How to Express our Displeasure with Politicians & Media

pjohnson · 18-08-2018 6:17pm

Idbatterim wrote: »

Look, they simply don’t give a **** if they won’t lose votes or their seats. Presently, the only option is to vote renua. If you won’t vote for them because of other issues, suit yourself. This scandal dwarfs all others in the state currently in my opinion...

If they are the solution why did they fail?

Idbatterim · 18-08-2018 6:20pm

animaal wrote: »

Our form of democracy, with Proportional Representation, facilitates coalitions. If the only parties in power are Centre and Left parties, then government policy will always be left-leaning.

If we had a combination of Left and Right in power, we'd be more likely to have balanced policy. Or even if we had centre/left and centre/right coalitions over the years, we'd see some policy swings, but a more balanced centre situation in the long run.

But the Irish continually reject right-leaning parties. The PDs ran out of support in 2009. Renua never got off the ground because people felt stronger about the stance of some of the party's members on abortion than about the party's economic policies.

The result is the situation we have today. If there's a block of people who don't feel represented today, it's because that block of people didn't vote in their own economic interests.

excellent post. An Irish right oarty, the pd’s or renua with say fg or fg, would only have us in the center. That’s the thing, we need an Irish “radical” part to balance things. This party would be deemed centrist anywhere else !

18-08-2018 6:22pm

Ten Pin wrote: »

where are they getting all their money from?

Politicians

.. Their job? :rolleyes:

Idbatterim · 18-08-2018 6:25pm

pjohnson wrote: »

If they are the solution why did they fail?

The idiot public for the most part and they said as much. I’d agree. The flat rate policy was jumped on. Too much for the typical voter here to get their head around. They’ve abandoned that now, they are against welfare increases and support income tax cuts.

They should be pushing usc abolition. They can be a nothing party and might win a few seats or they can take a gamble that the publicity usc abolition would bring, particularly in this climate, might be a big voter winner and get them a lot of publicity. Usc abolition doesn’t take much to get your head around for average joe voter !

Bear in mind that they now receive over 200k a year state funding, they didn’t the last time round. Also bear in mind, working people are more f**cked off than ever with welfare island ...

Turnipman · 18-08-2018 6:25pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Pensioners are richer now than working people. Is it OK to say that?

As a pensioner I am happy to confirm that you are 100% correct.

It is an absolute disgrace that my children are being screwed for tax, usc and PRSI to fund my comfortable lifestyle.

But what is a far far bigger disgrace is that FF's resident cretin Willie "big nose" O'Dea wants the government to give pensioners a further €5 increase in the coming budget. :mad:

I don't want it, don't need it but will take it if it comes and will give it straight back to to my kids

Noveight · 18-08-2018 6:28pm

That woman is on over a grand a week tax free on social welfare. Wouldn’t do you any good to think about it.

pjohnson · 18-08-2018 6:28pm

Idbatterim wrote: »

The idiot public for the most part and they said as much. I’d agree. The flat rate policy was jumped on. Too much for the typical voter here to get their head around. They’ve abandoned that now, they are against welfare increases and support income tax cuts.

They should be pushing usc abolition. They can be a nothing party and might win a few seats or they can take a gamble that the publicity usc abolition would bring, particularly in this climate, might be a big voter winner and get them a lot of publicity. Usc abolition doesn’t take much to get your head around for average joe voter !

Bear in mind that they now receive over 200k a year state funding, they didn’t the last time round. Also bear in mind, working people are more f**cked off than ever with welfare island ...

Ah so the majority is wrong? You would propose what voting system then to ensure the minority get to decide?

Spanish Eyes · 18-08-2018 6:29pm

Does anyone else think it is strange that a Government of FG (although minority with supply from FF,) is trying to straddle both sides of the fence? Labour in fairness is gone now.

They should be supporting those who contribute. But they speak out of both sides of their mouths really.

I think we should just have a totally Left Government and be done with it. That is what the optics are to me from the current crowd anyway, and I am not one bit impressed with them.

Best thing to do is go to your local FG "clinic" where the TD will be there and have a good oul rant. They might be relieved that you are not looking for a six bed house though, and laugh it off.

I don't care, we have a Minister in our constituency and I will be there toot sweet when they return from their holliers. At least I can say it face to face.

tayto lover · 18-08-2018 6:33pm

Turnipman wrote: »

As a pensioner I am happy to confirm that you are 100% correct.

