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IN AN ERA of digital communications and universally-accessible mass media the election poster remains, alongside door to door canvassing, an erstwhile feature of campaigning that a time traveller from a hundred years ago would easily recognise. Indeed, there is much evidence to suggest that Roman plebs would have to get up and go answer the door to the dreaded canvasser in the evening; and pity them, for Rome held elections annually.
In every election the posters, which are one of the least effective methods of mass megaphone marketing available, become a character in the campaign. Good posters and bad posters are commented upon; poster placement is an issue, particularly relatively low down (if, like me, you’re in the 2 metre range of height); and putting up your posters a day or two early can attract serious fines and comment. Sometimes the traditional photo call of a candidate putting up a poster can even be entertaining, such as the Rumble in Ranelagh between John Gormley and Michael McDowell in 2007.
For the most part, politicos are interested in posters and the rest of the population suffer them. Now that the election is over, they are due to be taken down within the week. We can return to enjoying the greenery, the scenery, and unobstructed views of traffic lights. Politicians are well warned to get their posters down, or face hefty fines.
Most standard sized posters will have two cable ties attaching them to the post. Unfortunately, many politicians are less bothered to ensure that the ties get taken down with the poster.
Political hopefuls go around for months extolling their virtuous commitment to community. They call for better public spaces, clean streets, motherhood and apple pie. They complain about councils frittering away public money. And then they go and leave up their cable ties, usually for the council to take down. Why? Because they can. Because there’s no votes in it, no sanction to their pockets and only a very slim chance that they’ll get caught for not taking down their rubbish.
You can take from that what you will about how many politicians really view us and public service.
The rather sensible solution to this problem has been bandied around for years and will likely be again in about a week. This is to make candidates or political parties use cable ties of a particular colour, such as blue for Fine Gael, red for Labour, and so on. Independent candidates could get an individual colour each. It’d be fairly apparent who left their cable ties up after the election. This would motivate everyone to get them down, or face fines.
This solution is so simple one has to wonder why it hasn’t been implemented already, until one considers that politicians themselves generally set the rules about how elections are conducted. In any event, while this sort of a measure will help us come the next election it isn’t going to do anything over the next few weeks.
We do have tools to help encourage politicians to get their posters down. Over the next few days before the posters come down, you should take the time to take a few pictures of some lamp posts you pass regularly; such as on your daily commute. (Not while driving, please.)
When or as the posters come down, snap another picture of the lamp post for comparison. If there are still a load of cable ties up, some or all of the candidates haven’t been obeying the rules or respecting their community. Send them, and the council, a note. Post it on Twitter and Facebook. Send the pictures to us.
I know it’s not as effective an action to take as catching poster teams in the act and slapping a fine on them, but it’s probably the best we can do. Leo Varadkar reckons he and his merry band pulled down about 10,000 cable ties belonging to other parties in Dublin West alone after the last general election. There’s enough lamp posts and candidates to catch some folks out, and shame politicians into getting their cable ties down.
It was an interesting election. But not interesting enough to warrant keeping plastic mementos around everywhere for the next few months. Let’s encourage some politicians to do the right thing and take all their rubbish with them.
Aaron McKenna is a businessman and a columnist for TheJournal.ie. He is also involved in activism in his local area. You can find out more about him at aaronmckenna.com or follow him on Twitter @aaronmckenna. To read more columns by Aaron click here.
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I worked in Google Dublin (and have visited and lunched in many of the offices including in MTV). although the meals are great it’s a great way of having teams go to lunch and ‘break bread’ with each other on a regular basis. in my opinion it’s that team ethic that makes it worthwhile for these firms. the team ethic is amazing
@tallaght two – ‘team’ in this context is a euphemism for a ‘collective’.
from personal experience I have to say I completely disagree. people flock to work there and it’s consistently named best place to work.
A team is a collective, that’s the point.
Google it.
My point is that all corporations now purposely structure their organisations in a similar manner to the communist collective – where the individual loses his significance and importance by being absorbed into a ‘collective’ (team). – where credit for achievement is re-distributed.
Credit isnt redistributed, employees in Google and other multinationala have their performance measured very closely. Two bad performing quarters and you could be out the door.
You’ve just affirmed my point. Their performance is monitored by the commissar (ie team leader) on a weekly basis. Statistics are then passed around to the team showing how everyone is doing, compared to everyone else in the team. The purpose here being to create an internal rivalry within the team to impress the commissar – who is also part if a collective, one level higher with the other commissar team leaders , where the cycle repeats itself.
And what is wrong with that plantation? If you don’t perform you need to be put out.
It’s a pity the public sector in ireland isn’t run like that. Mediocrity is almost rewarded
great ploy by the company to get them to work crazy hours. well done google
I wonder if all these companies will follow suit
http://xcdn.revolution-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CGSWBztWwAMGchv.jpg?iv=3
For the most part they’re willing too… Those who want to do and achieve the minimum are encouraged to not waste their time applying.
A normal price for a lunch is around 7e.
1.25e would be heavily subsidised!
Sure nothing could bate me packed ham and cheese sandwiches!
Next the employees will live on site permanently and raise families there. Soon after that the entire complex will be moved underground and the employees will have no knowledge of the world outside and live to serve the company. George lucas made a movie about that kind of thing happening before he realised making those kind of movies doesnt pay the bills.
How often do Google pay taxes ? Actually less then 1.25% of the time.
Sure multi billionaires and their companies need all the help they can get, unlike orphans, the disabled and the ill; I mean fook them right, this is Ireland!
Take those multi billion companies out of Ireland. Many thousands would be jobless and on the dole and the country would be in much better shape.
I worked in Dublin and ate breakfast and lunch in work every day for free, occasionally dinner as well in the evening.
The google stone is real, but it’s also pretty easy to lose weight if you just put in a bit of effort. In my last 6 months there I was able to lost over a stone by picking the healthy stuff from the canteens, that guy who brings his own food in should just learn to eat chicken and veg instead of steak and potatoes every day.
You clearly don’t know much about nutrition if you think it’s steak and potatoes that make you fat :-) Anyway I agree with your general thought it’s all about choices.
Do the pay BIK on their free lunch in Dublin ?
They don’t need to… An employer can feed their staff with no tax complications…
Also who cares
Well they tax health insurance as a BIK , and that would be cheaper than lunch and breakfast for the year . So I guess anyone who pays BIK on other perks care.
Denis only pays 1.25%
Heard of a lady who worked for Google and had time off for maternity leave and they sent lunch to her house every day she was off
I heard they deliver your baby for you and have the baby working by the age they are 2 and they give free milk to the baby.
Do they do a good breakfast roll?
We order off Deliveroo all the time now to our office in Dublin. Pretty good range of stuff and you’re not often stuck for a healthy option. Saves me queuing for a sandwich somewhere anyway.
I just Googled it,says never
My breakfast, lunch and dinner is free in work; I pay €5 a week for my food and my other half makes my granola breakfast cereal for my supper; I love it!!
Facebook also does free food throughout day for its employees. I suppose it’s all about making you work longer and happier spend more time in the office.
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