The Race for the ARAS.....

[naka]

am not a shinner( and can safely say never voted for them because of their politics)  but am appalled at the southern media `srabid attacks on mmg, he is Irish and has a right to stand, if he loses so be it but forgive us this pontificating by the media who will be falling over us with commemoration booklets for the 100th anniversary of 1916,(which was also a violent struggle without "public support" until the executions started)

like it or lump it most catholics/ nationalists i grew up with never had much issue with the provos because when i was a child  in the 70s we knew we were second class citizens on our own( unionists didnt trust us and free staters looked down in embarrassment at us) . If our unionist friends in the six counties can on the whole accept him as the number two in the north what is the issue .

[Maguire01]

This was an opportune year to reform the Presidency to become an honorary position , with a part time salary plus expenses, 5 year term ( one only ) and have an office in Dublin Castle and put the áras to some othe use.

Whilst I think the salary should be reduced, i'm sure it's pretty much a full-time job (you could hardly hold down a second job alongside it) and as such, should come with an appropriate full-time salary.

[Pangurban]

MGHU has been good enough to tell us how he would vote if he were at home. Giving  some the opinions he has expressed on this forum generally, and this thread  particularly, i would suggest he is perfectly at home where he is and should remain there, as it is more conducive to his views and temperament

[ONeill]

For a nation on its knees economically, it should concentrate more on the fiscal ramifications for a post with little impact on the average man instead of accents, sexuality or history. McAleese I read cost the country E40m during her reign. Our Derryman pledges to accept a basic salary of E35'000 a year. Yet, knowing the way of the world in these parts, what's really important will be floating somewhere in the mists of Rockall.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

MGHU has been good enough to tell us how he would vote if he were at home. Giving  some the opinions he has expressed on this forum generally, and this thread  particularly, i would suggest he is perfectly at home where he is and should remain there, as it is more conducive to his views and temperament

All dissenters to be exiled in the new world order then 

[Maguire01]

For a nation on its knees economically, it should concentrate more on the fiscal ramifications for a post with little impact on the average man instead of accents, sexuality or history. McAleese I read cost the country E40m during her reign. Our Derryman pledges to accept a basic salary of E35'000 a year. Yet, knowing the way of the world in these parts, what's really important will be floating somewhere in the mists of Rockall.

If the €40m is correct, then the salary (over 14 years) would have been about 10% of that. The other 90% of costs are likely to be similar regardless of who is president.

[ONeill]

McAleese's salary is E335'000. She took a E90000 cut a while ago leaving it around 250000. She, in the last 5 years, has received 1.5m in tax free allowances.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

McAleese's salary is E335'000. She took a E90000 cut a while ago leaving it around 250000. She, in the last 5 years, has received 1.5m in tax free allowances.

How much of the President's allowances are at their own discretion?

[aontroim]

Looks like Norris is going to get his shot at the Aras.

Nothing new there then 

[Shamrock Shore]

Sorry O'Neill can you expand on the 1.5 mill please that you refer to.

Usually these expenses are paid so that she can pay for private secretaries, running an office etc. I am sure she doesn't trouser it. I agree maybe 250k per annum to make sure the Feckin Star of the County Down is played on the first and third Sunday correctly in Croke Park, paying for a few office gimps and her mobile (I wonder who she has in her contacts list - Banrion Eilis a Dó perhaps) is rich but I am sure there is a breakdown.

Also does the heating in the Aras come in under the 1.5 mill. I am sure it's a hoor to heat.

[ONeill]

The 1.5 includes dinners, hotels and foreign travel for 'business'. Add to that the pension they're paying Robinson of 200'000.

None of this makes sense. Isnt the Irish PM still on one of the highest salaries in Europe, even rivalling Obama's?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

The 1.5 includes dinners, hotels and foreign travel for 'business'. Add to that the pension they're paying Robinson of 200'000.

None of this makes sense. Isnt the Irish PM still on one of the highest salaries in Europe, even rivalling Obama's?

Not sure thats true anymore ONeill, it was certainly up above the US president's payroll in the Bertie era, but I think its had significant reductions in the Taoiseachs in the late-Cowan and early-Kenny eras. Probably still a bit rich though.

I would like to see penions not paid until the retired President is over 65 (or whatever it is at the moment), with a pension cap of 150,000 p/a. They are no longer trying to heat the Aras as Shamrock Shore says, when they are ex-President.

[Nally Stand]

If Marty is to win, he'd have to unite the 'Anti-Establishment' vote. Saying he will shake hands with the English Queen will burn too many Bridges down to achieve that.