It is an absolute disgrace that my children are being screwed for tax, usc and PRSI to fund my comfortable lifestyle.

But what is a far far bigger disgrace is that FF's resident cretin Willie "big nose" O'Dea wants the government to give pensioners a further €5 increase in the coming budget. :mad:

I don't want it, don't need it but will take it if it comes and will give it straight back to to my kids

That's what we all do I presume.
We help our children.

dxhound2005 · 18-08-2018 6:35pm

Ten Pin wrote: »

There are some people in the country who want everything for nothing, scrounge off every one else and waste all their money on the latest trendy clothes and gadgets. Driving around in latest model 4x4, where are they getting all their money from? They're already dragging the country down and won't be content until they've ruined it altogether. A total scourge on society.

There's only one word to describe them...

Politicians

The good thing is that there are only 1167 of them, all on temporary contracts.

18-08-2018 6:35pm

I dont mind increasing the SW payments.. but really not at the expense of an increase in tax on working people.

I live in a council estate. See the losers of society all the time. Sitting around the garden drinking and doing drugs on any given sunny day. throw their rubbish all over the place and have a giggle to themselves when the Council show up to clean the area.

Every Children's Allowance day they're queuing down at Centra for the deals on drink and stocking up for the 'childrens allowance' party they plan to have. Down to the Community Welfare Officer every couple of months for an exceptional needs payment for a new fridge or washing machine because the old one is knackered (ie; their friend wants a new one cos it broke, So Mr Dole gets the Welfare cheque, buys the washing machine and sells it to his friend for half the RRP). Back to school coming around; Book scheme is a pittance, and Aldi have a full uniform for €20, but somehow it's all too expensive and the months and months of notice they had that it was coming around didn't give them enough time to plan for it. Need to get some Welfare help to pay for it.

Meanwhile, In Casa-de-KKV, I am self employed, not really making enough money to justify self-employment, but I'll take what I'm given. Can afford to buy my house within the estate (cos it's a sh/thole, and sold at a discount) but can't afford to move out of it (ie; stuck here).

When my self employment dries up, and I have to go looking for the hand of SW to help me out, I'll be laughed at.

Of course the reason this issue won't be protested is the same reason the protest against increasing motor insurance flopped. The people against it have jobs and don't have time to be standing around the streets with 'funny' ( :rolleyes: )Father Ted signs on their day off.

The J Stands for Jay · 18-08-2018 6:38pm

tayto lover wrote: »

All guff but no solution.

The solution is to reverse the pension increases that bought the grey vote on the boom times and adjust it for inflation since then. The rate is ridiculously high.

Idbatterim · 18-08-2018 6:43pm

pjohnson wrote: »

Ah so the majority is wrong? You would propose what voting system then to ensure the minority get to decide?

No I’m sure the average Irish voter could bore you to death on tax policy and the implications of each... all it takes is one idiot left winger politician to say it’s benefits Ireland’s elites on 50,000 plus and the herd will follow ...

Turnipman · 18-08-2018 6:44pm

tayto lover wrote: »

That's what we all do I presume.
We help our children.

So what do childless pensioners do with their undeserved windfall of wealth transfer from the working demographic?

pjohnson · 18-08-2018 6:46pm

Idbatterim wrote: »

No I’m sure the average Irish voter could bore you to death on tax policy and the implications of each... all it takes is one idiot left winger politician to say it’s benefits Ireland’s elites on 50,000 plus and the herd will follow ...

So just complain on boards it is. You seem to believe there is no change possible.

Idbatterim · 18-08-2018 6:48pm

ILl tell you what I am getting a great kick out of. Decades of idiotic policy, vote buying. Is now coming back to bite them in the ass. The economy is booming and there is duck all to give anyone. Unlike during the boom, massive welfare increases here, tax reductions there. It’s all fine and dandy when everyone is doing ok. But with reduced living standards for many hard workers, I don’t think they are just going to sit back for much longer and watch this **** show unfold!

The increase in our oap population is going to be massive over the coming years, if like to see where they are going to pull the money out of their asses to pay for it !

All the benefits they get and the explosion there is going to be in them v the joke wage jobs they young are getting and the pittance oaidcin income taxes on them. This is going to get very interesting...

AndrewJRenko · 18-08-2018 10:36pm

Idbatterim wrote: »

Presently, the only option is to vote renua.

GarIT wrote: »

Yes, I've lived on a little less than €50 for four years throughout university.

