Would you stand for election?

LeoB

Would you become a county councillor if proposed/elected
Just what what drives people who put themselves up for election to Fingal C.C or Dail Eireann?

Are they hungary for power?

Are we well served by the ones who do get elected?

I have met quite a few and have been amazed at the amount of time they put in to their constituancey. Meeting after meeting. The amount of hassle and abuse they get, always on call.

The Hill Billy

Not me. Too many skeletons in my closet.
The press would have a field day!

lostexpectation

could you tell me the differences between the _main_ contenders in the last election leob, in a way i just prefer more people similar to you.

Hauk

Nope. I'm too blunt, and not politically correct in the slightest.

LeoB

lostexpectation wrote: »

could you tell me the differences between the _main_ contenders in the last election leob, in a way i just prefer more people similar to you.

Will you expand on the last bit of your post above.

Dont think I can tell you the difference just my experience and the results I have posted in a few different threads. Do they know themselves? Some I think would run for any party in the search for power. I dont think there was a huge amount between the candidates privatley but publicly is a different matter. I hate the mud flinging that goes on and then you see them having a pint together. The mudflinging in some cases is just for show.
I am not a huge fan of party politics. I do think there are more good councillors out there than bad one's. There are 1 or 2 I would not vote for, would even find it hard to talk to them. Have met a few over the years and some were not my cup of tea but most as I stated were decent.

I think in general people have become fed up of what goes on or what is alleged to go on. Look at Galway where they actually elected a fella known as "Stroke". It the few bad apples that get the good ones a bad name.

I am not sure I would have the patience to deal with some stuff that goes on, the long drawn out procedures, red tape. I was asked by a senior member in one party to join up and run in the last election but I would not tow the (a) party line. Issues that are not of national interest should be dealth with in a way where each elected person can vote how they want in the interest of the local people not because its F.F., F.G or Labour policy

Alan Farrell

Yes (to the topic of the thread)

LeoB

Alan Farrell wrote: »

Yes (to the topic of the thread)

A man with the inside tack..

What is it that drives you? (And others)

Do you think we are well served by local councillors? Maybe a bit unfair asking you that.

In view of the report of the proposed suggested changes to our tax system do you think Fingal would benifit if we have to pay rates to Fingal C.C?

Personally I am in favour, IF we have an agreed programme of works, Where we will see the benifits locally

Beasty

LeoB wrote: »

A man with the inside tack..


In view of the report of the proposed suggested changes to our tax system do you think Fingal would benifit if we have to pay rates to Fingal C.C?

Proposals as published would involve the property tax being administered by the Revenue Commissioners. Although it may form a basis for local government funding, I think this will simply be used to replace current central government funding. The rates would be set centrally, and it would be inequitable for certain councils to obtain a higher proportion of this funding simply because they have a greater density of high value residential property. Hence I do not believe any local council will "benefit" from the scheme - any net "benefit" will simply be retained by central government.

LeoB

Beasty wrote: »

Although it may form a basis for local government funding,

This is what I took from listening to various commentators today.

Maybe if we do go this road we will have a clamour from all the expert pundits and about 60 caandidates will contest next local election.

But seriously this tax system seems to work in other parts of Europe where local tax pays for local roads with a portion going to central government

Alan Farrell

Hauk wrote: »

Nope. I'm too blunt, and not politically correct in the slightest.

Bluntness is a virtue and should be encouraged in politics!

LeoB wrote: »

A man with the inside tack..

What is it that drives you? (And others)

Do you think we are well served by local councillors? Maybe a bit unfair asking you that.

In view of the report of the proposed suggested changes to our tax system do you think Fingal would benifit if we have to pay rates to Fingal C.C?

Personally I am in favour, IF we have an agreed programme of works, Where we will see the benifits locally

Like many, I was very frustrated by the lack of honesty when dealing with zoning decisions of the 91-99 council and to a lesser extent, the 99-04 so I picked up the phone and called a candidate in the 04 elections, expressed an interest to help him get elected and ended up on the ticket myself. I did want to try to make a difference locally but had never really considered running until a later stage (2009 as it happens), when I had "settled". I suppose what I wanted to try to do was to offer an honest, open approach to the decisions that councillors make based on my own experience and of course the will of the people something that I believe was lacking on the council of the day. The average age of people in Fingal is 32, the average age of the councillors was quite a bit higher in 2004, I thought it was a good opportunity to level that out a bit (I was 26).

