wrote:

how is someone registered in , say Kerry, supposed to vote when they are doing exams in Dublin?

Surely this person would be living in Dublin then, and if they were so bothered about voting would have taken the time to register there?

ainemolloy1

TCollins wrote:

What is too little too late?
would fg/lab have been in a better position than ff minus the pds to go forward?

The investment I mentioned is too little too late. From a parochial point of view my own little universe (TCD) is cash strapped.

Re broadband Eircom has been ''flipped'' a few times since it's floatation making people billions sometimes in 2 years. This meant that the investor had no interest to invest in the infrastructure. Hence the current farce. There has been no net benefit to the nation from the PD led privatizations.

To move forwrd in this country we have to move away from the property industry, this will happen sooner or later it is inevitable. FF will need to be dragged away kicking and screaming . The alternative government made it a priority.

cooperguy

dh2007 wrote:

but the turnout would've been much better if the election was on the weekend. It was a tactical decision to have the election yesterday. Students are still doing exams. Younger people are less likely to vote FF.

It has nothing to do with that. Turnout has been massive. Im a college student myself and the vast majority of people I have talked to in college (if they had been able to vote) would have voted for FF

johnathan woss

A Random Walk wrote:

There's a solid 40% block in this country who love the little scraps they get thrown from their masters table and ignore the big issues. Sure Charlie was a crook, but didn't he bring in free travel (as if he paid for it himself). So what if we wasted 50 million on e-voting and a couple of billion on the roads, Martin Cullen got the lamppost outside my house fixed.

40% of the 60% that always vote, not 40% of the country.

3greenrizla's

Lennoxschips wrote:

65% would be considered shamefully low in many European countries.

65% is pretty decent though when you consider the amount of people who had 2/3/4 polling cards issued.

& re the students, they should have registered where they are going to collage, it is not a very had thing to do.

DadaKopf

I'm with the sentiments of the OP.

At a time when an economy in downturn spurs people to comfort-vote instead of embrace change and new horizons, you know the country's screwed and it's time to leave.

I think this outcome is extraordinarily significant as the day Ireland washed itself down the drain.

Voipjunkie

DadaKopf wrote:

I'm with the sentiments of the OP.

At a time when an economy in downturn spurs people to comfort-vote instead of embrace change and new horizons, you know the country's screwed and it's time to leave.

I think this outcome is extraordinarily significant as the day Ireland washed itself down the drain.

Bye then

Villaricos

Who else liked ruairi quinns comment about going to see Pirates of the Carribean today and 'another crowd of gangsters won the election there too!'

DoubleJoe7

This is a joke. Im my area we've lost jobs left right and centre - the sugar plant in Mallow, Dairygold in Mitchelstown and FCI in Fermoy; where the BUPA crisis nearly lost more work. When the long promised Fermoy by-pass arrived it was tolled, thus the trucks still came through the town. What's worse, the layout meant that they now went back through Watergrasshill, a small villiage that was bypassed before. Our local TD, Fianna Fáils Mr. Ned O'Keeffe, proposed a ridiculous two-tiered drink driving system where more allowances are made for "country folk" than people who drink drive in the city. So much has gone wrong, on a local level in the last 5 years.

Fianna Fáil look to have 33%+ of the count in our area.


Then look at a national level. I had the feeing that the last Govt were good but wasteful. I mena look at the electronic voting machines, the waste on transport (the luas, something that benefits ONE city in the country, came in €700million over budget). Those two mishaps alone cost the taxpayer close to one BILLION euro. Then look at the health system - they've TREBLED the spending on health - but with no signficant change. There's no point thowing money at something if it's being mismanaged. Justice? Well last year saw the highest death by armed criminals in the history of the state. Education? Class sizes are way too big, they tried to reintroduce college fees.

This government is, to me, the political equivalent of Chelsea this season - lots of money, lots of potential, some decent results but not good enough.
Yet the main players of that goverment have gotten away with it.
Tonight's viewing on RTE is depressing and frustrating. :mad:


In the words of Kent Brockman; I've said it before and I'll say it again: Democracy simply doesn't work

solas

a little optimism on my part, when all is said and done the next five years will be interesting and will certainly test the strength of FF. I do wonder if the PD influence be missed, or if fate were to throw in a downturn in global economics how things would be handled. This is an opportunity for FF to demonstrate their worth and it will be interesting to see how the apply themselves to the job at hand.

best of luck folks

keystone

FF for 78/79 seats.....they will lead again but will need someone to step in. Harney/PD's and SF perhaps....long shot....(With McDowell gone, they are in the frame)

copacetic

more like 76/77 now, well short. need PDs + nearly all independents.

they need either the greens, labour or sinn fein by the looks of it and it could
be that either the greens or sinn fein will leave them one short.

looks like they need labour for stable government.

chump

jaysus I though they had it sown up earlier this evening.

What's the scenario regarding a second election?

copacetic

chump wrote:

jaysus I though they had it sown up earlier this evening.

What's the scenario regarding a second election?

not one of them will want it..

Sir Oxman

Yep, looking and listening it looks like 77 FF v 76 Rainbow with the PDs too insignificant to bail FF out.

Rabbitte just now on RTE looking decidedly uncomfortable but maintaining his no-FF stance.

What could it be:

FF/Lab = stable numbers

That's the only one I can see unless FF somehow nab 79-80 seats and with 2 PDs and a couple of ex-FF independents.