GE2020: Kildare North

Lastblackdog

boardbeer wrote: »

On the M4 bus lane thing, I don't see how this can be provided without a change to the law, as the Road Traffic regs do not allow for Bus Lanes that are not also Cycle lanes, and bicycles aren't allowed on motorways (you may have seen a bus/bike lane sign with the bike painted out, e.g., on the N4 outbound just after the M50 r/bout: this has no legal basis).

Can you just imagine a herd of MAMIL's jostling each other to get to the front of the pack as cars and trucks whiz past them at 120kh! Doesn't bear thinking about.

lordgoat

L1011 wrote: »

Outbound does not have anywhere near the same congestion issues and will likely be fully relieved by a third lane

Outbound on the N4 is pretty bad most evenings after 5.

Also adding extra lanes in general doesn't fix traffic issues. N7 case in point. N4 will be a disaster during the widening road works with no huge benefit afterwards due to the amount of planned housing on the route.

L1011

lordgoat wrote: »

Outbound on the N4 is pretty bad most evenings after 5.

Also adding extra lanes in general doesn't fix traffic issues. N7 case in point. N4 will be a disaster during the widening road works with no huge benefit afterwards due to the amount of planned housing on the route.

N7 outbound has been hugely improved. Inbound is unfixable as the roads further in are at capacity - rail capacity has to be provided instead. Same with the N4

Seth Brundle

In both the M4 and M7 cases it would have been better to invest in better public transport options rather than build a wider road and people still spend hours sitting causing tailbacks

Either way, were getting away from the crap choice of politicians in Kildare North

Lastblackdog

Seth Brundle wrote: »

In both the M4 and M7 cases it would have been better to invest in better public transport options rather than build a wider road and people still spend hours sitting causing tailbacks

Either way, were getting away from the crap choice of politicians in Kildare North

I agree. However better public transport must include park-n-ride facilities.

Tomrota

lordgoat wrote: »

Outbound on the N4 is pretty bad most evenings after 5.

Also adding extra lanes in general doesn't fix traffic issues. N7 case in point. N4 will be a disaster during the widening road works with no huge benefit afterwards due to the amount of planned housing on the route.

The widening has improved traffic heading toward Naas on the N7. Toward Dublin has gotten worse but that’s to expected. That is impossible to fix without public transport, which is virtually nonexistent. Park and ride + DART station + affordable bus services beside the Naas ball would sort a huge amount of the problems with that road.

Of course, the DART line will need to connect with metro lines, luas lines, etc. In the city. Until that happens, the traffic will continue to worsen.

L1011

Tomrota wrote: »

Of course, the DART line will need to connect with metro lines, luas lines, etc. In the city. Until that happens, the traffic will continue to worsen.

The Glasnevin hub will do nearly all of this if they build it as proposed. Metro and Irish Rail all line swap Maynooth/Celbridge/Connolly/Docklands; and Luas Red walking distance if you came on a train that didn't already stop at Broomebridge. And there'll be a BusConnects bus from Hazelhatch to Confey stations picking up all those estates in between with crap bus services and too far for many to want to walk.

Its quite obvious from their manifesto and transport spokesman statement that FF have zero intention of proceeding with existing transport plans as they're tainted by being seen as FG plans though; so if they get in without a significant block of others to keep them away from it we're getting nothing this side of 2030.

Mantis Toboggan

Is lawlor the only Naas candidate?

L1011

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Is lawlor the only Naas candidate?

Lawless would also be seen as a Naas candidate.

Tomrota

L1011 wrote: »

Lawless would also be seen as a Naas candidate.

Doesn’t Vincent live in Naas?

L1011

Tomrota wrote: »

Doesn’t Vincent live in Naas?

Yes. Forgot him!

The basically anonymous independent Monahan also does.

Orion

L1011 wrote: »

Lawless would also be seen as a Naas candidate.

As would Martin.

marieholmfan

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Is lawlor the only Naas candidate?

Vincent P Martin lives in Naas.

L1011 wrote: »

Lawless would also be seen as a Naas candidate.

He's Sallins; which is fine for people who don't mind that sort of thing.

scheister

Bernard Durkan and Anthony Lawlor both got 11/10 now for last seat, with Martin gone 5/4 nice 3 ways shoot out for last seat. SF gone from 6/1 to 4/1 for the last seat

rosiem

Scoundrel wrote: »

Thanks for that I'll give them a pity preference each so while leaving FG FF and Labour blank as I always do. Renua will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history where it belongs and I'm sure we can all look forward to Mr Ó Ríain standing as an Aontú candidate in the future.

Can I ask in this as it has always confused me is it better to fill in the full voting sheet down to the lowest number of preference ? or only give preference numbers to those you prefer and leave blanks instead of low numbers to people you would not like to see in

Want to make sure I use my vote as best I can just not sure how to do that

L1011

rosiem wrote: »

Can I ask in this as it has always confused me is it better to fill in the full voting sheet down to the lowest number of preference ? or only give preference numbers to those you prefer and leave blanks instead of low numbers to people you would not like to see in

Want to make sure I use my vote as best I can just not sure how to do that

Preferences all the way down until you simply cannot countenance any of the remaining people equally. Or "Vote til you boke" as its been described by NI/Scottish commentators!

Basically, if you find that you really, really don't want to vote for Professor Plum but REALLY REALLY REALLY don't want to vote for Miss Scarlet and Captain Peacock, you should still give Plum your final preference as it would reduce the chances of Scarlet/Peacock getting in.

