Who to Vote for in Laois????

An Ri rua

I just had Ray Fitzpatrick, United Left Alliance, to the door. He was a part of the labour party for over 20 years. Anyone who believes in democracy, representation and decent behaviour should not vote Labour in LS/OY where they parachuted in an ex Fianna fail lackey who felt bad at not getting the press gig in Leinster House...

Excellent demeanour, genuine, refreshing and a sharp mind, Ray has. DELIGHTED I answered door. Plenty of ideas for farmers and urban people. Its not about taking away wealth, its about restoring wealth to those who produce it. ie. down with corporatism and up with self-sufficiency, co-ops, credit unions etc.

I think its common sense stuff. Its why I'd vote Sinn fein, United left Alliance and yes, Green Party in that order in laois / Offaly. we are prosperous beyond belief if we just looked after natural wealth better. This includes our local economy. Break the hold of meat factories, retailers, corporates and return power and wealth and decency to our towns and villages.

It does NOT have to be the way it is. I will vote for those who are not sham republicans and sham nationalists. i.e. walk the talk

elvis jones

An Ri rua wrote: »

I just had Ray Fitzpatrick, United Left Alliance, to the door. He was a part of the labour party for over 20 years. Anyone who believes in democracy, representation and decent behaviour should not vote Labour in LS/OY where they parachuted in an ex Fianna fail lackey who felt bad at not getting the press gig in Leinster House...

Excellent demeanour, genuine, refreshing and a sharp mind, Ray has. DELIGHTED I answered door. Plenty of ideas for farmers and urban people. Its not about taking away wealth, its about restoring wealth to those who produce it. ie. down with corporatism and up with self-sufficiency, co-ops, credit unions etc.

I think its common sense stuff. Its why I'd vote Sinn fein, United left Alliance and yes, Green Party in that order in laois / Offaly. we are prosperous beyond belief if we just looked after natural wealth better. This includes our local economy. Break the hold of meat factories, retailers, corporates and return power and wealth and decency to our towns and villages.

It does NOT have to be the way it is. I will vote for those who are not sham republicans and sham nationalists. i.e. walk the talk

I agree with this, but not with the rest........not my bag !

Can a local L/O retalier not make a profit, thats the way it sounds or is it just big business....what if the big business is owned by a local and employing locals in it ?

What is this business is sponsoring local sports clubs and charities ?

What if this business is not only selling brand names but local produce as well ?

Not all business or retailers are bad or evil.

An Ri rua

elvis jones wrote: »

I agree with this, but not with the rest........not my bag !

Can a local L/O retalier not make a profit, thats the way it sounds or is it just big business....what if the big business is owned by a local and employing locals in it ?

What is this business is sponsoring local sports clubs and charities ?

What if this business is not only selling brand names but local produce as well ?

Not all business or retailers are bad or evil.

Ah Jaysus......? Don't be so obtuse!! Of course a local retailer can, in a socialist mindset?? Its all about building up LOCAL and REGIONAL and breaking the hold of large corporates.

elvis jones

A very simplistic view.

For example. If i'm a local and i buy a franchise business.

Say a super market. It can have a big business name but all staff are local, a number of suppliers are local and i fund local sports clubs and charities.

Should i be shunned because i choose to use a major brand name as a front for a business which helps the local community no end.

There are many big business names these days but a lot of these are being run by locals and helping locals on a daily basis. Indeed the parent company will make a profit and will pay taxes along the way but you can't be blinkered and see that they ar helping locals along the way.

Small business isn't always good, small business can lead to high prices and with money tight people can't afford to pay a premium just to support small shops. There comes a point where you have to put family 1st and go where you get the best value for you.

BUT i do agree that the orginal supplier of foods, ie the farmer are getting a very very raw deal with all the middle men looking for a cut.

I WILL shop in farmers markets even if they are a little more expensive as the quility is always top notch and i know its going to a local business.

PS i will admit i am far from being a socialist........

Shazanne

elvis jones wrote: »

If you stand for them you paint yourself with that brush.

As i have said before, nothing against the man but i have a problem with the party.

This seems to be a problem in many constituencies. Sinn Fein is running some excellent candidates and, according to people I know throughout the country, they are really worthy of a vote. But everyone says the same thing - they're afraid of the Party.
I have not yet found a more impressive candidate or a more highly recommended candidate that Brian Stanley in Portlaoise, the some of the SF policies scare me to death. So I am still left with the quandry of who to support next Friday.

elvis jones

Great post.

I feel their main policy is no matter what the main parties say we'll put forward the oppisite. Sorry also their history with regard to members and the IRA realy puts me off if i'm honest.

