Waterford Election 2011

Margarmur

MagicMcGrath wrote: »

Firstly, I have one account, and one account only so would like it if you could refrain from instigating I have otherwise.

My views have not been completely stupid, they've been very reasonable and truthful.

I am not pushing one view. From the off I've said who I think would get elected, and then opted to correct people when they have been wrong on Kenneally because nobody else has the balls to defend him. One other person did, but again got told off....

Politics is not for the faint hearted, but my god you've got to be fair about it.

I also have only ever had one account and i resigning to the fact that these boards are completely left and biased. Its okay for everyone here to bad mouth Brendan Kenneally and its not okay to defend the man. There are people on these boards representing Sinn Fein, workers party etc and openly promoting them and stating incorrect facts about candidates but thats ok. The only people getting warnings are those who say positive things about the Fianna fail. What happened to fairness and freedom of free speech. Ban me if you want. Doesn't bother me in the least.

old gregg

Oh come on now. The majority of the people of Ireland believe FF robbed them and will vote accordingly. Personally, and I have no party affiliation and have only ever met three of the candidates. I would love to see every FF minister of the last 10 years go on trial for treason, but that's just me.

In the case of the Kenneally shills, they come along making wild claims and ignore repeated requests from Boards members that they back them up. I think that should go for any members making claims on behalf of a party or candidate.

A concern I have with FG/Labour is that they provided piss poor opposition while FF were stealing from us. That does not auger for strong Government or am I missing something?

Psychedelic

Where was Kenneally when the Department of Transport allowed Irish Rail to close the Rosslare-Waterford route?

What has he done regarding IDA visits to Waterford in the last 2 years? I think there have only been something like 5 or 6 visits, and zero new jobs created.

What was he doing when Fianna Fail kept coming up with stupid reasons (commissioning various reports) to delay our university campaign?

Fcuk him, he can't do jack shit for us.

babystrawberry

It will be an utter sin if Kenneally gets voted in this time. He has done very little if nothing for the city :mad:

Where was he when it was decided to toll the new waterford bypass??? Why should we have to pay to use this road, i just simply cannot understand at all ... In fact the toll has discouraged people from using this road.

Its about time we got new fresh faces on the scene for Waterford politics. Kenneally is a fella who has fallen in for the 'politics way off life' because his father was in it before him and his before him ..they saw the benefits that could be reaped from it so why wouldnt they get in on it!!!!

Justin Collery gets my vote anyway .... his policied are ambitious, possibly too ambitious but i think that is the way for a lot of candidates at the moment.

wfman

I know now why FF taxed the fags so high!:P

Quigs Snr

I am sure that Kenneally is a fine fellow. Indeed those that know him personally seem to, for the most part at least, rate him highly. From a less biased perspective however...

He is part of a party that has brought this country to it's knees. Thats a huge handicap straight off the bat. Most of Ireland will be queuing up to give that party a proverbial punishment beating at the ballot box on Friday. He has a couple of other things going against him. Firstly the fact that he is part of a family dynasty, which is so 2007 at this stage. Secondly of all the inept, incompetent clowns that ran this place into the ground, he was considered unworthy of any position of note despite being a TD for the ruling party for perhaps 10 years or so.

Personally, apart from election time, I have rarely if ever noticed the man in a local paper, never mind a national one. Compared to some of the other candidates he is completely invisible. I always see the likes of Coffey, Deasy and Cullinane even Halligan all over the local press. Indeed for most of us the only time we ever heard of Kenneally was in a national paper where he managed to go from bottom of the class in the FF pecking order, to top of the pops in the expenses charts. Bottom line, if he is doing anything or even capable of doing anything, he is not marketing that fact very well. That being said though, we are certainly dumb enough as a nation, and as Waterfordians in particular to allow him a reasonable chance of sneaking back in. I am under no illusions either though, FF are getting their medicine this time out. But I very much doubt anything would be different if any of the other parties had been in power for the last 14 years.

That being said, as a floating voter, I don't really know who to vote for.