In fairness to my colleagues of all parties, the best I can say is that we all have our bad days and sometimes decisions are made that reflect poorly on us as individuals and as a group. I like all other councillors or td's am not immune to making mistakes.

Do I think local government could be better? Of course. Councillors powers and authority is very weak. I would bolster that authority to give local councillors the authority to provide real, tangible services to their own communities in a very open and upfront manner. Put in place mechanisms for oversight so that we do not see a repeat of the 80's and 90's ("Alleged") pocket lining and ensure that if someone oversteps the mark, they are held accountable. This would involve devolving services from government departments who should be legislating, not micro managing. These are not lofty meaningless goals, they are achievable and workable all over the world.

I would support changes to the current tax system as long as any taxation levied on a local basis was spent in the community and only in the community and was balanced out with a commensurate reduction in the national tax rates. As you say yourself, its all about benefiting people. If we can do it quicker and cheaper than a far away government department with no local knowledge then surely it would be in all of our interests.

As fingal has a vast number of houses and formerly the fastest growing economy in Ireland, I would imagine that it would put us in a very strong position for future development and growth. At the moment, it would allow us to consolidate our communities.

The Commissions report is extremely complex and far reaching and I have no doubt that several pooches will be screwed along the way. This report may be introduced over a long period and certainly some of it should be done sooner rather than later. Some of it I might add is also abhorrent and should be shredded!

Finally, if government fail to address the matter of remuneration and the expenses regime in a reasonable amount of time the credibility of public representatives and the ability of the body politik to attract good, decent people into public life will be lost for a generation.

Hauk

Alan Farrell wrote: »

Bluntness is a virtue and should be encouraged in politics!

If I did, I would end up addressing social issues and would be quite verbal towards church/state, and the Joe Duffy callers would have a field day.

LeoB

Hauk wrote: »

If I did, I would end up addressing social issues and would be quite verbal towards church/state, and the Joe Duffy callers would have a field day.

That is what would worry me. I would be inclined to let the "red Mist" blur my vision with some of the stuff I see happening on a daily basis. In fact I have no doubt if I posted on 1 or 2 issues here I would be banned, for a very long time.

Thats an excellent reply from Alan Farrell. Despite the fact we disagree on several things in the past the core basis of where we come from is similar in many ways, like a lot of our population Thats why I often wonder about all party politics. I dont vote F.G and dont like Enda Kenny, but maybe I would vote for you and a lot of people find this hard to seperate.I like Joe Corr but cant stand John Gormley. Hope it make sense to you.

Just feel at the moment we have more than a financial crisis, we need to to do something totally different or radical. Will say no more for now

Thanks for excellent reply Alan.

Sizzler

I would if I thought I could make a difference but there seems to be an inherent culture of inefficiency from top to bottom and I would only get frustrated with it!

A new breed of candidate required, the elected in NCD have done nothing as far as I can see for the area and are happy to slip in with the subversive culture in the dail.

Local politics, the inability to make toiugh decisions, lack of financial clout and general lack of clarity on exactly WTF goes on in there does not have me chomping at the bit.

Allied to all of that, what political party could you really be proud to be part of at the moment? FF...needs no explaining. The Greens are underpinning the farce and dont have the balls to pull the pin and FG are led by an absolute goon and if the party supporters cant see he is stifling their progress then they dont deserve the support.

lostexpectation

what I meant was, leob, having many people actively involved in their local communtiy rather then depend on the virtue of one person

LeoB

lostexpectation wrote: »

what I meant was, leob, having many people activily invovled in their local communtiy rather then depend on the virtue of one person

For some reason people seem very reluctant to get involved at most levels. People like me end up doing things because nobody else will. Its not that I always want to do it. Mind you I do enjoy it most of the time.

So many people have so much to offer. Maybe sometimes people like me put them off a bit because we are always seen to be there and they think "ah sure he or she will do it"

Hope that makes sense.......