BUT they have good people who i would vote for if they weren't behind the party banner.

artful_codger

An Ri rua wrote: »

Ah Jaysus......? Don't be so obtuse!! Of course a local retailer can, in a socialist mindset?? Its all about building up LOCAL and REGIONAL and breaking the hold of large corporates.

socialism my arse; socialists are people with nothing who want to share it with you.


what 'large corporates' are you on about? Intel? Ryanair? Kerry Group? The largest corporations we have in Ireland are state owned dysfunctional ripoff companies such as Bord Gais, VHI and ESB, totally incapable of balancing the books because they pay employees obscene salaries and they have no culture of merit, accountability or innovation. And you want MORE of this kind of thing ??

what a prosperous country needs is for politicians to get out of peoples way, they've proven themselves to be incompetent and therefore they need to strip themselves of power and give power back to the people. If you believe that Politicians are any more capable of engineering a recovery than they were of engineering a soft landing then you truly have learned nothing in the last five years.

Kenteach

All I know is I won't be voting FF as they need to cool off on the opposition benches for at least a full term and rejoin the real world. I also won't be voting FG as their education proposals are absolutely horrendous, their canvassers could answer NONE of my questions when they called to my door and they are merely the other side of the FF coin. I also won't be voting Labour as I believe they have some cheek taking part in this exercise of democracy after the way they conducted their candidate selection and also I believe their leadership are incompetent and their notions on taxation frightening.
So that leaves me with shinners, socialists, greens and independents.

Oooooooops.

Uncorruptable

Here is Rays lliterature if he doesnt get it through your door, he only has the funding for 20,000 of these,

Uncorruptable

Heres a radio Interview with Ray & Liam Dumpleton also for you,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Ketyxs9DY

xE

Kenteach wrote: »

All I know is I won't be voting FF as they need to cool off on the opposition benches for at least a full term and rejoin the real world. I also won't be voting FG as their education proposals are absolutely horrendous, their canvassers could answer NONE of my questions when they called to my door and they are merely the other side of the FF coin. I also won't be voting Labour as I believe they have some cheek taking part in this exercise of democracy after the way they conducted their candidate selection and also I believe their leadership are incompetent and their notions on taxation frightening.
So that leaves me with shinners, socialists, greens and independents.

Oooooooops.

Same as yourself, Fine Gael would be even worse for Fianna Fail for this country. Its easy to see that people have short memories.

My voting pattern looks likely to be:

1. Brian Stanley
2. Ray Fitzpatrick

They're the only candidates who seem to stand for ordinary people. The next five years is guaranteed to be hell for the average Joe so we need strong opposition.

Shazanne

xE wrote: »

Same as yourself, Fine Gael would be even worse for Fianna Fail for this country. Its easy to see that people have short memories.

My voting pattern looks likely to be:

1. Brian Stanley
2. Ray Fitzpatrick

They're the only candidates who seem to stand for ordinary people. The next five years is guaranteed to be hell for the average Joe so we need strong opposition.

As I said above, Brian Stanley appears to be the strongest candidate in this area and, as he is the only one I met when he canvassed here for the Local Elections, he is the only face I can identify with at this point. I agree with you comment on the need to stand for the ordinary people - never before was this more crucial. Every time I watch a political programme over the past couple of weeks I become more and more afraid of what lies ahead for all of us, and the casual way our futures are bandied about by senior politicans.
Having said that, I remain wary of Sinn Fein policies in many ways, so before I make my final decision, I feel I will need some reassurances. But, as candidates go, at the moment it looks like Brain Stanley in this house.

xE

Shazanne wrote: »

As I said above, Brian Stanley appears to be the strongest candidate in this area and, as he is the only one I met when he canvassed here for the Local Elections, he is the only face I can identify with at this point. I agree with you comment on the need to stand for the ordinary people - never before was this more crucial. Every time I watch a political programme over the past couple of weeks I become more and more afraid of what lies ahead for all of us, and the casual way our futures are bandied about by senior politicans.
Having said that, I remain wary of Sinn Fein policies in many ways, so before I make my final decision, I feel I will need some reassurances. But, as candidates go, at the moment it looks like Brain Stanley in this house.

I'm not especially worried about the policies at present. It's quiet clear that they won't be in government this time around, however they will be in opposition and they're definitely the strongest party likely to be in opposition that would represent ordinary people.

The policies sound good, but where the money will come from is the big issue for me. I've read their manifesto but its hard to fathom that their will be few or no cuts, even with the extension of the period of time over which the debt would be cleared.

sydthebeat

sinn feins economic poilcy is simply too paper thin to be credible.

while Brian Stanley is a great local politician, and a great guy, its hard to give him my no. 1 because of his parties policies. This election simply shoul dnot be about local politics.

Im veering towards FG becaus eat leats there putting what i consider honest policies together. There is going to be a lot of hurt, the public service simply has to be dealt with, its overgrown and grossly burecratic. You even have David begg coming out today with some porturing. I believe FG are strong enough to take them on, and i hope they do so in a single party government.

padraigb 21

I think John Moloney has done a good deal of constituency work and has been a good minister of state.:)

MickShamrock

I'm definitely not voting Fine Gael. I don't want the hole taxed off me.

