Compiling a list of FG poor performance

christy c

smurgen wrote: »

I know FG are a disaster on a national scale but as a cork man I feel as if they're particularly absent down here. I find it funny that there allegedly strongest candidate Simon Coveney is down here yet seems to turn a blind eye to the abondonment of the government to the second city in the nation. Take for example the Bus Eireann strike of 2017 that went on for weeks/months and effectively seems the city shut down. Where was the government when this was happening? Where was Coveney?

https://www.thejournal.ie/bus-eireann-strikes-cork-limerick-3-3330232-Apr2017/?section=comment#comments

Coveney or any other politician getting involved in the bus strike would be exactly what the union would have wanted, i.e. the government writing them a blank cheque.

Actually would have been good if FG took the policy of not recognising unions when they were first elected, given that their interests are mostly at odds with the public.

is_that_so

smurgen wrote: »

I know FG are a disaster on a national scale but as a cork man I feel as if they're particularly absent down here. I find it funny that there allegedly strongest candidate Simon Coveney is down here yet seems to turn a blind eye to the abondonment of the government to the second city in the nation. Take for example the Bus Eireann strike of 2017 that went on for weeks/months and effectively seems the city shut down. Where was the government when this was happening? Where was Coveney?

https://www.thejournal.ie/bus-eireann-strikes-cork-limerick-3-3330232-Apr2017/?section=comment#comments

It's not a ministerial matter at all as that's a Labour Court remit. People not talking to each other is what extends strikes.

vriesmays

Direct provisions full of asylum seekers whose applications to stay have been rejected yet no-one will turf them out of the country.

Pintman Paddy Losty

Have to say I've come to the end of my tether with Fine Gael. It's been a difficult year. But I've decided to leave the party. Ill be handing my resignation papers in to lower merrion street tomorrow morning.

I've thought long and hard and the only party that reflects closely to my views now is Fianna Fáil. That's who I'll be voting for and hopefully will join the party in the coming weeks.

Idbatterim

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Have to say I've come to the end of my tether with Fine Gael. It's been a difficult year. But I've decided to leave the party. Ill be handing my resignation papers in to lower merrion street tomorrow morning.

I've thought long and hard and the only party that reflects closely to my views now is Fianna Fáil. That's who I'll be voting for and hopefully will join the party in the coming weeks.

you'd be better use in waterford whispers paddy!

FrancieBrady

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Have to say I've come to the end of my tether with Fine Gael. It's been a difficult year. But I've decided to leave the party. Ill be handing my resignation papers in to lower merrion street tomorrow morning.

I've thought long and hard and the only party that reflects closely to my views now is Fianna Fáil. That's who I'll be voting for and hopefully will join the party in the coming weeks.

Out of the frying pan into another one...so to speak?

McMurphy

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Have to say I've come to the end of my tether with Fine Gael. It's been a difficult year. But I've decided to leave the party. Ill be handing my resignation papers in to lower merrion street tomorrow morning.

I've thought long and hard and the only party that reflects closely to my views now is Fianna Fáil. That's who I'll be voting for and hopefully will join the party in the coming weeks.

This is how I'm envisioning you heading off to the HQ in the am pa.

Pintman Paddy Losty

I nearly have a set of shoes worn out canvassing on behalf of my local TD (a good guy) but the campaign from HQ has been desperate. One failing after another.

Fianna Fail on the other hand have been very magnaminous in their approach. I was a member of FF up until 2010. I feel they have turned a corner now and have truly learned and repented. Michael Martin is the man to lead the nation. That's what I heard on the doorstep and I now believe it too.

I hope he honours his promise not to go with the shinners though.

Yurt2

Someone's going to have to eat crow and talk with Sinn Féin - it looks like they're heading for their best election.

GP / Labour / SocDems won't be large enough or coherent enough to be kingmakers I suspect.

SafeSurfer

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Have to say I've come to the end of my tether with Fine Gael. It's been a difficult year. But I've decided to leave the party. Ill be handing my resignation papers in to lower merrion street tomorrow morning.

I've thought long and hard and the only party that reflects closely to my views now is Fianna Fáil. That's who I'll be voting for and hopefully will join the party in the coming weeks.

What do Fine Gael “resignation papers” look like? :-)

Pintman Paddy Losty

SafeSurfer wrote: »

What do Fine Gael “resignation papers” look like? :-)

It's just a letter to the chairman asking to have my membership rescinded.

Loafing Oaf

Yurt! wrote: »

Someone's going to have to eat crow and talk with Sinn Féin - it looks like they're heading for their best election.