Really lived independently on that? Funded your transport, your laundry, your leccy and gas bills and all that on €50 a week?

GarIT wrote: »

I'm not saying they work, just that they shouldn't be happening. Social welfare money shouldn't be used on alcohol or cigarettes. If it is used on that people will then complain that they are struggling to survive on the dole and not mentioned the night out they paid for that caused them to be struggling. I rarely drank in college, there were weeks I could have bought a bottle of vodka in Aldi for €11 but I made the mature decision to keep the money as I might need it later, I know others that didn't and then complained about how they had no money.

Do you think that maybe when we're screwing around with public money and people's lives, we should focus on things that work, not things to make us feel better?

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Does anyone else think it is strange that a Government of FG (although minority with supply from FF,) is trying to straddle both sides of the fence? Labour in fairness is gone now.

They should be supporting those who contribute. But they speak out of both sides of their mouths really.

I think we should just have a totally Left Government and be done with it. That is what the optics are to me from the current crowd anyway, and I am not one bit impressed with them.

Best thing to do is go to your local FG "clinic" where the TD will be there and have a good oul rant. They might be relieved that you are not looking for a six bed house though, and laugh it off.

I don't care, we have a Minister in our constituency and I will be there toot sweet when they return from their holliers. At least I can say it face to face.

We have a 'do-nothing' Government at present, given the dependance on the Culchie Alliance and FF. FG can't do their usual 'hard decisions' stuff, and no-one else can get anything through the Dáil, so it's just a matter of keeping the ship afloat until the next election.

GarIT · 18-08-2018 11:09pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Really lived independently on that? Funded your transport, your laundry, your leccy and gas bills and all that on €50 a week?

Do you think that maybe when we're screwing around with public money and people's lives, we should focus on things that work, not things to make us feel better?

Yeah. I didn't have to pay rent, and my SUSI grant was something like €2630 per year. It wasn't pleasant, I mostly ate cereal at home, the religious people in the school sold basic chicken rolls for €1.50 and aldi had microwavable dinners for about the same. I had a special type of gas it was called "put on more clothes". I'm not saying it was pleasant, but I was a student so the social welfare didn't give a ****, students don't matter in this country we treat them worse than anyone else, everything assumes they have parents to pay for **** for them, if they don't then maybe they should just give up on college and go on the dole is the response they give.

Living on €50 is barely manageable and I wouldn't wish it on most people but if you've been on the dole for 10 years with no disability than it's all you deserve. That would probably never be accepted in this country, so maybe €100 would be more realistic, but still we need a system of social welfare payments being reduced over time.

We already make decisions on what you can and can't buy. If you go in looking for the emergency payment (which they won't give to a student) because you want a new TV you'll get nothing, if you say you need a new washing machine you'll get it. If someone who has been on the dole for years wants a weekly payment we shouldn't be paying for their leisure activities, if there only on it up to a certain number of years give them cash, after that it should be food and bills vouchers.

Idbatterim · 18-08-2018 11:16pm

Mad talk. They deserve endless hand outs with no questions asked. Christ they are lucky they live in the worlds most apathetic country. Christ I deal with a lot of europeans and that kind of opting out and living a nice relatively cushy life isn’t an option in those countries...

Kivaro · 20-08-2018 12:43pm

Niall Boylan (4FM) is on the radio at the moment talking about Fine Gael TD Regina Doherty's plan to hit working people with more taxes in order to pay for social welfare increases.

While we should express our displeasure by contacting Fine Gael and Regina Doherty about this particular issue; conversely we should support politicians and the media when they express views that reflects the thinking of the majority of the Irish people.

Reminder on how to contact Regina Doherty:
Email address is here: regina.doherty@oir.ie
Other contact information for her is here.
And the Fine Gael party can be contacted here: finegael@finegael.ie

AndrewJRenko · 20-08-2018 9:20pm

GarIT wrote: »

Yeah. I didn't have to pay rent, and my SUSI grant was something like €2630 per year.

So that was your sole income for the year then? No summer jobs, no weekend jobs? And no other support from parents or partner, like laundry or food parcels or new clothes or phone bill or TV licence?

Kivaro wrote: »

the media when they express views that reflects the thinking of the majority of the Irish people.

If Niall Boylan reflected the thinking of the majority of the Irish people, Renua (or the PDs before them) would be running majority governments. That didn't happen.

ChikiChiki · 20-08-2018 9:31pm

I emailed the Regina Doherty the other day about the proposed PRSI increases and got this back from her private secretary.

