kill the independents

bytey

when the election comes around ..

dont just destory the greens , with FF -
make a concerted effort to put down the Independents as well - they are as much to blame for keeping these vermin in .

Spiritoftheseventies

There is a room in politics for independents. But brokering deals for one's own constituency at the expense of the country is irresponsible imo.
The collective good should always prevail

Banned Account

I'm having first dibs on Healy-Rae.

Biggins

Fitzcaraldo wrote: »

I'm having first dibs on Healy-Rae.

Biggest useless piece of crap that has sold his vote to FF.
Voters in his constituency should kop themselves on and remember that this lump of fat voted against supporting our nations hospitals, to help keep them open with services - but instead voted with the even bigger crooks in power to curtail one childrens national hospital for example.

How low can you get!

Cookie_Monster

They voted for him cos he gets Kerry a hugely disproportionate level of investment and infrastructure. From their point of view why would they try and upset the gravy train by not voting for him again.

Pity we can't have an entire gov of independents

prof_frink_2000

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

They voted for him cos he gets Kerry a hugely disproportionate level of investment and infrastructure. From their point of view why would they try and upset the gravy train by not voting for him again.

Pity we can't have an entire gov of independents

Ye remember how he got Kerry listed with the Border Counties for EU funding, that "trick" almost cost all the counties their funding. But the people of kerry love him for it. He has also made sure that the ONLY road project to start this year is the CastleIsland by-pass. He'll get re-elected for sure.

Spiritoftheseventies

Fitzcaraldo wrote: »

I'm having first dibs on Healy-Rae.

Is is just me but would anyone take him half seriously if he didnt bring that ridiculous hat with him everywhere and just didn't talk.

toiletduck

The Independents are an interesting one. I mean looking at it from a national level, it's disastrous to have one-issue or pothole fixers in power, but from a local level can you really blame people wanting to have their guy hold the balance of power with all the money for your area to come?

Spiritoftheseventies

toiletduck wrote: »

The Independents are an interesting one. I mean looking at it from a national level, it's disastrous to have one-issue or pothole fixers in power, but from a local level can you really blame people wanting to have their guy hold the balance of power with all the money for your area to come?

I think in the case of Tony Gregory it was a positive thing at the time. But from what i can ascertain, there was a shift in the agreeement when FG came in and promises that were made by FF were not kept by the next government.

Banned Account

There is a distinct tinge of 'Whore' about it all, isn't there. I will promise to stand by and support you pissing on his crowd, his crowd and her crowd as long as you promise chocolate and wine for my crowd.

If you choose to operate your political career this way then don't be sad when the incoming crowd give you a slice of the same.

P.S. yes, it is a stupid hat and yes, he should not be allowed speak in public.

Cookie_Monster

This is why local and national gov need to be split more definitively.

In reality there should be little or no need for TD's to interact with their local voters, thats what the councillor should be there for. TD's should all be based in Dublin and work towards only whole country issues, leaving local stuff to locally elected councillors who can deal with the constituents issues.

Pittens

If the local government is funded by national taxes, that wont work. How can it work for hospitals, and most roads etc.?

That is the way the US has worked - historically more so - but it creates and sustains regions of poverty.

anymore

prof_frink_2000 wrote: »

Ye remember how he got Kerry listed with the Border Counties for EU funding, that "trick" almost cost all the counties their funding. But the people of kerry love him for it. He has also made sure that the ONLY road project to start this year is the CastleIsland by-pass. He'll get re-elected for sure.

This is jackie Healy rae's last dail term s he is retiring; one of his sons is being ' groomed for the seat. Maybe they will legislate for ' Rights of Way' !

conorhal

Fitzcaraldo wrote: »

I'm having first dibs on Healy-Rae.

Jackie 'The Gombeen' Healy-Rae is the single best argumet for a a change in our electoral system to include a national 'list system' that I can think of.
He's the biggest bloody nudging, winking, whoring,blinking, rezoning, eagle poisoning, 'bailing twine holding up his pants' with a brown envelope stuffed in his back pocket gombeen muthafooka in the land so he is. :mad:

steelcityblues

Hope Maureen O'Sullivan and Finian Mcgrath lose their seats too! Their stay silent/don't vote treatment can only go largely unnoticed for so long.