Why not another FF/Fg deal?

smurgen

christy c wrote: »

Coveney or any other politician getting involved in the bus strike would be exactly what the union would have wanted, i.e. the government writing them a blank cheque.

Actually would have been good if FG took the policy of not recognising unions when they were first elected, given that their interests are mostly at odds with the public.

It went on for nearly three months if I remember correctly.the only public transport in the city.it done damage to the city traders.if I was a multinational setting up items such as dysfunctional public transport would be a red flag.

smurgen

Another fine mess under FG https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/tracker-mortgage-scandal-brazen-banks-refuse-to-own-up-to-10000-cases-38320338.html

Yurt2

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Why not another FF/Fg deal?

I think the country deserves a government with a working majority at this juncture.

A FG/FF coalition with the ministries divvied up is a solution, yet the media rarely push this angle - they'd rather push the SF angle.

They'd rather keep the illusion of the FF / FG Punch and Judy show going than admit there's a mickey hair's difference between the parties politically.

Loafing Oaf

Yurt! wrote: »

I think the country deserves a government with a working majority at this juncture.

A FG/FF coalition with the ministries divvied up is a solution, yet the media rarely push this angle - they'd rather push the SF angle.

They'd rather keep the illusion of the FF / FG Punch and Judy show going than admit there's a mickey hair's difference between the parties politically.

But it's not the media's call, in the final analysis.

If, as seems likely right now, a government can only be formed by two of three from FF, FG and SF, it will ultimately be FF's call whether to go with SF or FG. Martin appears to be ruling them both out, but he's been ruling SF out for longer and more vehemently...

christy c

smurgen wrote: »

It went on for nearly three months if I remember correctly.the only public transport in the city.it done damage to the city traders.if I was a multinational setting up items such as dysfunctional public transport would be a red flag.

No doubt it did damage, but what should have been done? Short term pain for long term gain (i.e. unions knowing that management and the government would not capitulate).

Having parties introducing daft policies like SF would be a much bigger red flag to any multinational IMO.

McMurphy

Is this an actual slip, or a cleverly planned swipe at his running mate?

https://twitter.com/DrJamesReilly/status/1223263129964109825?s=20

JohnnyFlash

McMurphy wrote: »

Is this an actual slip, or a cleverly planned swipe at his running mate?

https://twitter.com/DrJamesReilly/status/1223263129964109825?s=20

How long do you spend each day looking at FG tweets, FG posts, articles about FG, posting about FG? It’s bizarre, dude. Take your head out of the phone and enjoy life. Its only politics. Even I wouldn’t watch that jumped up arsehole. They are living rent free inside your head.

is_that_so

Yurt! wrote: »

I think the country deserves a government with a working majority at this juncture.

A FG/FF coalition with the ministries divvied up is a solution, yet the media rarely push this angle - they'd rather push the SF angle.

They'd rather keep the illusion of the FF / FG Punch and Judy show going than admit there's a mickey hair's difference between the parties politically.

They don't push it because one or both of the parties won't have it. A grand coalition with with FG as "mudguard" is a much more obvious strategy.

is_that_so

McMurphy wrote: »

Is this an actual slip, or a cleverly planned swipe at his running mate?

https://twitter.com/DrJamesReilly/status/1223263129964109825?s=20

It's 2019, they all have to have videos and candidates of the same party often do not play nice with each other and it's Reilly, who will get the second highest number of FG votes in the constituency.

CrankyHaus

McMurphy wrote: »

Is this an actual slip, or a cleverly planned swipe at his running mate?

https://twitter.com/DrJamesReilly/status/1223263129964109825?s=20

Shooting the video right around the corner from his running mate's office, who knows?

Idbatterim

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

How long do you spend each day looking at FG tweets, FG posts, articles about FG, posting about FG? It’s bizarre, dude. Take your head out of the phone and enjoy life. Its only politics. Even I wouldn’t watch that jumped up arsehole. They are living rent free inside your head.

That last quote. “ they are living rent free in your head “ is gold !!!

McMurphy

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

How long do you spend each day looking at FG tweets, FG posts, articles about FG, posting about FG? It’s bizarre, dude. Take your head out of the phone and enjoy life. Its only politics. Even I wouldn’t watch that jumped up arsehole. They are living rent free inside your head.

Not very long at all, dude.

It was over in the main politics forum, just clicked the share tweet and pasted in here.

Not very difficult nor time consuming at all.