I personally can't see a United Ireland ever happening. The ultimate solution for the 6 Counties, in my eyes, is Joint Authority with the Westminster Secretary of State acting as First Minister and the Irish Foreign Minister acting as Deputy First Minister. I personally view myself as Bipartisan (as stipulated under the GFA) and hold both a British and Irish Passport (also under the terms of the GFA).

I hate the way that the two sides in the North constantly bicker over things they'll NEVER agree on (prime example being the rows with Evil Genius about NI Soccer). This underlines the (lack of) maturity in our Politics. When Belgium was under Political Limbo due to the Flemish and Waloons not agreeing to form a Coalition Government the Country actually experienced Economic Growth (bear in mind Belgium's currency is the Euro).

The way I see it, Marty is just another Machiavellian Career Politician and that Sinn Fein are basically Fianna Fail with a Private Army.

If he was a career politician, surely he would have chosen a party to join which wouldn't require that he take an industrial wage? And surely he wouldn't work an average 18hr day for such money if it was just a career he was interested in? And surely his activities before becoming a senior man in SF would demonstrate he is not motivated by money or a career? No disrespect to Mary McAleese, but she "offered" to cut her pay down to €250,000 (though she actually receives €292,500). Martin said if elected he would cut the pay for himself to the industrial wage of €35k and return the remaining €292k to the state. The actions of a career politician?

Of all the accusations thrown around about Martin McGuinness, 'career politician' is a new one to me.

Motivation Power not Money.

If his motivation was power, why would he step down from a powerful position in the north to seek election to a wholly powerless office?

Power and Egotism, he wants to be President for 2016.

For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would vote for MMG. If I were home, it would be Mickey D. 1, Norris 2 and Mitchell 3.

OK I'll repeat myself for your slow learning pace. How can he be accused of being motivated by power when he is hoping to step down from an office of actual power to get elected into an office with zero power?

And he can hardly be accused of being motivated by ego either. He didn't choose to put his name forward, his party chose to put him forward. So I would say off all the candidates, he is, by a long way, the least motivated by money, power or ego.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

If Marty is to win, he'd have to unite the 'Anti-Establishment' vote. Saying he will shake hands with the English Queen will burn too many Bridges down to achieve that.

I personally can't see a United Ireland ever happening. The ultimate solution for the 6 Counties, in my eyes, is Joint Authority with the Westminster Secretary of State acting as First Minister and the Irish Foreign Minister acting as Deputy First Minister. I personally view myself as Bipartisan (as stipulated under the GFA) and hold both a British and Irish Passport (also under the terms of the GFA).

I hate the way that the two sides in the North constantly bicker over things they'll NEVER agree on (prime example being the rows with Evil Genius about NI Soccer). This underlines the (lack of) maturity in our Politics. When Belgium was under Political Limbo due to the Flemish and Waloons not agreeing to form a Coalition Government the Country actually experienced Economic Growth (bear in mind Belgium's currency is the Euro).

The way I see it, Marty is just another Machiavellian Career Politician and that Sinn Fein are basically Fianna Fail with a Private Army.

If he was a career politician, surely he would have chosen a party to join which wouldn't require that he take an industrial wage? And surely he wouldn't work an average 18hr day for such money if it was just a career he was interested in? And surely his activities before becoming a senior man in SF would demonstrate he is not motivated by money or a career? No disrespect to Mary McAleese, but she "offered" to cut her pay down to €250,000 (though she actually receives €292,500). Martin said if elected he would cut the pay for himself to the industrial wage of €35k and return the remaining €292k to the state. The actions of a career politician?

Of all the accusations thrown around about Martin McGuinness, 'career politician' is a new one to me.

Motivation Power not Money.

If his motivation was power, why would he step down from a powerful position in the north to seek election to a wholly powerless office?

Power and Egotism, he wants to be President for 2016.

For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would vote for MMG. If I were home, it would be Mickey D. 1, Norris 2 and Mitchell 3.

OK I'll repeat myself for your slow learning pace. How can he be accused of being motivated by power when he is hoping to step down from an office of actual power to get elected into an office with zero power?

And he can hardly be accused of being motivated by ego either. He didn't choose to put his name forward, his party chose to put him forward. So I would say off all the candidates, he is, by a long way, the least motivated by money, power or ego.

Good man, start with the personal insults.

Deputy First Minister (the name itself is an oxymoron) in a region, or Head of State of an Internationally recognised country. Let me see which is the bigger ego boaster. Also the DFM job gets bumped to the next shinner. MMG knows the Republic is were its at 

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

This SF money not taken up by the TDs who is this excess money donated to?