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

muffler

The local elections are coming up on May 23rd. So with that in mind, what are the local Donegal issues that are important to you and that you would like to see your local candidates address?

If someone knocked on your door looking for your vote, what would you ask them? What local issues affect you? Do you think local government is effective? Are you satisfied with your current local government? What can a candidate do to win your support?

Over the course of the campaign Boards is going to try to engage with local election candidates and run Q&A sessions with them, so this is your first chance to tell them what you'll be asking them should they call to your door.

Obviously there's potential for this thread to become contentious, so a couple of ground rules:

NO politician bashing - this isn't about slagging off X candidate or Y party, it's about getting proper discussion going on what issues face the Donegal area and what the candidates can expect to be grilled on.

NO politicians - feel free to keep an eye on this thread, but you'll get your chance later. This thread is for your potential future constituents only.

Political affiliations - if you're going to be involved in campaigning for a candidate or in the organisation of any party/group's campaign, you must declare this in your first post in this thread.

We'd like this thread to focus on the issues you feel are important in your area, as such, if you wish to debate an issue raised by another poster, please create a separate thread here in the Donegal forum.

TroutMask

recycling plastics, accountability, Joe 90

Broxi_Bear_Eire

What are they doing to bring jobs to the area and what do they see that needs done to improve the infrastructure and how they would go about achieving it

Flibbles

Will they follow through on their promises?

Is there any point voting one over the others?

Are they going to blindly follow the policies of whatever political party they've decided to be a part of, then claim it's out of their hands?

Will they threaten us with things like turning off street lights at night, then waste ridiculous sums of money on nothing?


These can apply to general elections as well.

TroutMask

fluoride

muffler

Note to self: Always check content of someone elses post before copying and pasting

guttenberg

You had me confused there!

Flibbles

Does anyone know where we can get a list of candidates, and some kind of press release/statement of their views on various issues? Even just a list of candidates would be useful.

muffler

Flibbles wrote: »

Does anyone know where we can get a list of candidates, and some kind of press release/statement of their views on various issues? Even just a list of candidates would be useful.

The final date for nominations is still a few weeks away....3/05/2014 to be exact so there wont be an official list as such until after that date. - see here

However a couple of the parties have already selected their candidates for the various electoral areas and the respective party websites may contain the list.

But I think we are going to see quite a few independents running this time so it will be May before we know the starting lineup.

annascott

potholes

ednwireland

is it time for this yet ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY

actually i don't know what to ask them as they will all lie through their teeth n the doorstep so anything they say will be irrelevant

supersonic64

Ask them if the circus that was the council meetings will continue.
I will also ask any Independent candidates if when elected, they will jump
ship to one of the main parties ala O'Domhnaill last time out.

.17hmr

Ask them why they didnt read the sign at the gate (before setting my dog on them.

Penfailed

TroutMask wrote: »

fluoride

That's my big issue of the moment...along with fracking.

opiniated

I'll put it this way - they're likely to run away before I get halfway down the list!:D

I'll start with the number of junior doctors in Letterkenny Hospital, move to unemployment, educational opportunities - and if they're still on the doorstep, enquire whether they're going to represent the people who elected them/toe the party line/forget every promise they made while on the election trail.

If they're still around after that lot, the economy is next up!:D:D

echo beach

opiniated wrote: »

I'll start with the number of junior doctors in Letterkenny Hospital, move to unemployment, educational opportunities - and if they're still on the doorstep, enquire whether they're going to represent the people who elected them/toe the party line/forget every promise they made while on the election trail.

The thread is about the local elections. Do you think the people elected will any ANY power to deal with the issues you mention?
To mention just the first - the lack of doctors to fill posts in Letterkenny hospital. The Minister for Health, who is the person responsible, has basically thrown up his hands at this. The money is there to pay them, the posts are approved but nobody wants them. This is a national problem, with many other hospitals affected, although most not as badly. It is a consequence of years, decades even, of poor planning and lack of foresight.
How to you suggest a single county councillor would solve it?

Firblog

I'd like to see they way that business rates are charged being changed. Instead of charging the business that's operating in a building, charge the person/business that owns the property.
If the building is empty the rates should still be collected, this will incentivise the owner of the building to rent for a reasonable amount as they will be incurring costs all the time it is empty. This should help revitalise town centres/main streets (should perhaps bring about lower the rents). It also has the added benefit of enabling the council collect all monies owing from rates as a lean can be put on the building when rates are outstanding; although this money will probably be wasted anyway.