I will probably go for FG, even though I don't like Deasy after his defiance of the smoking ban, the one good thing the government did. Coffey I know little of, but he does not appear terribly well qualified to me - but then - not many of them are. Labour, I don't know much of. I got a flyer from Ryan today but the centerpiece of it appears to be an appeal for O'Sheas old vote. I met him once and he seemed like a good sport. On a completely superficial note, they could have done better with their posters for labour... Still putting aside issues that could be satisfactorily dealt with via proper usage of a treadmill (and being a sporty type, I question the drive and discipline of someone who can let themselves get like that - yes I am shallow - its a pet hate), I would have given Labour high preferences being the party that my parents always voted for... but they are so closely linked the the trade union folks and I am thinking that is something I cannot forgive them. Those trade unionists are the most miserable, brain dead cretins in the country. I rate them as worse than Fianna Fail and they are Labours biggest fan. That fact alone could be a deal breaker for me.

The greens.. yeah right. Never mind their comical ineptitude in government, McCann had destroyed them forever in Waterford long before that.

Cullinane I am torn about. I am no shinner. In fact I cannot stand them. They are far too left for me, far too populist with certain sections of society and then of course there is the whole brits out thing which is hard to get past. (I would prefer that they re-invaded and we all swore allegience to the queen). That being said.... Cullinane has certainly put in the hard yards locally and although I don't agree with their politics that deserves some respect. I must admit that policies aside, I do very much admire his work rate so if I was giving a preference based on who I thought could do a job locally... I would be giving him some consideration. I don't intend voting with local issues in mind but realistically unless I give my first 4 preferences to the 2 FG's and 2 Labours, I am going to have to give my non FG preferences to either candidates who will campaign for local issues in which case, I could give a high preference to Cullinane. Or I would have to pick an independent who leans the same way as FG in the unlikely event of a FG/Ind government. I am not sure that any of our candidates fit that bill, so it looks like local issues might be a factor after all unless I can overcome my hatred of Labours bearded leftie buddies in Siptu by Friday.

After that then you have the independents / minor parties. Halligan has the highest profile, but in the two interactions that people I know have had with him, he has responded instantly and then not called back... which is poor form in any profession, never mind one where peoples opinion is the currency you trade in. So his star has fallen a little in my eyes.

The rest I know little of. I like the fact that Collery is on here, active and showing a bit of energy. I will remember that on polling day too.

MagicMcGrath

That is without doubt the most refreshing post I have ever seen on boards. I'm only a member a short while but have read posts for years. That there was honesty personified.

MoodRacer

insight_man wrote: »

Promises, promises. As an independent he will have no influence at national level at all.

Parish pump politics...get rid of it and think netionally and more to the point think about all the cuts in your pocket for the next 5 or 6 years before you vote on Friday

Spot on:(

insight_man wrote: »

Not sure which debate your talking about but there was one for the IFA in Dungarvan last week. I hear that John Halligan didn't turn up at that. Anyone know if thats true. If it is maybe he thought better of it rather than face farmers questions like Joe Tobin and not bluff like you say Tobin did.

John didn`t turn up for any debate except Deise Am. He avoided the debate organised by Sully in the college, he turned down an invitation by the Carers Assoc and he definately didn`t turn up at the IFA debate. Why I wonder? Afraid someone would find him out?? Discgraceful really. Coffee & Cullinane the only two candidates confident enough to face the public at ALL dedbates. Tells me something......

Gardner wrote: »

did ya go meet gerry yesterday in ur celtic jersey?

Yawn

AdMMM wrote: »

I'm just going to put a question to the everyone who reads this thread.

Who actually believes that response that I have quoted?

Who actually believes that the public outcry had no affect on Kenneally?
Who actually believes that Brendan Kenneally was acting in the interests of the people rather than the interests of his party in Waterford?

I think the whole episode was a political kite. The saving was reportedly only €1m per year. €1m was a drop in the ocean. Not credible.

AdMMM wrote: »

As for the interesting story in todays paper about someone involved in politics being apprehended based on counterfeit cigarettes. I've done a bit of digging and found out who it is. Without naming him, I can tell you that it's one of the people in the following photo:

Yes and I understand he was canvasing with Keneally (obviously) during the campaign. I wonder is that how Keneally is funding his campaign?:D No point in using his modest salary/expenses:rolleyes:

MagicMcGrath

Psychedelic wrote: »

Where was Kenneally when the Department of Transport allowed Irish Rail to close the Rosslare-Waterford route?

What has he done regarding IDA visits to Waterford in the last 2 years? I think there have only been something like 5 or 6 visits, and zero new jobs created.

What was he doing when Fianna Fail kept coming up with stupid reasons (commissioning various reports) to delay our university campaign?

Fcuk him, he can't do jack shit for us.