They do nothing to inspire confidence. They have Michael Noonan as their Finance Spokesperson. They must have a really shirt term memories to forgot the disastrous election campaign lead by this clown a few years back.

elvis jones

sydthebeat wrote: »

sinn feins economic poilcy is simply too paper thin to be credible.

while Brian Stanley is a great local politician, and a great guy, its hard to give him my no. 1 because of his parties policies. This election simply shoul dnot be about local politics.

Im veering towards FG becaus eat leats there putting what i consider honest policies together. There is going to be a lot of hurt, the public service simply has to be dealt with, its overgrown and grossly burecratic. You even have David begg coming out today with some porturing. I believe FG are strong enough to take them on, and i hope they do so in a single party government.

As a public sector worker and a lower paid one at that i can honestly say deal with yourself and then talk of others. By that i mean TD's pay, TD's expenses, the cost of running government.

A TD gets almost my days wages just for signing in at the dáil 65 euro a day which is a fact.

Also remove 30,000 from the public sector and in the same breath create 100k jobs

Lets see how many PALS Mr Kenny appoints to state boards where they will earn multiple times my salary for just signing a piece of paper and turning up to 2 meetings a year.

Lets see how many staff each TD has in his/her off in the dail and constuitancy office ( a lot more than are actaully needed )

Lets see if they actually do remove the senate club that it is for failed politicians.

I can only speak for my area and my dept and we are seriously under staffed and have been for a few yrs. This is having a knock on to the public and the service we provide to them. But yet all we get is abuse when we can't deliver due to being under staffed.

Its the number of padding at the top and the wages of those at the top that are causing the problem. Too many in middle management earning silly money.

I must also add that i am NOT a member of a union and DID NOT strike or take days off for the industrial action last year.

End of rant.........for now !

xE

sydthebeat wrote: »

sinn feins economic poilcy is simply too paper thin to be credible.

while Brian Stanley is a great local politician, and a great guy, its hard to give him my no. 1 because of his parties policies. This election simply shoul dnot be about local politics.

Im veering towards FG becaus eat leats there putting what i consider honest policies together. There is going to be a lot of hurt, the public service simply has to be dealt with, its overgrown and grossly burecratic. You even have David begg coming out today with some porturing. I believe FG are strong enough to take them on, and i hope they do so in a single party government.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on that. This "taking on the unions" line is simply justification for them to implement their Thatcherite policies.

I remember what their past spells in power were like, taxing children's shoes. I also remember Thatcher and the damage she done in the UK. One party government, no thanks!

padraigb 21 wrote:

I think John Moloney has done a good deal of constituency work and has been a good minister of state.

Nice try :rolleyes:

elvis jones

padraigb 21 wrote: »

I think John Moloney has done a good deal of constituency work and has been a good minister of state.:)

Really, yet the job he was elected for was to legislate and not fill in fcuking pot holes and get people council houses:mad:

Also i'm amazed he was able to do any work with his head being so far up Mr Cowan's hole:mad::mad:

ADTR

sydthebeat wrote: »

I believe FG are strong enough to take them on, and i hope they do so in a single party government.

sydthebeat

elvis jones wrote: »

As a public sector worker and a lower paid one at that i can honestly say deal with yourself and then talk of others. By that i mean TD's pay, TD's expenses, the cost of running government.

A TD gets almost my days wages just for signing in at the dáil 65 euro a day which is a fact.

Also remove 30,000 from the public sector and in the same breath create 100k jobs

Lets see how many PALS Mr Kenny appoints to state boards where they will earn multiple times my salary for just signing a piece of paper and turning up to 2 meetings a year.

Lets see how many staff each TD has in his/her off in the dail and constuitancy office ( a lot more than are actaully needed )

Lets see if they actually do remove the senate club that it is for failed politicians.

I can only speak for my area and my dept and we are seriously under staffed and have been for a few yrs. This is having a knock on to the public and the service we provide to them. But yet all we get is abuse when we can't deliver due to being under staffed.

Its the number of padding at the top and the wages of those at the top that are causing the problem. Too many in middle management earning silly money.

I must also add that i am NOT a member of a union and DID NOT strike or take days off for the industrial action last year.

End of rant.........for now !

elvis.... you must understand that i am aim my frustrations on the trade unions, not the civil service!!!!

if your a lower paid civil servant, then, assuming your a front line worker, you should know yourself of the layers and layers of bureacracy above you.
I have 2 siblings who are civil servant, and 2 in laws who also are... one in the army, one in the prison services and two teachers.......EVERY SINGLE ONE of them agree that there is way too much middle management in each of there areas in the irish public service. Positions of managament were simple created in order to promote servants with a long service record.

