Sabbatical Elections

pretty*monster

karmabass wrote: »

edit 2: shame the BFM debates aren't up on youtube like last years.. watched last years just there and to me they seem like a great, accessible way to assess the candiates

Last year BFM's broadcast weeks and the polling dates worked out so that it was easier to have all the interviews done, edited and uploaded in advance. This year the dates fell differently, it's unfortunate but unavoidable really.

Red Alert

karmabass wrote: »

I understand the need for fresh faces in the union, but I don't think having people with no prior experience coming in is a good idea either. Lets face it, it'd be like having some randomer running for Taoiseach. IMO a minimum of a years experience with the union is needed to effeciently operate any of the Sabbat offices.

I think we'd all be better off letting the voters decide that one in the sabbat elections rather than making a unilateral ruling on it.

vote4pedro

karmabass wrote: »

I understand the need for fresh faces in the union, but I don't think having people with no prior experience coming in is a good idea either. Lets face it, it'd be like having some randomer running for Taoiseach. IMO a minimum of a years experience with the union is needed to effeciently operate any of the Sabbat offices.

It really isn't like having "some randomer running for Taoiseach" as I wouldn't put running the country on a par with organising free condoms or a counselling service for students.

Raphael

BelfieldDreamer and agricultural banned for slandering sabbatical canditates. That kind of shit will not be tolerated on this forum. Period.

Stabshauptmann

MarkOShea wrote: »

Ahhh....gabh mo leithscéal!

€275 or whatever is pretty crap so. Suppose it is something for the CV though.

275 + Accomadation >= 400pw
considering location Id actually value it more, and then if bills were included...
Definitly very far from crap

19,000 pa is approx 356 pw (I dont know what the story is with holidays),
considerably less than TCD, and probably not that impressive, but I wouldnt say crap. I think theres an expense account too.

rotten_eggz

When do we find out the results?

Stepherunie

The count begins tomorrow at 10 so save for recounts results should be out by about 4?

Paul Tergat

shít totally forgot about these elections.... ah well

Stepherunie

You can still cast your vote in arts until 9.45

AngelofFire

It wasnt one individual that organised the opposition to the health service levy it was a combination of a variety of groups on campus, the unanimous voice of class reps at union council ,the socialist party distributing leaflets and circulating petitions, the union raising awarness,etc etc. I think it very unfair that he hijacks the initatives of class reps and other activists and takes credit for it.
I like Dan,but this annoyed me.

Nobody is saying that Dan should take the sole credit for staving of the introduction of a health centre charge, but one cannot understate his role. UCD students for free healthcare was founded by myself Dan O'Neill and Rory Geraghty, therefore he was entitled to declare himself as the founder on his manifesto, Campaigns are never successful because of one person, they are the result of people seeing a problem and coming together to try and resolve it. However it certainly wasnt the result of any Partisan interests, socialist party members were involved, but mainly used the event to sell their newspapers.

Stepherunie

The levy was never going to be brought in unless the Students Union agreed.

As soon as the Union voted to not allow the fee it was a lame duck idea.

We mandated the President to go against it, he then did and Martin Butler took it off the table.

Riamfada

Can I just say now that the elections are over and please dont ask me to elaborate but the ammount of lies and falsifications that the majority of election candidates came out with was unbelievable. I listened to the Belfield FM interviews and I was too shocked to text in questioning my own information as some of the tall tales were so outrages. Im keeping the manifestos for the laugh . Actually next year I think Ill run as soon as I can take credit for other peoples work and falsify manifesto information I should be a strong candidate. I voted but I was disheartened to say the least

You all know who you are.

The_Minister

President: Aodhán
Deputy: Dan
Education: Lynam
Welfare: Still counting
Ents: Gary

Constitution: Passed.

Chakar

President: Aodhan O'Dea - 82.59% - 3064 votes.

Campaigns and Communications Officer: Dan O'Neill - 53.3% - 1963 votes.

Education Officer: Paul Lynam - 51.23% - 1894 votes.

Welfare Officer: Conor Fingleton - 1588 votes.

Entertainments Officer: Gary Redmond - 79.82% - 2942 votes.

Constitution: 85.55% - 3001 votes.

http://www.ucdsu.ie/uploadfiles/Sabbat%20results%202008.xls

princess-sprkle

Chakar wrote: »

President: Aodhan O'Dea - 82.59% - 3064 votes.

Campaigns and Communications Officer: Dan O'Neill - 53.3% - 1963 votes.

Education Officer: Paul Lynam - 51.23% - 1894 votes.

Welfare Officer: Conor Fingleton - 1588 votes.

Entertainments Officer: Gary Redmond - 79.82% - 2942 votes.

Constitution: 85.55% - 3001 votes.

http://www.ucdsu.ie/uploadfiles/Sabbat%20results%202008.xls

what exactly was the constitution?

Chakar

Here's a link to the new constitution ratified.

http://www.ucdsu.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=136

Vorsprung

princess-sprkle wrote: »

what exactly was the constitution?

