Local politics seems to be getting very interesting as the new members find their feet and learn how to knock others off theirs. GI Joe has hit the chambers like a whirlwind and he seems to be taking no prisoners.
First on the hit list was the Kerry Blue who was well and truly taken down by the ‘man of the people’ at the Borough Council’s budget meeting recently. Calling him the Disappointed Deputy, GI Joe tore shreds off the Kerry Blue after the coalition of Labour, FG and Malcolm had to adjourn the meeting twice in order to come up with some sort of a budget proposal.
Grassroots has been informed that the ex-army officer has some very interesting information about the St Patrick’s Day festivities and where exactly the public money allocated for the event is spent. Watch this space!
The Smiler Fitz is trying his best to come up with a survival plan for the local business community. He and Better Manners failed in an attempt to implement a plan that would have most likely closed the Borough Council down and plenty of local shops along with it!
Grassroots has to wonder why the FG duo voted against a two per cent drop in rates. Surely that would have been the survival plan in itself. For a pair who work in the city centre and claim to be supporting the local traders, they certainly have lost sight of what the business community want and need at a time when those needs have to be addressed more than ever. Maybe that explains the lack of a smile on the auld Fitzer as he slaps the For Sale signs up all around the city.
Grassroots predicts at least six local businesses to close before St Patrick’s week. And, instead of voting with the FF’ers to reduce the commercial rates and do something positive for the city, FG, LAB, Sinn Fein and of course Mayor Malcolm, all decided to ignore the local economy and local employment.
Instead they decided to put €70k into a Skate Board Park and €2k into a concert in the Watergate! Maybe when half of High Street closes down the Mayor can use his allowance to buy them all skate boards!
Grassroots isn’t too sure where the Head Prefect Cuddihy and Lady Marie of Labour stand at all. They swapped seats at the last council meeting. Is this an indication of things to come? Or is it that they just don’t care because they agree on everything anyway. Anything to get the chain and the Mayoral salary for the year!
The FF’ers may have come up with the better budget or as they call it – a stimulus package. But they need to do a whole lot more to keep that other crowd from making a mess of the city. At least they have taken a united approach. The various splits within the group seem to have been healed. Unlike the blue shirts who can’t seem to agree on anything at the moment. Big Pill was on the phone constantly during their budget meetings trying to hold the camp together.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t support any political party and I’m deeply disappointed there is no Independent voice on either council. The only Indo candidate worth talking about in the last election was Mick Greene. He would have been a great addition. It would have been a much better council if he had taken a seat.
Greene has the right idea about the Skate Park too. He even put the Kerry Blue in his place on the Labour man’s own Facebook page! One has to laugh. While Mayor Malcolm, Kerry Blue, Mini Mac, GI Joe and others battle it out over a location for the Skate Park, Greene is working away, coming up with solutions that make sense and gaining great support for doing it.
Before I sign off I want to wish all my loyal readers a very Happy Christmas and New Year. I hope Santa brings everything you wish for and if you live in The Closh, it better be a skateboard.