I've given preferences to people incredibly far down and who I would never even consider voting for in other voting systems because of there being even worse candidates; and I've also given a single 1 and no transfers in another election.

scheister

rosiem wrote: »

Can I ask in this as it has always confused me is it better to fill in the full voting sheet down to the lowest number of preference ? or only give preference numbers to those you prefer and leave blanks instead of low numbers to people you would not like to see in

Want to make sure I use my vote as best I can just not sure how to do that

It is a quirk of the system we have I will always vote down the ticket. In a contest with 12 runners normally i select the top 4 and last 4 as they are easiest middle 4 are the hardest. The bottom 4 can be hard as i hate them all so its a case of who is the best of the worst.

Where people can confused is the old idea of by not voting down the ticket you could get someone elected you dont want. To explain in North Kildare last seat comes down to Renua v PBP. Like above we have 12 people running.
PBP are 200 votes ahead and 500 are to be transfered if possible.

So to get the seat reuna need to get 201 votes more then PBP. Assuming all 500 are transferable they need roughly 70% of the votes

If 200 people stopped at 10 and did not give either a preference. Renua still need 201 more then PBO votes but only have a possible 300 votes. so assuming all are transferable they need 251 or 83% of the votes. So uf those 200 consider Renua a better option then PBP but it is a if the world was ending and i had to pick one of them id pick renua type of thing. Gave Renua an 11 instead of stopping a 10 they would do their best to prevent PBP getting the seat.

Scoundrel

rosiem wrote: »

Can I ask in this as it has always confused me is it better to fill in the full voting sheet down to the lowest number of preference ? or only give preference numbers to those you prefer and leave blanks instead of low numbers to people you would not like to see in

Want to make sure I use my vote as best I can just not sure how to do that

I personally only give preferences for candidates/parties I agree with in some way i'll never vote for FF or FG ever or renua aontu or any of the other assorted right wing nutjobs. PS a renua leaflet landed in the post today was swiftly deposited into the bin they must be using the last of their money from the state to send them out.

marieholmfan

I've decided I don't want to give FG any preferences this time (was never going to give a preference to O'Rourke and after spreading misinformation about Lawless only claiming five grand I'm not voting for him).

Thing is i would rather lawlor or durkin than frank or lawless.

buffalo

I got James Lawless' four-page flyer in the door today. The environment is high on my list of policy priorities, so I was interested to see what he had under a heading of 'PROVEN TRACK RECORD ON THE ENVIRONMENT' (his caps). His number one item is "Campaigning for better public transport since 2004" and number two is "Secured recycling bins in Sallins in 2008".

Campaigning doesn't make for a track record to me, so his number one actual achievement is from more than a decade ago? Further down he has a list of measures he's supported in the Dáil, but presumably he didn't propose any of them or that would be highlighted.

I'm only in Kildare a little over a year now, but none of these candidates bar Catherine Murphy has made any sort of decent impression on me in that period. The recent campaign has helped me get to know them a bit better, but I'm not seeing anyone really stand out.

marieholmfan

buffalo wrote: »

I got James Lawless' four-page flyer in the door today. The environment is high on my list of policy priorities, so I was interested to see what he had under a heading of 'PROVEN TRACK RECORD ON THE ENVIRONMENT' (his caps). His number one item is "Campaigning for better public transport since 2004" and number two is "Secured recycling bins in Sallins in 2008".

Campaigning doesn't make for a track record to me, so his number one actual achievement is from more than a decade ago? Further down he has a list of measures he's supported in the Dáil, but presumably he didn't propose any of them or that would be highlighted.

I'm only in Kildare a little over a year now, but none of these candidates bar Catherine Murphy has made any sort of decent impression on me in that period. The recent campaign has helped me get to know them a bit better, but I'm not seeing anyone really stand out.

You're not alone in that assessment!

L1011

Got the litir from that Monahan candidate today. Almost solely focused on mental health services and Naas specifically.

Fall_Guy

Scoundrel wrote: »

I personally only give preferences for candidates/parties I agree with in some way i'll never vote for FF or FG ever or renua aontu or any of the other assorted right wing nutjobs. PS a renua leaflet landed in the post today was swiftly deposited into the bin they must be using the last of their money from the state to send them out.

If you are truly opposed to ff, fg, renua, aontu etc you are doing yourself a disservice by not voting all the way down the list. The STV system gives you the power to potentially hinder those you oppose as well as help those you support, and by not voting all the way down you forfeit that power.

I do my vote in reverse order, starting with my least favoured candidate and work my way back up!

Mantis Toboggan

Not a big FG fan but I will give Lawlor a preference as he's the only one who bothered to call and made promises on sorting out the ring road. Apart from that I'll be voting Sinn Fein number one.

pad199207

I’ve always voted for the same candidate and party in Kildare North, but this is the first time I’ve swinged.

Seth Brundle

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Not a big FG fan but I will give Lawlor a preference as he's the only one who bothered to call and made promises on sorting out the ring road. Apart from that I'll be voting Sinn Fein number one.

Honestly, you should vote for someone based on their parties policies, not on public appearances.

Mantis Toboggan

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Honestly, you should vote for someone based on their parties policies, not on public appearances.

As I said I'm voting Sinn Fein.

marieholmfan

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Honestly, you should vote for someone based on their parties policies, not on public appearances.

I dont agree. You can vote however you want for any reason you want

ShyMets

With Sinn Fein surging in the polls does anyone reckon Réada Cronin has a chance.

Scoundrel

Fall_Guy wrote: »

If you are truly opposed to ff, fg, renua, aontu etc you are doing yourself a disservice by not voting all the way down the list. The STV system gives you the power to potentially hinder those you oppose as well as help those you support, and by not voting all the way down you forfeit that power.

I do my vote in reverse order, starting with my least favoured candidate and work my way back up!

I'll be giving my preferences all the way down apart from the above mentioned I just couldn't stomach giving any of them a preference of any sort even a 6 or 7.