For example if a teacher wants to load a piece of spftware onto a school computer they need to get approval off two separate management surices before they can do this!!!!! madness!!!!!

I am not down talking your position elvis, i have huge regard for front line civial staff, doctors, nurses, teachers etc but everyone agrees that the civial service system isnt working properly. The croke park agreement is what? 3 years old at this stage?? and what alterations or economies have been made??

the reason for such slow movement in the civil service is trade unions... the simply are unweilding!!! you cant upskill without them barking for new pay and contratcs... you can move inter office with the same.. you cant introduce new technology with the same... its ridiculous... practises that simply would not be tolerted in the private sector. There is an 'instutionalisation' that happens to long term civil service trade union workers and they simply cannot appreciate or break from.

sydthebeat

ADTR wrote: »

childish

elvis jones

sydthebeat wrote: »

elvis.... you must understand that i am aim my frustrations on the trade unions, not the civil service!!!!

if your a lower paid civil servant, then, assuming your a front line worker, you should know yourself of the layers and layers of bureacracy above you.
I have 2 siblings who are civil servant, and 2 in laws who also are... one in the army, one in the prison services and two teachers.......EVERY SINGLE ONE of them agree that there is way too much middle management in each of there areas in the irish public service. Positions of managament were simple created in order to promote servants with a long service record.

For example if a teacher wants to load a piece of spftware onto a school computer they need to get approval off two separate management surices before they can do this!!!!! madness!!!!!

I am not down talking your position elvis, i have huge regard for front line civial staff, doctors, nurses, teachers etc but everyone agrees that the civial service system isnt working properly. The croke park agreement is what? 3 years old at this stage?? and what alterations or economies have been made??

the reason for such slow movement in the civil service is trade unions... the simply are unweilding!!! you cant upskill without them barking for new pay and contratcs... you can move inter office with the same.. you cant introduce new technology with the same... its ridiculous... practises that simply would not be tolerted in the private sector. There is an 'instutionalisation' that happens to long term civil service trade union workers and they simply cannot appreciate or break from.

Indeed i agree with all of that and i was stuck in the middle of the union muppets last summer !

**Vai**

He's got my vote.

xE

elvis jones wrote: »

Indeed i agree with all of that and i was stuck in the middle of the union muppets last summer !

I think we can establish that no one likes the Unions, and that there is waste and bureaucracy, but the solution Fine Gael want is akin to taking a demolition ball to a open pestachio nut.

So while I don't like the Unions, or Labour, or some policies of Sinn Fein they appear to be a "necessary evil" in the struggle to ensure that ordinary people, like myself, can have a decent quality of life. I don't want Sir Tony O'Reilly or even Charlie Flangan's money, but I don't think its too much to ask that we have some basics like decent universal healthcare, education, and still be able to afford enough to eat and maybe one or two luxuries a year without being crucified for it.

elvis jones

Isn't that from the last election or he is using the same ones again ?

Didn't he get fined for putting the posters up too early ?

ADTR

sydthebeat wrote: »

childish

I totally agree. Farcical even. I mean, what were Fine Gael on back then!

An Ri rua

artful_codger wrote: »

socialism my arse; socialists are people with nothing who want to share it with you.


what 'large corporates' are you on about? Intel? Ryanair? Kerry Group? The largest corporations we have in Ireland are state owned dysfunctional ripoff companies such as Bord Gais, VHI and ESB, totally incapable of balancing the books because they pay employees obscene salaries and they have no culture of merit, accountability or innovation. And you want MORE of this kind of thing ??

what a prosperous country needs is for politicians to get out of peoples way, they've proven themselves to be incompetent and therefore they need to strip themselves of power and give power back to the people. If you believe that Politicians are any more capable of engineering a recovery than they were of engineering a soft landing then you truly have learned nothing in the last five years.

Tesco, Dunnes Stores, any of the multiples in fact. The jobs would not be destroyed or taken. Merely the insane wealth earned would be distributed more fairly.
I have a reasoned opinion on this. I'm self-employed, have owned another ltd company business before and have an MSc in strategy. So I would not say that I have 'nothing'. I have a well-formed opinion on self-sufficiency and co-operatives.
Elvisjones, those who help locals should be supported of course. ps Gave a perhaps simplistic answer because we're all on Boards after all, I'm not a dictator, unfortunately, and we're all just blowing smoke through our a**es really :-D

HanyuPinyin

No one reveal secretive location puppy farm. Please me needing fresh supply.

For Forks Sake

elvis jones wrote: »

Isn't that from the last election or he is using the same ones again ?

Didn't he get fined for putting the posters up too early ?

Thats from the last election. His new ones are white. And are being stolen as quick as he can put them up around Tullamore and Clara, they appear to be quite the collectors item