Idbatterim

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/behind-the-party-manifestos-38918135.html


The televised debates are accessed by far more people, but are less consequential than the manifestos issued by the political parties, some running to over 100 pages and listing policy commitments in detail. The manifestos matter more than the campaign utterances, although ultimately fated to expire unread in the digital graveyard where the dead websites sleep.

In advising voters about issues and choices, there is a formula worse than seven party leaders on TV with a single presenter (Claire Byrne on RTE, Monday). That formula is seven party leaders on TV with two presenters (Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates on Virgin, Thursday). Neither the politicians nor the presenters are at fault, the format is bound to deliver a cacophony of unexamined promises and constant interruptions. The head-to-head debates between the two potential taoisigh, Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin, offer a better formula but exclude the leaders of minor parties who will choose which of the duo will prevail.

Some of the manifestos will enjoy a brief currency in the weeks after the election as a joint programme is agreed between whichever parties or groupings make up a Dail majority. These joint programmes tend to consist of a selection of whatever looks compatible from the manifestos. They will then enjoy a brief afterlife, since journalists will print off copies and it has been their fashion since the 1970s to 'hold politicians to account' through dredging up abandoned manifesto promises through the first few years of each new administration.

Sean Lemass, acknowledged as the best-ever Taoiseach (1959-1966) by every one of his successors, believed that election promises should be solemnly forgotten the day after the count, an injunction subsequently ignored.

The 1977 election, the last to deliver a clear single-party majority, was based on an extravagant manifesto. Fianna Fail promised to scrap the annual car tax and the residential property tax, and to eliminate unemployment entirely in three years. It all ended in tears - both car tax and the residential property tax were eventually restored. All parties have been delivering hostages to fortune in manifesto format ever since.

The entire 2020 election has been hopeless in identifying the choices that should lie at the heart of democratic politics. How much to spend collectively, on what, how should the revenue be raised, who should benefit and who should pay? What are the trade-offs - since State resources will never be enough to do everything, what are the priorities and what should be foregone? Is it safe to borrow with a huge inherited public debt or should it be paid down to a prudent level?

The impression created from reading the manifestos is that the drafting teams were given the following assignment: large unspent resources, €11bn no less, will become available over the next five years, please compose a package of spending increases and tax cuts to absorb the full figure. The role of the voter is to choose the most agreeable combination.

Where does this €11bn come from? You are to believe that it lies stashed in a pearl-encrusted treasure chest, bulging with gold, diamonds and dollars, in a basement at the Department of Finance. These riches await triumphant release to a grateful populace once the intransigence of mean-spirited civil servants has been overcome. The sole purpose of the election is to consult the voters on the disposition of the released riches.

The €11bn does not exist, it is a projection. The basement at the Department of Finance is bare (I've been there) and contains only a phone-line to the bond market, where the State's €205bn of outstanding debt needs to be re-borrowed as it matures. The capacity to do so could be impaired by financial troubles in the Eurozone originating elsewhere.

The €11bn of spare money being re-routed with such aplomb will be available only if the economy continues to expand, yielding a harvest of rising tax revenues, and if expenditure on existing programmes is kept under control. There is no certainty about either of these - the six-year-old recovery could peter out at any time and expenditure control has been poor for several years.

Four of the five main parties, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens could feature in Government. The fifth, Sinn Fein, is less likely to do so, since neither of the likely winners, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, will come calling. Their manifesto stands out for the sheer scale of the proposals. Sinn Fein plans the biggest boost to both current and capital spending, over €20bn, and the biggest public housing programme, with several new revenue-raising measures. There is a surprising proposal to scrap residential property tax, paid mainly by the better-off (and mainly in the Dublin area) while also planning a third, higher, rate of income tax on the same people. There is nothing wrong with three rates of income tax instead of two - we used to have three, with a high rate for top incomes, until the 1980s - but the package would bring joy and anguish to the same people. There would be a brand-new wealth tax, and the practical implementation of wealth taxes has proven troublesome in the few countries where it has been undertaken. Most household wealth in Ireland is in the form of land and residential property, easy to spot and easy to tax. The distaste of left-wing parties for the taxation of property is a curious feature of Irish politics.

Sinn Fein plans to add 100,000 units to the public housing stock, more than any other party is proposing. Given the pressure already evident on construction industry resources, this would leave little capacity for housebuilding for the private market. It is also proposing extra taxes and levies on the banks along with a cap on mortgage interest rates. Taken together these measures could see the banks losing money again and inhibit the Government's ability to cash out. If the State owns lots of bank shares, you can end up imposing taxes on yourself.