Coillte_Bhoy

steelcityblues wrote: »

Hope Maureen O'Sullivan and Finian Mcgrath lose their seats too! Their stay silent/don't vote treatment can only go largely unnoticed for so long.

But why would their constituenst care?? You miss the oint completely.

steelcityblues

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

But why would their constituenst care?? You miss the oint completely.

Their party title is 'independent', so how am I missing the point? Independents are meant to call out and vote out increasingly unpopular governments like this one!

Cool Mo D

Biggins wrote: »

Biggest useless piece of crap that has sold his vote to FF.

He didn't really sell it to them -Healy-Rae IS FF. He comes from FF roots, but he left, because he figured that the amount of lip service FF pay to important national matters was too much time that could be spent doing land deals down the pub. He was too FF for FF.

aidan24326

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

They voted for him cos he gets Kerry a hugely disproportionate level of investment and infrastructure. From their point of view why would they try and upset the gravy train by not voting for him again.

And that's why we need national politicians doing national business, and leave the local stuff to the councillors.

Pity we can't have an entire gov of independents

Now you're talking. Party politics has killed this country, Fianna Fail having ended up as some sort mafia family at this stage.

Cool Mo D

steelcityblues wrote: »

Their party title is 'independent', so how am I missing the point? Independents are meant to call out and vote out increasingly unpopular governments like this one!

Not in Ireland.

Here, an independent cosies up to whoever is in power to get a few tidbits for the constituency in return for support. They get re-elected with a huge vote.

See: Michael Lowry, Jackie Healy-Rae, etc.

Sometimes they refuse to vote for an unpopular measure, but only if it's their calculated self interest for re-election - not on principle.

danman

steelcityblues wrote: »

Their party title is 'independent', so how am I missing the point? Independents are meant to call out and vote out increasingly unpopular governments like this one!

Where did you find this rule?

Independants have only one agenda, that's to look after themselves.

It's a similar argument to the Greens.
Why should they bring down a government, when they still have deals in place for their constituants.

Does it make any sense for them to move for an election.
Think about it from their perspective, not your own.
They, are not you, or I.

steelcityblues

Cool Mo D wrote: »

Not in Ireland.

Here, an independent cosies up to whoever is in power to get a few tidbits for the constituency in return for support. They get re-elected with a huge vote.

See: Michael Lowry, Jackie Healy-Rae, etc.

Sometimes they refuse to vote for an unpopular measure, but only if it's their calculated self interest for re-election - not on principle.

Knew all of this already btw, merely venting online a bit!

Spiritoftheseventies

Is Harney officially an Independent now?

Biggins

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Is Harney officially an Independent now?

Good question.
Technically, as she was part of an official organisation at the time that was registered as an official political party (and all the hoops they went thru to get that status), she might be classed still as a member of a "party" officially.

As she stands/sits most would I'm guessing now see her as an independent off-hand.
I think it comes down to the fine print.

(I could be wrong)

Spiritoftheseventies

Biggins wrote: »

Good question.
Technically, as she was part of an official organisation at the time that was registered as an official political party (and all the hoops they went thru to get that status), she might be classed still as a member of a "party" officially.

As she stands/sits most would I'm guessing now see her as an independent off-hand.
I think it comes down to the fine print.

(I could be wrong)

Heard she was going back to FF awhile back. She tends to poll well AFAIK.

Coillte_Bhoy

steelcityblues wrote: »

Their party title is 'independent', so how am I missing the point? Independents are meant to call out and vote out increasingly unpopular governments like this one!

Who said they are meant to do that? They can do whatever they like.

Spiritoftheseventies

Thread title could also read "Kill the independence". Which is more likely to happen.

steelcityblues

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Who said they are meant to do that? They can do whatever they like.

It is one reason for adopting a party list system though!

Cool Mo D

steelcityblues wrote: »

It is one reason for adopting a party list system though!

A party list system would be even worse! It means that the major parties would have about 20-50 seats each that they could hand out to anyone they liked, with no input from the electorate. Imagine who FF would decide to have represent the country..

steelcityblues

Cool Mo D wrote: »

A party list system would be even worse! It means that the major parties would have about 20-50 seats each that they could hand out to anyone they liked, with no input from the electorate. Imagine who FF would decide to have represent the country..

I thought that was the Seanad!