T McGibney
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How can they do that when a significant minority of several hundred thousand people have already for decades been paying water charges on State-promoted group water schemes?maybe they should kick the issue to touch with a consultative (i.e. not constitutionally binding) referendum on suspending the charges etc
I found it bizarre yesterday that Ruth Coppinger was nominated for Taoiseach and got the predictable handful of votes. But even more bizarre was that Wallace, Daly and Collins didn't vote for her (they were no shows for that vote). And yet she was on the radio this AM saying the people had voted for change and a Left alternative, so she wanted a new election rather than an FG/FF coalition.
Can anyone explain to me why AAA/PBP and Collins/Daly/Wallace would not be supporting each other? Is it Lenin v's Trotsky stuff?
Is it Lenin v's Trotsky stuff?
How can they do that when a significant minority of several hundred thousand people have already for decades been paying water charges on State-promoted group water schemes?
+1I don't think the last government were strong on anything. Anytime they had to make a decision that wasn't Troika directed it was a laughing stock.
It's quite clear that the coalition benefitted from an extremely benign global set of economic circumstances, and the best that can be said was that on economic front they adopted the 'do no harm' hippocratic oath.
Law and Order, Health, Housing, they did not do a good job on any of those big issues.
When was the last time any government in this state showed competence in managing the Health service?
Looking at the election promises made in 2002 and 2007 by FG & Labour, I have absolutely zero confidence they wouldn't have led the economy to the same disaster as FF.
I have absolutely zero confidence that when the Troika came to town, they wouldn't have folded exactly as FF folded and left taxpayers carrying an immoral and economically unsound deal.
It's my right as a voter to look at the last 5 years, to look at the debacle that was Irish Water, and say no, this is not something that I can give tacit sanction to by rewarding a party responsible for that with a vote. I don't think we can let a party get away scot free with that kind of conduct. There has to be payback at the voting booth because otherwise it's not entirely clear how I express my displeasure in a democratic system? In that regard, it is a fundamental issue.
The alternative would have to be a hell of a lot worse than FF for me to re-vote FG or even just to abstain.
So Wallace/Daly/Collins are StalinistsAAA/PBP see themselves as Trotskyists, personally I think they are closet Stalinists. That is they favour bottom-up control while they are on the bottom, but if they ever got into power they would quickly want to control everything themselves.
-1.I don't think the last government were strong on anything. Anytime they had to make a decision that wasn't Troika directed it was a laughing stock.
It's quite clear that the coalition benefitted from an extremely benign global set of economic circumstances, and the best that can be said was that on economic front they adopted the 'do no harm' hippocratic oath.
Law and Order, Health, Housing, they did not do a good job on any of those big issues.
When was the last time any government in this state showed competence in managing the Health service?
Looking at the election promises made in 2002 and 2007 by FG & Labour, I have absolutely zero confidence they wouldn't have led the economy to the same disaster as FF.
I have absolutely zero confidence that when the Troika came to town, they wouldn't have folded exactly as FF folded and left taxpayers carrying an immoral and economically unsound deal.
It's my right as a voter to look at the last 5 years, to look at the debacle that was Irish Water, and say no, this is not something that I can give tacit sanction to by rewarding a party responsible for that with a vote. I don't think we can let a party get away scot free with that kind of conduct. There has to be payback at the voting booth because otherwise it's not entirely clear how I express my displeasure in a democratic system? In that regard, it is a fundamental issue.
The alternative would have to be a hell of a lot worse than FF for me to re-vote FG or even just to abstain.
Why should such a minor side issue be the stumbling block for the formation of a government.
Anyone, and I mean anyone, who cast a vote in the election based on what a candidates position was on Irish water then they are a myopic fool. In the scheme of things that impact on this country and will effect our future Irish Water is utterly irrelevant. If people voted due to the broader message of the AAA/PBP then that's fair enough; they don't understand economics and are delusional but they are not necessarily stupid.
Calling Irish Water a fundamental issue is like calling a disagreement over what colour Taxis should be a fundamental issue.
The mantra that the economic recovery over the last few years was incidental to Government action and based on the "rising tide lifting all ships" philosophy is incorrect. This rising tide should also have benefitted the economies of Spain Portugal Greece etc but Ireland's pace of recovery far surpassed other EU countries and this was due to specific government actions.
They managed to make cuts to public pay and keep them in place without strikes and they managed to keep to the Troika program. What they didn't allow to happen is just as important as what they did. The two men in Finance did a good job.The recovery was due mainly to exogenous factors such as the soft euro and exceptionally low interest rates. Ireland is a small and very open economy with more exposure to the dollar and sterling than any of the other economies you mention. The other economies, Greece in particular, also faced structural problems that we did not face. The only things I associate with this government are people on trolleys, mortgage arrears crisis, the Irish Water debacle and homelessness. Just for the record I voted for FG in 2011.
The purpose of an election is form a Government. So it's simply not good enough for almost all the parties - FF, SF, AAA/PBP etc - to refuse to assist in forming a Government. The only way to get one's policies implemented is to be in Government. What's the point in seeking election if you have no intention of implementing (or trying to implement) any policies.
Is that really the purpose of an election? What we are really doing is electing public representatives.
Yes we elect public representatives. But, under the constitution, they must elect a Taoiseach and must form a Government, which must act as a collective authority.
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