There was an election!!?!??! :eek:

redcar

Chakar wrote: »

President: Aodhan O'Dea - 82.59% - 3064 votes.

Campaigns and Communications Officer: Dan O'Neill - 53.3% - 1963 votes.

Education Officer: Paul Lynam - 51.23% - 1894 votes.

Welfare Officer: Conor Fingleton - 1588 votes.

Entertainments Officer: Gary Redmond - 79.82% - 2942 votes.

Constitution: 85.55% - 3001 votes.

http://www.ucdsu.ie/uploadfiles/Sabbat%20results%202008.xls

One person I voted for got elected... ggrrrrr.

panda100

AngelofFire wrote: »

Nobody is saying that Dan should take the sole credit for staving of the introduction of a health centre charge, but one cannot understate his role. UCD students for free healthcare was founded by myself Dan O'Neill and Rory Geraghty, therefore he was entitled to declare himself as the founder on his manifesto, Campaigns are never successful because of one person, they are the result of people seeing a problem and coming together to try and resolve it. However it certainly wasnt the result of any Partisan interests, socialist party members were involved, but mainly used the event to sell their newspapers.

Dan in his manifesto and lecture addresses seem to take sole credit for what was an all encomposing student initiative.Hes overstated his role in that campiagn dramtically during these elections.
So what part exactly did Dan play in the campaign for free health care? Did he print out leaflets to distribute to students to explain the situation?No .Did he circulate petitions?No. Did he get a motion into council?No that was Isobel. He set up a bebo page and postered for one badly attended meeting.
As I said before it was very very wrong of him to basically lie to students and give himslef so much credit individually for this camaign.
Also Its very very odd that he mentioned nothing about the fact that he was chair of UCD labour youth in his manifesto?Does he have something to hide?And why is he hiding his proud to be left blogspot?It would seem that someone was very unproud to be left during these elections.
Politcal careerism at its worse! Im very very suprised at Dan during these elections.


Anywho,In the contested races I dont think the best candidates won at all. As per usual those with the biggest campaign teams or members of a political party won, such is union life. There needs to be a radical overhaul of union sabbat and exec elections as the playing field is completly uneven and we're seeing bad candidates elected.

Dori Duz

panda100 wrote: »

Its very very odd that he mentioned nothing about the fact that he was chair of UCD labour youth in his manifesto?Does he have something to hide?And why is he hiding his proud to be left blogspot?It would seem that someone was very unproud to be left during these elections.

I know Dan. We're on two eh, quite different sides of the political spectrum! We always row about issues, most of which come back to me being a corrupt Fianna Fáiler and him being a smelly leftie with unrealistic goals! But he always sees my point of view and accepts it, even if he vehemently disagrees with it. This is why I will always have the utmost respect for him.

I can't speak for him on why he didn't mention his political affiliation in his manifesto, and I'm not trying to, I'm just offering a point of view, so please don't jump down my neck!!

Maybe he didn't think his membership of Labour is relevant? (I'm not saying it's not, b.t.w.) And I don't see how he was hiding his blog. I'm sure it's still floating around cyberspace for all to see. Was he supposed to explicitly advertise it? If he did, I'm sure it would have only helped his campaign, to be honest. (Lots of UCDites like smelly Leftie activity...crazy students..:D ) And I don't think he kept his Leftism a secret. Sure all the old skool Lefties were back campaigning for him!!

panda100 wrote: »

Anywho,In the contested races I dont think the best candidates won at all. As per usual those with the biggest campaign teams or members of a political party won

Panda, I'm sorry, but that's completely untrue. In the welfare race, while I agree that the best candidate, in fact none of the best candidates in said race, won,( in my personal opinion, of course.) the race had nothing to do with politics. To the best of my knowledge, the only candidates with political affiliations in the aforementioned race were Scottie Aherne (Chair of Fine Gael or chief Blueshirt, as I like to call him. ) and Conor Pendergrast (Chair of the Young Greens or Top Tree hugger. )
Neither of these candidates won. A candidate who is not Politically affiliated (to the best of my knowledge) won.

In Education, Lynam is a Fianna Fáiler. He was never involved in The Kevin Barry Cumann, the branch of Fianna Fáil in UCD. I believe he was involved in the Dublin South Cumann. He has not been involved in any part of Fianna Fáil for the past year due to his job in U.S.I.

Rory is an active member of Labour Youth in UCD and also had a great team behind him. (Fair play to them.) He did not get elected.


**Disclaimer**I was on no campaign team, but openly supported Conor Pendergrast for welfare and Gary for ents. I'm also a member of The Kevin Barry Cumann, Fianna Fáil in UCD.

Stepherunie

Dori Duz wrote: »

Maybe he didn't think his membership of Labour is relevant? (I'm not saying it's not, b.t.w.) And I don't see how he was hiding his blog. I'm sure it's still floating around cyberspace for all to see.

Dan made he bebo blog private for the elections and renamed his blog website address from proudtobeleft to dan 4 deputy so yes, i'm pretty sure he was hiding a number of things.