If you wanted all of us paying more tax to keep that deadbeat route alive you're no better than FF.

Saw in his newsletter got to house last week about Citi creating jobs in IDA.

He was awaiting the outcome of the Hunt Report like the rest of us giving an informed educated opinion of the feasibility.

Three straight forward answers.

What have the other candidates done for Waterford? What did MINISTER Cullen do for IDA?

jo06555

I really have no faith in FG, enda kenny is a spoofer , we will all be sitting here next year saying the same things if not worse under him , its such a mess i dont know who to be voting for , it wont be FG though thats for sure

decies

Am still waiting for an apology !!!

dark crystal

Well, after the RTE debate, I must say Eamon Gilmore came off the best for me, which leaves me in a quandry...

My first three preferences would have been Cullinane, Halligan and Ryan and am now unsure as to what order I will vote for each.

On a local level, I do believe that both Cullinane and Halligan work the hardest all year round (not just come election time), but I agree with a lot of Labour's policies on a national level and think a FF/Lab coalition would be in the better national interest than a purely FG led government.

Thing is, I don't particularly like Ryan as a candidate. I remember having stern words with him on the doorstep around the time certain local councillers (he being one) and their partners took a free junket to see Chris Doran in the Eurovision and vowed never to give him a preference after that.

So, do I vote on local or national issues? I'm really going to have to think about this one....

Sully

Local Elections - Local Issues.
National Elections - National issues.

Part of the reason we are in this mess is because we operated the country on local issues instead of national. Only part tho.

Terrible debate tbh. Nobody had a chance to speak, especially Gilmore.

Dr. Baltar

Sully wrote: »

Local Elections - Local Issues.
National Elections - National issues.

Part of the reason we are in this mess is because we operated the country on local issues instead of national. Only part tho.

Terrible debate tbh. Nobody had a chance to speak, especially Gilmore.

Couldn't agree with you more. Last thing we need is another Jackie Healy Rae in government, ransoming the party in power to have his potholes filled or else he'll leave government.

As for the debate, I really wanted to punch Mícheál Martin in the face with his constant interrupting.

Personally, I'll be voting for Labour in this election methinks. Fine Gael are too Socially Conservative, and as a liberal economically and socially, a FG/Lab government is the best I can do.

That being said, I pray FG is in charge of economics/health and Labour are in charge of everything else.

Sully

Worth pointing out, please vote on policies and not personalities. That's another reason we are in the mess.

Regardless of party.

decies

Loser on the debate Marian o Callaghan , clueless she was , let the debate meander on. Martin was swinging wildly trying to land a killer punch, and kenny was adapting the straight bat role, Gilmore seem to be adapting the fernando Torres role, wheres the bloody net!! Overal result 0-0 draw with Miriam o Callaghan should have being pulled off at half time.

dark crystal

Sully wrote: »

Worth pointing out, please vote on policies and not personalities. That's another reason we are in the mess.

Regardless of party.

I do agree with you completely - it's just a shame the Labour candidate for Waterford city seems underwhelming on the whole.

Nationally though, Labour's policies are most in line with my own, so I will vote accordingly.

nkay1985

dark crystal wrote: »

I do agree with you completely - it's just a shame the Labour candidate for Waterford city seems underwhelming on the whole.

Nationally though, Labour's policies are most in line with my own, so I will vote accordingly.

I do appreciate your quandary though. It's very difficult to vote for a candidate you don't think will be able to adequately represent you.

ziedth

nkay1985 wrote: »

I do appreciate your quandary though. It's very difficult to vote for a candidate you don't think will be able to adequately represent you.

Must say I'm the opposite, I'd have allot of time for Cullinane but I'm no lover of SF. I'd agree with allot of FG's Ideas as a party but I'm no lover of Enda Kenny.

Sully

With parties, your more voting on their policy and then if you think the candidate would be good in the Dail. If the candidate is good in council chambers, confident enough speaker and able to do his or her job locally. Should be enough.

What's wrong with Ciara or Seamus for Labour?

deisemum

Sully wrote: »

With parties, your more voting on their policy and then if you think the candidate would be good in the Dail. If the candidate is good in council chambers, confident enough speaker and able to do his or her job locally. Should be enough.

What's wrong with Ciara or Seamus for Labour?

I've voted Labour in the past but I don't think much of Seamus or Ciara.