The four parties likely to be involved in forming a government have inconsistent policies on some key issues and the interesting ones are Labour and the Greens - together they might win enough seats to bring the larger of the two big parties over the line. The Greens want to switch the basis for residential property tax to site value, long favoured by economists eager to see better land-use, a good idea but not favoured by the others. They also plan to scrap road investment entirely, switching all spending to 'public transport', which they appear to equate to the steel-wheel variety (trains). Most public transport in Ireland employs rubber wheels under vehicles known as buses. Which travel on roads. Which will be chock-a-bloc with cars running on decarbonised electricity in the fullness of time. What gives, Greens?

The Greens favour indirect taxation on airline tickets, long overdue. Aviation has led a charmed life, free of excise duty on jet fuel and of VAT on airfares. The Greens suggest a flat ticket tax, inferior to the current European Commission proposal to simply tax jet kerosene, an idea which the Taoiseach has supported in the past.

The Labour document displays a refreshing awareness of the value-for-money issue in public spending, rails against the overrun at the Children's Hospital and calls for a legal inquest into the broadband fiasco. Like all the others though, Labour pre-commits to the hugely expensive Metro North underground tram line in Dublin, for which the cost/benefit analysis is awaited.

The manifestos of all parties are riddled with commitments to capital projects which may not pass muster should they ever be subjected to a proper cost/benefit analysis, supposedly required under the public spending code but not deemed necessary in the case of the broadband plan. You are privileged to be present at the conception of the next capital programme disaster.

It is possible that economic growth at recent rates could continue for several further years, but it is a gamble to commit the proceeds in advance, a gamble every party is prepared to take. Recoveries die of old age and expansions longer than six years have been rare in Ireland. There are Ireland-specific risks including a disruptive Brexit outcome and a sudden evaporation of the Corporation Tax bonanza, and there are risks to the international economy, including trade wars courtesy of a re-elected Trump.

There could be no €11bn to spare, so don't bank on whichever bundle of tax cuts and extra spending most appeals to you.

The outgoing Government has handled the Brexit issue well and deserves credit, but also boasts that it has finally brought the budget back into balance, neglecting to acknowledge that unexpected tax revenues have offset expenditure overshoots. On public finances they have been lucky rather than prudent. All the parties vying to form the next government promise extra spending and tax cuts. They can claim to be prudent, but they cannot guarantee to be lucky.

Snow Garden

McMurphy wrote: »

Is this an actual slip, or a cleverly planned swipe at his running mate?

https://twitter.com/DrJamesReilly/status/1223263129964109825?s=20

What a muppet. I really hope he is not elected. I wonder what he said about Bailey?

McMurphy

Snow Garden wrote: »

What a muppet. I really hope he is not elected. I wonder what he said about Bailey?

Muppet or cleverly orchestrated to damage his running mate?

I hope both him and Farrell are rejected by the electorate.

Loafing Oaf

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

But it's not the media's call, in the final analysis.

If, as seems likely right now, a government can only be formed by two of three from FF, FG and SF, it will ultimately be FF's call whether to go with SF or FG. Martin appears to be ruling them both out

I thought Martin had ruled out C&S with FG one of the debates but he has clarified/backtracked on that:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2020/fianna-fail-is-the-party-of-the-working-classes-micheal-martin-38918150.html

would he go into confidence and supply with Fine Gael if Fine Gael were in opposition

"I haven't ruled that out."

(By "if FG were in opposition" I presume they mean "if FF is the larger of the two parties")

So get your money on that government folks: minority FF supported by FG

McMurphy

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

I thought Martin had ruled out C&S with FG one of the debates but he has clarified/backtracked on that:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2020/fianna-fail-is-the-party-of-the-working-classes-micheal-martin-38918150.html

(By "if FG were in opposition" I presume they mean "if FF is the larger of the two parties")

So get your money on that government folks: minority FF supported by FG

Already have this done, but PP have the stake you can place capped for some reason.

smurgen

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

How long do you spend each day looking at FG tweets, FG posts, articles about FG, posting about FG? It’s bizarre, dude. Take your head out of the phone and enjoy life. Its only politics. Even I wouldn’t watch that jumped up arsehole. They are living rent free inside your head.

Bizarre coming from yourself.it seems to me FGers are the most prolific posters on this site. Strangely enough during working hours too.it's almost as if they're being paid for it.
Also I noticed how any threads with SF negative titles get constantly bumped even if there's no info updates . Any old inane slur is thrown in to keep the negative associations going. Must be some strick KPI's the spin unit are under at the moment.