Also the council should have to publish the name of any company and the amount paid on tenders for goods/services. A bit of transparancy here would be good, and none of the 'sensitive commercial information' crap should be allowed to block it, if you don't want to this information known, don't compete for the contract...

donegal11

Firblog wrote: »

I'd like to see they way that business rates are charged being changed. Instead of charging the business that's operating in a building, charge the person/business that owns the property.
If the building is empty the rates should still be collected, this will incentivise the owner of the building to rent for a reasonable amount as they will be incurring costs all the time it is empty. This should help revitalise town centres/main streets (should perhaps bring about lower the rents). It also has the added benefit of enabling the council collect all monies owing from rates as a lean can be put on the building when rates are outstanding; although this money will probably be wasted anyway.

That all very well but I'd say some units could be rent free and you'd still find it hard to make a living wage. People just don't have the money to spend these days.

Firblog

donegal11 wrote: »

That all very well but I'd say some units could be rent free and you'd still find it hard to make a living wage. People just don't have the money to spend these days.

Don't know where I said that it would be a panacea for all business ills, but perhaps you would agree that these ideas would do no harm and might even help things a little...

Oh and hope things brighten up for you

opiniated

echo beach wrote: »

The thread is about the local elections. Do you think the people elected will any ANY power to deal with the issues you mention?
To mention just the first - the lack of doctors to fill posts in Letterkenny hospital. The Minister for Health, who is the person responsible, has basically thrown up his hands at this. The money is there to pay them, the posts are approved but nobody wants them. This is a national problem, with many other hospitals affected, although most not as badly. It is a consequence of years, decades even, of poor planning and lack of foresight.
How to you suggest a single county councillor would solve it?

Firstly, apologies for the delay in replying. I'm having a lot of firsthand experience of hospitals recently due to serious illness of a family member.

I haven't suggested that any one councillor can solve the problems - I just want to know that one of them actually cares!
When LGH was flooded, we had a steady stream of politicians strolling around the place. Just because the A&E has re-opened doesn't mean that the problems are all solved.
Realistically, there are a lot of doctors in the country.
No other hospital seems to have as much difficulty as LGH in recruiting junior doctors. There's a reason for that - and I want to know what it is.
That will require some hard questions - and the current politicians, of all political persuasions seem to be content to let Dr Reilly throw his hands up, as you phrased it yourself.
It's true that councillors have limited power - but is that a reason for them to ignore the situation? Or is it a reason to seek cross-party consensus to put pressure on the government?

echo beach

opiniated wrote: »

Firstly, apologies for the delay in replying. I'm having a lot of firsthand experience of hospitals recently due to serious illness of a family member.

Sorry to hear about your relative. It is only when you are forced to spend a lot of time around hospitals that you see how bad the situation is.

I haven't suggested that any one councillor can solve the problems - I just want to know that one of them actually cares!

I'm sure they care but it is only when you have experience that you know what you need to care about and you are right to say that those of us who have been there must bring it to the attention of those who want to represent us.

It's true that councillors have limited power - but is that a reason for them to ignore the situation? Or is it a reason to seek cross-party consensus to put pressure on the government?

The problem is that if everybody supports improved healthcare (and what wantabee politician will say that they don't?) who do you vote for? FG and Lab say vote for us because we are in power and can do something. Everybody else says vote for us because they are the shower causing the problems.
It isn't easy to know what to do but the successful campaign to retain a children's diabetic nurse proves that the public, not politicians, can change things. However it took an enormous amount of work and it isn't easy to mobilise that sort of support for other issues.

muffler

The full list of candidates in all Electoral Areas in Donegal can be viewed here

One little thing that I have noticed. Not one of the sitting councilors has yet to visit my door but instead they have sent others out on their behalf. Poor form I have to say.

L1011

muffler wrote: »

The full list of candidates in all Electoral Areas in Donegal can be viewed here

One little thing that I have noticed. Not one of the sitting councilors has yet to visit my door but instead they have sent others out on their behalf. Poor form I have to say.

Are you registered at that house? Most of the sitting councillors would have access to the full electoral roll and skip houses with nobody registered; new candidates don't. I'm registered at my parents still due to sheer laziness and as a result have had SF, FF who've nobody in around here (twice! didn't get enough of an earbashing the first time clearly), PBPA and Ronan Mullen's people around but no FG or Labour; however my parents have had both.

muffler

MYOB wrote: »

Are you registered at that house?

I certainly am and have been for longer than I care to remember.

I would know 4 of the 5 sitting cllrs personally and Im disappointed that they have failed to call in person. Its not just me as none of them have called with the neighbours either. To date, the sitting cllrs have all sent others out on their behalf. Im not saying that they aren't out themselves but they haven't visited my area.

