United Left Alliance Information

[Ruaidhri]

...

 

[Inda Kenny]

I suggest before you launch you have policies that can stand up to public scrutiny.
Heard Joe Higgins on the radio Thursday morning saying there would be no cuts atc but seemed totally devoid of any alternatives or plan.
I have no affiliation to any party but am very impressed with the way Pearse Doherty comes across.
We need people who are going to tell it as it is.
A major plus for any canidate in the GE will be how they are going to cut costs from the top down. People need answers not crap like Clown gets paid more than Obama because Obama has more facilites available to him.
Theres no point in sayin you are going to get rid of the Merc & Perk but are not able to cost the saving

 

[Expose the lot of them]

I think Joan Collins has a good chance in SC, I would strongly suggest that she extend her campaign into Terenure, there are a large number of formerly well off (not rich) pensioners who have seen their life savings wiped out. These were traditional FF and FG voters but many are now looking for an alternative, they may give FG their number 1 but there transfers could be very valuable especially if it comes down to a fight for votes for the last seat.

In fact she could take votes from FG as Catherine Byrne has, in the past, shown that she has not interest in this area and electorate, Eric Byrne will do well as he lives in the area and has been seen to be active in a number of local issues.

 

[Fenian Óg]

Mick Barry will put up a good showing but simply doesn't have the numbers outside of North Central (local ward) to come anywhere near getting elected.

 

[ned green]

Once again I welcome the inclusion of Declan Bree in the ULA list.He is a first class public rep for ordinary people.He has a large support base in Sligo Town,and with the entire left according to opinion polls at over 30% in Sligo/NLeitrim,I believe he has an excellent chance of winning a seat.




'

 

[Berliner]

Solidarity Greetings from Germany!

Workers united will never be defeated!

 

[making waves]

I suggest before you launch you have policies that can stand up to public scrutiny.
Heard Joe Higgins on the radio Thursday morning saying there would be no cuts atc but seemed totally devoid of any alternatives or plan.

Statement from United Left Alliance

Programme of the United Left Alliance ? Building a Real Political Alternative | United Left Alliance

I have no affiliation to any party but am very impressed with the way Pearse Doherty comes across.

Good at the rhetoric and one of the more lefty of the SF'ers (Adams is the opposite)

We need people who are going to tell it as it is.

I agree - and Joe Higgins (and other Socialist Party representatives) have been warning about the bubble and the threat to the economy for a decade - and is now clearly explaining why the austerity plan will be a disaster.

A major plus for any canidate in the GE will be how they are going to cut costs from the top down.

The Taoiseach is paid €228,000 per annum. A government minister is paid €191,000 per annum. A Supreme Court judge is paid €257,872 per annum. These sky-high wages and others should be abolished along with perks such as the ministerial car fleet. This should be done, not to “set an example” to encourage ordinary people to accept austerity, but to strike a blow at a viciously unequal capitalist society.

The socialist alternative to IMF/EU diktats | Socialist Party

Theres no point in sayin you are going to get rid of the Merc & Perk but are not able to cost the saving

2% wealth tax on all wealth over €1million = €2.6billion
Standard rate all pension tax reliefs = €750million
Increase CAT and CGT to 40% = €350million
Abolish PRSI ceiling and apply it on all income = €200million
Abolish property tax reliefs = €400million
Cap salaries of public servants at max €100K and abolish Seanad = €400million
Scrap consultancies and half professional fees = €500million
Increase Corporation Tax to 17.5% = €500million

This would save the entire amount that the government plans to cut next week without any pay cuts, job losses or reductions in services.

I could go on - but you should be able to get the picture.

 

[RetiredProvo]

Once again I welcome the inclusion of Declan Bree in the ULA list.He is a first class public rep for ordinary people.He has a large support base in Sligo Town,and with the entire left according to opinion polls at over 30% in Sligo/NLeitrim,I believe he has an excellent chance of winning a seat.

Based on the drubbing FF got yesterday in DSW, I'll revise my prediction for SNL and will welcome Declan taking the second seat after FG and ahead of FF.
I had thought LP's O'Keefe would be a surprise but the spoofing by their leader will be found wanting in the next few weeks.

Can't see ULA doing that well outside of the Pale though, apart from SNL and Tipp maybe.

Declan Bree ( unshackled from LP whip unlike last time ) and Joe Higgins together in the Dail, I pity any gombeen FF deputy who dare cross them

 

[Socialist Republican]

Based on the drubbing FF got yesterday in DSW, I'll revise my prediction for SNL and will welcome Declan taking the second seat after FG and ahead of FF.
I had thought LP's O'Keefe would be a surprise but the spoofing by their leader will be found wanting in the next few weeks.

Can't see ULA doing that well outside of the Pale though, apart from SNL and Tipp maybe.

Declan Bree ( unshackled from LP whip unlike last time ) and Joe Higgins together in the Dail, I pity any gombeen FF deputy who dare cross them

Provided Bree learns the lessons of his previous stint there

 

[Fenian Óg]

2% wealth tax on all wealth over €1million = €2.6billion
Standard rate all pension tax reliefs = €750million
Increase CAT and CGT to 40% = €350million
Abolish PRSI ceiling and apply it on all income = €200million
Abolish property tax reliefs = €400million
Cap salaries of public servants at max €100K and abolish Seanad = €400million
Scrap consultancies and half professional fees = €500million
Increase Corporation Tax to 17.5% = €500million[/QUOTE]

When can I ask were these policies announced?