"Regina Doherty T.D., Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has asked me to acknowledge receipt of your recent e-mail, the contents of which have been noted"

I'm presuming it's a generic response and others have received same.

dxhound2005 · 20-08-2018 9:34pm

ChikiChiki wrote: »

I emailed the Regina Doherty the other day about the proposed PRSI increases and got this back from her private secretary.

"Regina Doherty T.D., Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has asked me to acknowledge receipt of your recent e-mail, the contents of which have been noted"

I'm presuming it's a generic response and others have received same.

You got a polite response because you sent a polite e mail. The ones that threatened to murder her family probably got something less pleasant.

tom1ie · 21-08-2018 2:39pm

animaal wrote: »

Our form of democracy, with Proportional Representation, facilitates coalitions. If the only parties in power are Centre and Left parties, then government policy will always be left-leaning.

If we had a combination of Left and Right in power, we'd be more likely to have balanced policy. Or even if we had centre/left and centre/right coalitions over the years, we'd see some policy swings, but a more balanced centre situation in the long run.

But the Irish continually reject right-leaning parties. The PDs ran out of support in 2009. Renua never got off the ground because people felt stronger about the stance of some of the party's members on abortion than about the party's economic policies.

The result is the situation we have today. If there's a block of people who don't feel represented today, it's because that block of people didn't vote in their own economic interests.

Yes but I want an economic right but socially left party, as do most of the silent majority. Why the hell is it all or nothing with the right? Renua got rejected because they were anti abortion and pro church. Ridiculous stances in a modern society. (Not sure what they were like on immigration but I get the impression it wasn't pro)
However their economic policies were in the main spot on.
Why dont we have a right leaning party that can get this mix right? It would sweep to power on a majority.

Idbatterim · 21-08-2018 2:43pm

pjohnson wrote: »

So just complain on boards it is. You seem to believe there is no change possible.

of course there is change possible! I am actually busy running several small companies. Any chance of a bit of hypocrisy there?

Idbatterim · 21-08-2018 2:45pm

tom1ie wrote: »

Yes but I want an economic right but socially left party, as do most of the silent majority. Why the hell is it all or nothing with the right? Renua got rejected because they were anti abortion and pro church. Ridiculous stances in a modern society. (Not sure what they were like on immigration but I get the impression it wasn't pro)
However their economic policies were in the main spot on.
Why dont we have a right leaning party that can get this mix right? It would sweep to power on a majority.

the abortion debate is over. Their social stance is irrelevant at this time. They would be against the stance of all others they would share power with. They could be relevant on economics, they wouldnt at all be on social issues.

Idbatterim · 21-08-2018 2:47pm

Why dont we have a right leaning party that can get this mix right? It would sweep to power on a majority.

I would love to have a crystal ball and know the answer as to how such a party would do. I reckon they could be 20% or so of the vote, MAYBE the biggest party, but I doubt it...

You need more than just good policies... That on its own wont do much...

tom1ie · 21-08-2018 2:55pm

Idbatterim wrote: »

the abortion debate is over. Their social stance is irrelevant at this time. They would be against the stance of all others they would share power with. They could be relevant on economics, they wouldnt at all be on social issues.

How can they be relevant on economic issues but not on social? There’s always, always a way around laws so that if Renua were to get in (very remote now) they could make it very hard to get an abortion etc etc.

Idbatterim · 21-08-2018 3:00pm

tom1ie wrote: »

How can they be relevant on economic issues but not on social? There’s always, always a way around laws so that if Renua were to get in (very remote now) they could make it very hard to get an abortion etc etc.

because they could pull FG to the centre, instead of FF or any other party dragging them to the left on welfare. The social thing, they are done, ireland is moving further and further away from the church etc. Their ship has sailed...

animaal · 21-08-2018 3:05pm

tom1ie wrote: »

Yes but I want an economic right but socially left party, as do most of the silent majority. Why the hell is it all or nothing with the right?

Very few will agree with any party on everything. But that's how our system works. The citizen doesn't get a say in every issue. We elect people who agree to follow a particular party's range of positions, not all of which we will agree with.

People have to decide what's most important to them when looking at the policies of the available parties. And it seems for people who lean to the right, financial issues are always low on the list of priorities.

The abortion issue is settled but people will find another reason not to vote for any right-leaning party, even when it's in their own economic interest.

How to Express our Displeasure with Politicians & Media

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