It's a little sad when you see one particular cllr sending 4 or 5 girls (teens / early 20's approx) to the doorsteps. How would we expect to get answers from them?

danniemcq

muffler wrote: »

It's a little sad when you see one particular cllr sending 4 or 5 girls (teens / early 20's approx) to the doorsteps. How would we expect to get answers from them?

...

ummmmm

L1011

There's also the issue of sheer size of the new areas now for actually pressing the flesh in person across them. Old wards were smaller.

muffler

MYOB wrote: »

There's also the issue of sheer size of the new areas now for actually pressing the flesh in person across them. Old wards were smaller.

Same size as they were in 2009

opiniated

I haven't seen one candidate in person, either - and one of the candidates lives a mile down the road! (Mind you, he also knows I'm not going to vote for him.:))

I've had canvassing material for three candidates through the post - the same three who had canvassers come to my door.

Otherwise, it's been remarkably quiet!
I've never seen such a low-key campaign, which is surprising considering there are two elections.

Maybe none of them really want the job. :P

solas111

There are numerous local issues such as lack of infrastructure and poor services that I am raising with the canvassers......... I have seen plenty of elections over the years where many people didn’t care and often did not bother to go out to vote but this time people are angry and rightly so.

Mod note: Post edited to remove a national issue.

L1011

solas111 wrote: »

There are numerous local issues such as lack of infrastructure and poor services that I am raising with the canvassers......... I have seen plenty of elections over the years where many people didn’t care and often did not bother to go out to vote but this time people are angry and rightly so.

Mod note: Post edited to remove a national issue.

Neither council nor European candidates can actually do anything about water charges and any of them that claim they can are lying to you for your vote. It is a national issue only.

Banjoxed

We have a few banner type posters in Inishowen from Sinn Féin with the candidates. They must have superhuman powers over and beyond the average County Councillor because one has "Axe the Property Tax!", another "Turn off the Water Tax", ironically a near copy of a Workers' Party poster I remember from the early 1990s, and "Are you being educated for emigration? Stop the Brain Drain!"

Well quite. It's as if an overenthuastic newbie, having just recently drank the Kool-Aid and joined the Movement thought of the dumbest possible slogans that even if every SF candidate in the local and Euros got elected, hadn't a chance in hell of being implemented. Talk about raising the expectations of your voter base beyond any reasonable point. Stupid politics.

muffler

Banjoxed wrote: »

Talk about raising the expectations of your voter base beyond any reasonable point.

I would have thought that statement applies to every party and not just Sinn Fein (or shinners as you prefer to call them)

Banjoxed

muffler wrote: »

I would have thought that statement applies to every party and not just Sinn Fein (or shinners as you prefer to call them)

Okay. Changed to Sinn Féin to dodge flying snark.

muffler

Banjoxed wrote: »

Okay. Changed to Sinn Féin to dodge flying snark.

Lets not get narky so and keep to the topic at hand.

Did you ask questions of any candidates who knocked on your door and what do you feel are the important issues here in Donegal?

Banjoxed

muffler wrote: »

Lets not get narky so and keep to the topic at hand.

Did you ask questions of any candidates who knocked on your door and what do you feel are the important issues here in Donegal?

Three canvass groups knocked at my door: Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the independent Nicholas Crossan. Direct Democracy Ireland dropped a leaflet in but didn't ring the door. No other canvassers called at all.

I missed the SF canvassers as I was out, and spoke to the local FG candidate and to Mr Crossan about road works and sewage. I will be giving both a high preference. Neither candidate made any kind of hyperbolic claim about anything outside their remit.

2moreMinutes

I only got talking to four candidates at my front door. Three of them rang the bell and waited for a response while the other one rang the doorbell, immediately put a leaflet in my letterbox and had started walking back down the drive when I called him back. His leaflet had "I called and missed you" written on it even though he obviously didn't want anyone to answer the door.

I also got talking to a few others who were canvassing on behalf of candidates. The thing that struck me about these people was that they (the ones I spoke to anyway) had not got the slightest clue at all. One group was essentially a gang of teenage girls who basically told me they were told to knock once on the door, drop the leaflet in and go!

The candidates I spoke to were also poor. I'm not going to mention names as I'm not affiliated to any candidate or party and my experience with any individual isn't really relevant to anyone else.