To be honest I do feel that Paul will be very competent at his job, I'm friends with both Paul and Rory and either would have been more than capable for the job, for it it was the hardest election personally to vote in because I really knew that either candidate would be great.

From what I saw (and I was campaigning) more than any other year it did come down to how many people you had at the polling stations. I'm not saying this to criticise the candidates or the teams, I think it shows though that voter apathy is increasing in UCD, we have no big fight left to fight and I think that without someone wholesome and fundamental to fight for people just don't care anymore.

Around 10 years ago the turn out in UCD would have been more than the 3,500 that we got this year and the college was only about 15,000 students. then

remus808

It seems to me that the blog issue is probably alot more innocuous than it seems. To my eye it looked like he wanted an election blog without having to register a new blogspot account. But hey, maybe thats just naievity.

He's not the only candidate not to declare their political affiliation, and I think its with good reason that candidates choose not to flaunt this. Firstly and most importantly, it shouldn't be relevant. Secondly, it leaves them open to unfair prejudice.

Worth noting that he had no problem declaring his position when asked in the Tribune. So it's not like he was hiding it per se.

gubbie

panda100 wrote: »

Anywho,In the contested races I dont think the best candidates won at all. As per usual those with the biggest campaign teams or members of a political party won, such is union life. There needs to be a radical overhaul of union sabbat and exec elections as the playing field is completly uneven and we're seeing bad candidates elected.

Conor won because he worked his but off. Everyone said he was campaigning constantly, and just seemed to be everywhere. I saw him about 4 times campaigning in the engineering building on the one day and every other day he was walking around, talking to people, getting votes. Ya he's an engineer but he won the place hands down. He's known by a lot of people but by 300 engineers alone?

PS: Last engineer that was a sabbat was back in the 60's and he's now CAO of Airtricity

pretty*monster

Have to agree with gubbie, on Wednesday night when I was going home Conor F was out in the freezing cold canvasing. Fair play to him.

AngelofFire

Also Its very very odd that he mentioned nothing about the fact that he was chair of UCD labour youth in his manifesto?Does he have something to hide?

Because student politics is not about Party Politics. Dan ran as a non partisan candidate, he is there to represent the student body who elected him and not to represent the line of his political party, his campaign team consisted of people from all different political parties and people who weren't members of political parties. In the past the union was taring itself apart because officers were putting the interests of their political party above those of the people they are paid and elected to represent. I have no problem with people involved in poltical parties getting involved in the union (im a union class rep and a member of Labour myself) but party affilations should be kept out of Union business.

Dan in his manifesto and lecture addresses seem to take sole credit for what was an all encomposing student initiative.Hes overstated his role in that campiagn dramtically during these elections.
So what part exactly did Dan play in the campaign for free health care? Did he print out leaflets to distribute to students to explain the situation?No .Did he circulate petitions?No. Did he get a motion into council?No that was Isobel. He set up a bebo page and postered for one badly attended meeting.

There is nothing in Dan's manifesto which stated that Dan and Dan alone was responsible for UCD students for free healthcare, myself Dan and Rory took responsibility for designing the poster, and postering for the meeting, had you been present you would have seen that it was one of the best attended issue based meetings in UCD in years. the meeting rallied a lot of students and was the basis for grassroots pressure on the college to drop the proposal and on the union adminstration to do something about it. I know that Isobel is a good activist and seconded the motion proposed by Rory Geraghty (which i assisted in the writing of), but to say that the charge was dropped ONLY because of the motion is arrogant and insular.

Bubs101

If he had have made that Song For Rossport thing public we would have had a different Deputy

Stepherunie

AngelofFire wrote: »

There is nothing in Dan's manifesto which stated that Dan and Dan alone was responsible for UCD students for free healthcare, myself Dan and Rory took responsibility for designing the poster, and postering for the meeting, had you been present you would have seen that it was one of the best attended issue based meetings in UCD in years. the meeting rallied a lot of students and was the basis for grassroots pressure on the college to drop the proposal and on the union adminstration to do something about it. I know that Isobel is a good activist and seconded the motion proposed by Rory Geraghty (which i assisted in the writing of), but to say that the charge was dropped ONLY because of the motion is arrogant and insular.

It's not when it was always clear from what Martin Butler said in his meeting with council that unless the union backed the levy it would not be introduced.

Riamfada

I certainly would hope the Union does not take an official action on Rossport this year ect. Wouldnt look good at all.

shipwreck

PS: Last engineer that was a sabbat was back in the 60's and he's now CAO of Airtricity

The LAST engineer that was a sabbat was Eamon O lionnian in 1999 and 2000 and he served as ed officer and president...........:rolleyes:

AngelofFire

Steph you can stop eating sour grapes. Your view of the union is one where activity begins and ends in council meetings and committee meetings, you've stated your opposition to a grassroots bottom up approach to union activism. Dan put forward a dynamic approach to student activism in his manifesto, and students responded well to it, its not a case of choosing between discussion and agitation when it comes to standing up for student issues. Both methods have to be utilised and in the case of the health centre issue, both were successful in preventing the college from introducing a charge.