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Local Elections 2014: What issues will you be raising with candidates on the door?

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  • #62
    iguana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,916 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    He's 8 behind her and would be next to be eliminated. Interesting as I don't think the party would call a recount if they didn't think there was a chance of some mistakes having been made. Likely to go in to tomorrow I guess as well as Adare/Rathkeale hasn't even started yet

    It's very common with such a very low difference in numbers to call a recount. If the recount still eliminates Walsh, O'Dea is unlikely to get any of his transfers but Hennelly has a chance of getting a certain amount from him. She needs 90+, so it may be wishful thinking (as I'd far prefer her to O'Dea), but while a lot of Walsh's first preferences are likely to go to the FG members still in the running, it's possible Hennelly will benefit from enough.


  • #63
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    ^^ Will be interesting alright,
    I see the AAA have taken another (Loftus in City west) and SF got one there as well. SF could take 5 or6 at this rate.
    A few existing got in at west as well, Maria Byrne, Daniel Butler and Joe Leddin


  • #64
    iguana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,916 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    Final result for City West.
    James COLLINS FF
    Maria BYRNE FG
    Joe LEDDIN LAB
    Malachy McCREESH SF
    Daniel BUTLER FG
    John LOFTUS AAA
    Seán LYNCH FF


  • #65
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    ^^ Will be interesting alright,
    I see the AAA have taken another (Loftus in City west) and SF got one there as well. SF could take 5 or6 at this rate.
    A few existing got in at west as well, Maria Byrne, Daniel Butler and Joe Leddin

    Will be intresting what the AAA will do in the council now. Will themselves and like minded team up for a group. Will they be just there as a protest group or what will they do


  • #66
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    martingriff wrote: »
    Will be intresting what the AAA will do in the council now. Will themselves and like minded team up for a group. Will they be just there as a protest group or what will they do

    I saw one of their successful candidates (from Dublin I think,not Limerick) on Prime Times last night.
    He said he'd vote for no budget with property tax in it. He's right, as property tax is not a local government issue, and he has no role in relation to it. I hope at this stage that they have some idea of what they can/can't control in local politics. It's very little really, but that's another argument.


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  • #67
    ShatterProof
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,746 ✭✭✭ShatterProof


    thirdtime wrote: »
    Who was the candidate??

    John Loftus


  • #68
    iguana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,916 ✭✭✭✭iguana


    The council members have very, very little power but nobody seems to realise it. The last issue of the Post asked all the council candidates 5 questions but almost none of the questions had anything to do with the role of a council member. Might as well have asked them to describe their ideal sunset for all the point of it.


  • #69
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    I saw one of their successful candidates (from Dublin I think,not Limerick) on Prime Times last night.
    He said he'd vote for no budget with property tax in it. He's right, as property tax is not a local government issue, and he has no role in relation to it. I hope at this stage that they have some idea of what they can/can't control in local politics. It's very little really, but that's another argument.

    Can they not vote to increase or decrease it by 15%. I agree with what can be controlled in local but a thread for another day


  • #70
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    martingriff wrote: »
    Can they not vote to increase or decrease it by 15%. I agree with what can be controlled in local but a thread for another day

    Not at the moment, but it may be changed in the future (as I understand it).


  • #71
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    Not at the moment, but it may be changed in the future (as I understand it).

    Just found this link they can as Gilmore was accused of auction politics over it. Next year I think.

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gilmore-defends-claim-to-cut-property-tax-257435.html


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  • #72
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    martingriff wrote: »
    Just found this link they can as Gilmore was accused of auction politics over it. Next year I think.

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gilmore-defends-claim-to-cut-property-tax-257435.html

    I stand corrected :o, although I'll still be surprised if they ever get to actually allowing them vary property tax rates.


  • #73
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    I stand corrected :o, although I'll still be surprised if they ever get to actually allowing them vary property tax rates.

    General election coming soon (sooner than we expect I say)


  • #74
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    Looks like you were very right martingriff...

    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/sf-to-table-motion-to-reduce-property-tax-in-limerick-1-6082061


  • #75
    Kess73
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    martingriff wrote: »
    Will be intresting what the AAA will do in the council now. Will themselves and like minded team up for a group. Will they be just there as a protest group or what will they do



    Going by comments made by Cian Prendaville on Live95FM, he will be using his newfound position to disrupt/protest/obstruct, and other AAA members may be doing likewise if other interviews are anything to go by.


    Don't know about anyone else on here but personally I would want local councillors to be doing a lot more with their position that using it as a means to protest one issue. I would expect my local councillors to be doing whatever is in their power to deal with issues like local unemployment, local infrastructure, local crime, local rates/rents and so on.



    Another thing that really stood out for me this year, and I touched on it in an earlier post, was the unwillingness of many candidates to interact with the public, and I know that there were attempts to get candidates to interact directly with posters here on Boards (in a controlled enviroment where they would answer some of the questions that would have been posed in threads like this one, rather than in a free for all setting with posters peppering them with comments) and the number of candidates that did so across the country was tiny.


  • #76
    Kess73
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    Looks like you were very right martingriff...

    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/sf-to-table-motion-to-reduce-property-tax-in-limerick-1-6082061


    Very easy for SF and others to shout the odds and make headline grabbing comments when there is little to no chance of what they are saying getting voted in.

    What I do notice is that SF in particular are very good as saying that one tax or another should be abolished or reduced, but I never seem to notice any viable alternative as to what will then be used to make up the shortfall in cash coming into the local coffers.

    I know some of the AAA candidates have gone on in a very vague manner about taxing the super rich, but again no depth gets added as to how exactly such schemes would be brought in, and what exactly would stop those super rich from just leaving Limerick/Ireland altogether and leaving nothing to be taxed.

    A lot of the offered "solutions" just smack of naivety to me or just as being vacuous soundbytes that become a throwaway Limerick Leader or Limerick Post headline for a day or two


  • #77
    Wise Old Elf
    Moderators Posts: 3,554 ✭✭✭Wise Old Elf


    Not sure I can say any better myself Kess73.
    I'm sure that the AAA will make their point by disrupting the first meeting or two and get their headlines. In the longer term, I doubt they'll be allowed to continue disrupting meetings, it'll be interesting to watch.
    You also made a very good point in your expectation of those elected, I too would expect them to be working for the City and County, not just disrupting proceedings.
    I remember reading something interesting last year about local authority budgets, Councillors can propose changes to budgets (e.g. a rates cut), but they have to propose a corresponding spending cut (e.g. a lowering of services) or another revenue stream, or their proposals can be refused. As you said, all the talk of lower taxes, no property tax, etc sounds great, but where does the money come from otherwise.


  • #78
    martingriff
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭martingriff


    Disco Stuart wrote: »
    Looks like you were very right martingriff...

    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/sf-to-table-motion-to-reduce-property-tax-in-limerick-1-6082061

    Not very hard to be right when that is all they were going in for. I hope I am wrong and they will soon learn to work with the council on other stuff and not just hold it to ransom


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