A chairde,
I’m Bryce, People Before Profit candidate for Pembroke-Rathmines for the local elections in June 2009.
People Before Profit stands for:
Free, universal Healthcare; investment in, and expansion of, Public Transport; Workers’ Rights; Fair Taxation; Grassroots Democracy and real Democratic Accountability and Environmental Protection.
This site is intended to outline my opinions on goings-on in the country and the area at present. I welcome any comments and criticism, and want people in the ward to use this as a forum and a means of contacting me about local issues they feel need to be addressed.
Alternatively, you can email me at bryceevanspbp@gmail.com
Bryce
2 Comments
June 16, 2009 at 7:25 pm
A chara,
Congratulations on yours and the PBP’s success in the recent local elections. I am from the Rathmines area and glad to say that I gave you an important number two vote. Sadly at the time I knew very little about your party perhaps because it didn’t have the same budget and as far as I could tell canvassing machine. Add to this the need in my own mind to vote tactically by giving the other major party (FG) the number one in the hopes of insuring a genuine threat to FF and its monopoly on Irish politics and I really in all honesty at that time couldn’t give you my number 1.
The other issue as you underlined is the seemingly natural fear of socialist politicians in middle class areas. Several of my more capitalist orientated friends are often reminding me to keep my feet on the ground. There is a belief amongst some that this type of politician has no understanding of the importance of sound economics and if given their way would further run the country into the ground by crushing local businesses with additional taxes to support growing social welfare payments and in effect add to our current unemployment crisis.
I’m not necessarily in that school of thought but I do err on the side of caution regarding all political parties especially those I know little about. That said I do admire the idea of PBP if such a thing can exist in this profit before people world we seem to live in. I’m also interested in hearing more about any future policies or upcoming campaigns you may be involved in. What next for Bryce Evans and PBP? Hopefully a greater awareness and following as time goes on. If your positive curve continues and your campaigns lead to action, it won’t just be my number one you’ll collect but I’m sure many others. I may even join you with a placard of my own. I also have a few ideas on improving this society myself. Well good luck with your future in politics, I hope you stick it out and go the distance.
Is mise le meas,
Neil Bulfin.
July 30, 2009 at 2:56 pm
A chara Neil,
Thank you for your kind words and for your vote. Our strong showing in the area was historic and along with our good performance in some other wards and our five elected councillors represented a great success for PBP.
I can see why your friends would worry about the left because in Ireland for the last thirty or so years we’ve had no major industrial disputes and, since the mid-90s at least, were enjoying the spoils of the Celtic Tiger. I myself, as an independent candidate, am not against small business. I think that enterprise and initiative is to be rewarded. People Before Profit, too, focus their attention on the bigger picture – the sell-off of Ireland’s public resources to big multinational companies rather than penalising the honest small or medium trader. I think one of the consequences of the recession is that people are starting to realise how much they have in common. The definition of ‘working class’ is too small. We are all – middle class people like myself included – being squeezed by a tiny greedy minority who still own many millions in assets and investments and who are not affected by all these cuts that are now being discussed.
On the political side, enough is enough. We have to challenge the nepotism of Fianna Fail and their domination of Irish politics. I think the only other democracy that has had a government with such a monopoly on power is Mexico. I was delighted to beat Garret Tubridy when the transfers came in. He was the epitome of the FF’er relying on family name and with no policies whatsoever.
Thanks for your remarks and I hope to post details on the blog soon of a planned protest in the area against health and education cuts by Bord Snip.
Best wishes,
Bryce
Thanks