Sully

deisemum wrote: »

I've voted Labour in the past but I don't think much of Seamus or Ciara.

Toughy. I would suggest voting based on who you think is the best out of the two, if you prefer their policies. Unless another party has a candidate more in line with your views and someone you think would represent Waterford well?

Psychedelic

MagicMcGrath wrote: »

If you wanted all of us paying more tax to keep that deadbeat route alive you're no better than FF.

Saw in his newsletter got to house last week about Citi creating jobs in IDA.

He was awaiting the outcome of the Hunt Report like the rest of us giving an informed educated opinion of the feasibility.

Three straight forward answers.

What have the other candidates done for Waterford? What did MINISTER Cullen do for IDA?

How many jobs are Citi creating in Waterford? Most of those jobs will be for Dublin. I doubt he had any influence in their decision to create these jobs.

The Department of Transport allowed Irish Rail to poorly operate the Rosslare-Waterford railway. The Save The Rail lobby group and others made some good suggestions on how to make the line profitable, but these were ignored and Irish Rail were allowed close the line. Where was Kenneally in all this? And has he helped the new SWIFT group in their plans to get a private operator to use the line?

First we had the Dr Port Report which took a few years to get published. Did Kenneally put pressure on his party colleagues to speed up the process? If he did, they didn't listen to him. Then the Government commissioned the Higher Education Authority / Hunt Report which took another couple of years to be published. Again, what did Kenneally do to try speed up this process? He could have threatened to resign from the party over this issue, and put them under pressure. But he didn't because he put his party ahead of his constituency.

What Cullen did for us is not relevant, we are talking about Kenneally here. As for the other candiates, only Deasy has been an opposition backbencher and the rest of them only local councillors or not even that, so I don't think you can expect them to have delivered what Kenneally could have in the last 10 years.

And another thing, Kenneally voted with FF to not allow Waterford have a bye-election following the resignation of Cullen.

Trotter

Psychedelic wrote: »

And another thing, Kenneally voted with FF to not allow Waterford have a bye-election following the resignation of Cullen.

For me, thats the absolute insult. I can't forgive that one. Its deprivation of democracy for self preservation. Nothing more.

MitchKoobski

Was leaning towards voting labour myself if it came to a national level, but I just dont have faith in Seamus or Ciara to vote for them in my county.

Psychedelic

* double post

deisemum

Sully wrote: »

Toughy. I would suggest voting based on who you think is the best out of the two, if you prefer their policies. Unless another party has a candidate more in line with your views and someone you think would represent Waterford well?

I'll be voting for another party and will vote all the way down the list so will give the 2 labour candidates my last 2 votes but the only candidate that will not get a vote is Kenneally.

merlante

Starting to think Brendan Kenneally might not get a seat.

Considering how awful a candidate he is, he could underperform his party nationally, particularly considering that FF are down as low as 10% in Dublin. Waterford, being 50% urban, you could nearly split the different between their national 14/15% and that 10% anyway. Imagine he gets 12%. That's around 6,000 first preferences. In any other year he'd still be home and dry.

However, last time out, he took 700 or so preferences from Cullen. He also picked up preferences from everyone. Take off the 700 and reduce his preferences at least 60% and not only will he not reach the quota but his opponents will have at least the 11 counts it took last time to catch up with him. He also picked up 700 preferences from Cullinane last time out. This time Cullinane will be in the race longer and won't transfer as many to him anyway.

This should be a very interesting election for seats 3 and 4. Would love to see him lose the seat. FF deserve to be punished for fielding such limp candidates.

dark crystal

MitchKoobski wrote: »

Was leaning towards voting labour myself if it came to a national level, but I just dont have faith in Seamus or Ciara to vote for them in my county.

I've just resigned myself to the fact that I'll have to vote for national policies this time round. It's too important to me that FG don't have the entire monopoly in government and the only way I can do my bit there is to vote Labour, regardless of my personal feelings about the local candidates.

I have voted Halligan and Cullinane in the past, but don't think either SF or Independents will have any significant power in the Dail, therefore, I will vote Labour and as Sully said, vote for the best local politicians when the next local elections come around.

Psychedelic

Few questions about the count:

About what time will first count be done by, and what time will the final count be?

Where will the count take place? Is there just the one count centre for the whole Waterford constituency?

What will the quota be? (ball park figure)

I assume there will be a fair few people from here who will be at the count, any chance ye can post live updates here?