 

[Expose the lot of them]

Once again I welcome the inclusion of Declan Bree in the ULA list.He is a first class public rep for ordinary people.He has a large support base in Sligo Town,and with the entire left according to opinion polls at over 30% in Sligo/NLeitrim,I believe he has an excellent chance of winning a seat.
'

I remember Declan from his Connolly Youth Movement days (he set up the CYM in Sligo), always regarded him as a bit of a gobsh1t but he was honest and sincere and had genuine beliefs and principles to which he was and is totally committed. I could never understand him joining the Labour Party, I wish him well and hope that he takes the seat.

 

[Mar Tweedy]

Making waves - is there really 130 billion worth of wealth in this country? If you're saying a 2% wealth tax would net 2.6 billion and my maths is right, that would be the amount. Where does that figure come from and is it real wealth ie not funds that are nominally in Ireland for some tax scam?

 

[MichaelMac]

PBP and others who made gains at SF's expense at the locals must be shuddering at the resurgence of SF.

 

[making waves]

When can I ask were these policies announced?

The are the simple extrapolation of the statement outlined in the two links above.

These things are nothing new - many were first outlined on the TASC website and then included by SF in their budget submission.

The difference between TASC/SF and the Socialist Party (and the United Left Alliance) is that the Socialist Party recognises that if you attempt to implement these policies you will be faced with a strike of capital. In order to actually implement the policies it would be necessary to take control (not bailout as is being done) of the levers of the economy - the banks - the major industries - major infrastructure and use democratic planning of the economy to implement them for the benefits of the vast majority of the population rather than line the pockets of the wealthy. This is my main criticism of the SF proposals (not counting their refusal to call for an increase in corpo tax) - they simply leave the policies hanging without explaining what they would do when the ruling class would simply withdraw all capital from the economy.

 

[making waves]

Making waves - is there really 130 billion worth of wealth in this country? If you're saying a 2% wealth tax would net 2.6 billion and my maths is right, that would be the amount. Where does that figure come from and is it real wealth ie not funds that are nominally in Ireland for some tax scam?

There is a hell of a lot more than €130billion - that is what is directly in private hands. The Dept of Energy estimates that gas deposits off the west coast are in the region of €420billion - yet they have handed them over to multinationals for nothing.

Ireland was and remains a hugely wealthy country - the government simply is not interested in taxing it.

Where does the €130billion number come from -

Tom O’Connor, Lecturer in Economics in Cork Institute of Technology. O’Connor has analysed the figures contained in the Bank of Ireland’s ‘Wealth of the Nation’ report which stated that there were 33,000 millionaires in Ireland in 2006. The total ‘net worth’ of these individuals (i.e. excluding the value of their principal residences and allowing for any borrowings) in 2006 was €156.21 billion.

This figure of €156.21 billion is further broken down by O’Connor’s analysis to show that they held €112.4 billion in property, €23.4 billion in equities, €4.7 billion in bonds and €15.5 billion in cash.

By using official figures to estimate what has happened in the intervening years in each of these categories of wealth, O’Connor comes to the conclusion that the current ‘net worth’ of these 33,000 individuals is as follows:-

* Property (value down by 33% as per ESRI estimates) – now worth €77.4 billion
* Equities (value down by 6% as per FT100 indices) – now worth €22 billion
* Bonds (value up approx 10% due to the indebtedness of European governments) – now worth €5.14 billion
* Cash (using a conservative estimate of a return of 1.5% AER) – now worth €16.5 billion

Thus, the figures show that these 33,000 millionaires still own wealth of €121 billion.

Other information indicates that this is slightly low - but I am not going to argue over €200million in tax take. O’Connor also points out in the course of his analysis these 33,000 millionaires were the principal beneficiaries of approx €20 billion in tax reliefs since 2005. And an analysis from Dr Michael Collins, a Trinity based Economist and member of the Commission on taxation, has shown that 110 of these tax reliefs still exist, resulting in €11 billion per annum being lost to the exchequer, principally for the benefit of the most wealthy.

Opinion: Wealthy Irish have

 

[Socialist Republican]

PBP and others who made gains at SF's expense at the locals must be shuddering at the resurgence of SF.

True it wont be very welcome for them. This has been great timing for SF with an imminent GE

 

[making waves]

True it wont be very welcome for them. This has been great timing for SF with an imminent GE

From recollection I don't think there is a single constituency that the ULA is targetting where it will have any real impact except Cork North Central (and that was always an outside chance anyway).

 

[RockinRolla]

There is over 1 million votes for this Alliance should they decriminalise the private use of marijuana - being the lefties they are. Ireland has never had a radical party like this.

Make it happen and watch ULA take over Dail Eireann.

 

[Fenian Óg]

There is over 1 million votes for this Alliance should they decriminalise the private use of marijuana - being the lefties they are. Ireland has never had a radical party like this.

Make it happen and watch ULA take over Dail Eireann.

From what I gather the Stoner Demographic tends not to vote in large amounts...something about being stoned all the time.

 

[RepublicanSocialist1798]

I know marijuana consumption in the 26 counties is high. But it cant be that high.

(no pun intended)