On the issues of the property tax and commercial rates, I was told that they all wanted to either reduce them or else get rid of the property tax. When I asked what would have to then increase to make up the shortfall, I got the hilarious mixed answers of either "if those pulling in disgusting wages in Dublin were paid a lot less, we could get rid of the property tax" and " well the shortfall will have to come from somewhere else which I'll work to ensure doesn't affect ordinary people".

I also got the standard "we need more jobs for our young people and we need to reduce the costs of employing people". When quizzed on how they're gonna do that from Lifford, they're apparently all gonna lobby their party's TDs to ensure action is taken.

I'd respect those I talked to a lot more if they gave honest, realistic answers instead if the type of populist nonsense that they seem to think would get them votes.

muffler

2moreMinutes wrote: »

One group was essentially a gang of teenage girls who basically told me they were told to knock once on the door, drop the leaflet in and go!

You obviously had the same visitors as I mentioned earlier in the thread


q dannie :pac:

2moreMinutes

muffler wrote: »

You obviously had the same visitors as I mentioned earlier in the thread


q dannie :pac:

I get a little depressed when I think that I was annoyed that a group of girls were knocking on my door.

The most productive thing to come out of the whole campaign for me was an interesting talk about GAA with one candidate

muffler

Canvassing is over and we are now officially into election day so like previous years / elections lets have a little fun now with the predictions. The prize for whoever gets the most correct predictions in a single electoral area will be 5 pints at the next beers night. In reality that means the winner has to buy me 5 pints.

I'll kick this off with who I think will be elected in the Stranorlar EA........in alphabetical order:

Gerry Crawford
Gary Doherty
Liam Doherty*
Martin Harley
Frank McBrearty
Patrick McGowan


* I think it will be close between Liam Doherty and Bert Galbraith so Im just covering my ass here

supersonic64

Marie Therese Gallagher (SF)
John Sheamuis Ó Fearraigh (SF)
Seamus Ó Domhnaill (FF)
Enda Bonner (FF)
Terence Slowey (FG)
Micheal Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig (Ind)


In no particular order, I'll go with this lot for Glenties

alchemist33

Anybody know why they were just tallying today, and not actually counting the votes?

echo beach

alchemist33 wrote: »

Anybody know why they were just tallying today, and not actually counting the votes?

Good question. From looking at the results coming in from other counties it looks as if Donegal is the only one where there was no counting on the Saturday.
Given the number of runners in the Letterkenny/Milford area it is bound to be a long count so why not start as soon as possible? Open those boxes first and then start counting them while the other areas where being opened or is there a shortage of staff to do that?

muffler

echo beach wrote: »

From looking at the results coming in from other counties it looks as if Donegal is the only one where there was no counting on the Saturday.

There were a few councils around the country, maybe about 8 or so, who decided not to commence the count until today, Sunday.

K-9

muffler wrote: »

There were a few councils around the country, maybe about 8 or so, who decided not to commence the count until today, Sunday.

Apparently its a traditional thing in Donegal, going by the Sindo. Independents doing well in Letterkenny, O'Donnell elected, McGarvey and McBride doing well and looking likely and Shiels looking like he'l take one of the last seats. Cullen still an outside chance. Looks like 3 FF, 2SF, 1FG and 4 Independents.

muffler

muffler wrote: »

I'll kick this off with who I think will be elected in the Stranorlar EA........in alphabetical order:

Gerry Crawford
Gary Doherty
Liam Doherty*
Martin Harley
Frank McBrearty
Patrick McGowan

You know that old saying about self praise being no praise......it's a load of ****.

6/6 is pretty good

yourpics

Cannot understand why people have voted in FF, FG and Lab, particularly FF candidates, have they all short memories!!!

2moreMinutes

yourpics wrote: »

Cannot understand why people have voted in FF, FG and Lab, particularly FF candidates, have they all short memories!!!

Ah sure isn't it AGES since FF ruined the country.....

retalivity

2moreMinutes wrote: »

Ah sure isn't it AGES since FF ruined the country.....

"And sure he's not like them bad ones down the country, shur didn't he fix the road? His father was a great man too"

oranbhoy67

retalivity wrote: »

"And sure he's not like them bad ones down the country, shur didn't he fix the road? His father was a great man too"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY&feature=kp

cant believe people still voting for them, even worse are the ones moaning about them being voted in who didnt bother to vote

NIMAN

I think the resurgence of FF is something that sums up politics in this country.

Their sins were soon forgotten.

Banjoxed

NIMAN wrote: »

I think the resurgence of FF is something that sums up politics in this country.

Their sins were soon forgotten.

People can be greedy. And dumb. Much of politics depends on these two factors.