another tax to work in westport!!

dozydelilah

"LAST NIGHT WESTPORT TOWN COUNCILLORS REFUSED TO ADOPT THE BY LAWS REQUIRED TO INTRODUCE ON STREET CAR PARKING CHARGES IN THE TOWN.
THE COUNCILLORS REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE INTRODUCTION OF STREET PARKING CHARGES, EVEN THOUGH, THEY HAD AGREED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO SUCH A DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUNDS THAT ON STREET CAR PARKING CHARGES COULD NET THE LOCAL AUTHORITY 150,000 EURO A YEAR AND THE ENFORCEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN SEASONAL.
FINE GAEL COUNCILLOR CHRISTY HYLAND TOLD MIDWEST NEWS TODAY THAT COUNCILLORS CHANGED THEIR MINDS ON THE CHARGES IN LIGHT OF THE VIEWS OF LOCAL TRADERS AND THE IMPACT THE CHARGES MIGHT HAVE ON BUSINESS. HE ALSO CITED THE UGLINESS OF THE PAY AND DISPLAY MACHINES THAT WOULD IF INSTALLED, DETER FROM THE BEAUTY OF THE TOWN CENTRE."

Ah Westport , Pretty as a picture, an 80 thousand euro Christmas tree, as pretentious as can be.... Who,s paying for it???? well Westport county councillors want the waitress in the coffee shop, the minimum wage shop assistants. Basically not someone who comes to Westport to enjoy the town, no the private sector workers that's who.
No pay and display on the streets, no that's ugly!!! lets put Pay and display in the car parks and make the commoners who work here pay!!!!
240 euro for a yearly ticket..... and if you cant afford to pay a lump sum you can pay up to 700 euro by just putting in 3.10 a day, five days a week, from before 9.30 and leaving around 6.30, which is what most of us shop workers work.... and the best bit is!!!!! wait for it. !
Who wants us paying for the pleasure to serve them?????? The county councillors.. You know the ones with the croke park agreement!! The 40 sick days a year!! The (is it three bank days a year)??? The overtime! The, "Only got the job because they knew someone who pulled a few strings" AAAND IRONICLY THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE A FREE CAR PARK AT THEIR OFFICES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FAIR OR WHAT?????????

biko

Source
http://caseconverter.com/

nuac

I see from press reports that the urban councillors, or a majority of them, were responding to representations from business people in the town. Apart from paying much of the council's rate demand, those in business should be good judges of what attracts customers to the town. Over the years the town has lost shopping trade to Castlebar and other centres. Any move to counteract this should be welcomed by all in Westport.

If a business deosn't prosper it cannot employ staff. The cost of longterm parking for staff is a matter than could be discussed with employers.

Irishgoatman

Some years ago I had a business in Southport, Lancashire, U.K., a town very much like Westport. When on-street parking charges were first proposed most shop owners were opposed to them. At one chamber of commerce meeting those of us in favour were outnumbered by about 4 to 1. 6 months after they were introduced they were praising them!. The reason was that people were parking for a shorter time, doing their shopping etc. and then moving on thus leaving the space for others to do the same. Visitors didn't seem to mind paying, as after all, it's part of the day out. Trade increased!.

How many times have we tried to go to a "Local" shop, found there was nowhere to park and gone to a multi-national instead because they have large car parks?.

Yes I agree that it's hard on the staff, but as has been said, negiotate with the boss.
After all, staff parking outside the business stops customers from getting close.

dozydelilah

i think ye are missing my issue a bit. yes i understand the need to charge for parking, i have no problem paying for parking when i go to town. What i do have an issue with is the fact the council have so much protection,, croke park agreements, unions, where as the shop assistant has no one to look after there interests. The council don't pay for their parking when they go to work, so why should the private sector? We are the ones keeping westport, and towns like it alive. Its lunches, buying a top at lunchtime, having a coffee at break time, even a bar of chocolate, that's what is keeping things ticking over....A lot of us working in the town, work in the service industry, just getting by. Petrol and diesel are gone up, income levies, child care, tax and insurance etc..... Why don't they just call this what it is...... a tax on going to work.....to the point it doesn't pay to come to work.....
The council however park in their car park at their offices in westport and other towns around the country.... teachers don't pay to park at their schools.... as far as i know all the public sector employees have their car parking paid for?????? and a lot of private sector... if factory employees were told in the morning they had to pay 240 up front for their parking there would be a strike.... Because we are individuals, we are easy targets... also i know this can be a real issue in cities. i don't live in a city. I'm talking about westport.

Irishgoatman

dozydelilah wrote: »

i think ye are missing my issue a bit. yes i understand the need to charge for parking, i have no problem paying for parking when i go to town. What i do have an issue with is the fact the council have so much protection,, croke park agreements, unions, where as the shop assistant has no one to look after there interests. The council don't pay for their parking when they go to work, so why should the private sector? We are the ones keeping westport, and towns like it alive. Its lunches, buying a top at lunchtime, having a coffee at break time, even a bar of chocolate, that's what is keeping things ticking over....A lot of us working in the town, work in the service industry, just getting by. Petrol and diesel are gone up, income levies, child care, tax and insurance etc..... Why don't they just call this what it is...... a tax on going to work.....to the point it doesn't pay to come to work.....
The council however park in their car park at their offices in westport and other towns around the country.... teachers don't pay to park at their schools.... as far as i know all the public sector employees have their car parking paid for?????? and a lot of private sector... if factory employees were told in the morning they had to pay 240 up front for their parking there would be a strike.... Because we are individuals, we are easy targets... also i know this can be a real issue in cities. i don't live in a city. I'm talking about westport.

I COMPLETELY see your point, but if I can't find a parking place near to your place of work because staff cars are parked there all day, how can you get my business?. As nuac and myself said, this should be looked at by the employers.

dozydelilah

ah yes, the thing is there is no shortage of parking!!!! also when i go to the tax office, i have to look for parking, while the staff at the tax office park in their lovely carpark behind it... same in all council offices i know of. The hospitals have massive sections of car parking for staff, while patients have to scour for a space, and end up parking god knows where.....The only difference i see is the fact that i have paid for their car park in taxes, and im expected to fork out again when i go to work!!!!! and again in my leasure time....
To be fair the shop owners have paid their rates, which should cover this.
The thing in westport is they want to be all pretentious, farmers markets, french markets, craft fairs,, which they advertise well, while the gob****es paying the rates get no promotion!!!!!
Day trippers, tourists, visiters who, when- ever i get to be one have no problem paying for parking...
also the sneaky way the machines wont give back change is pathetic!!! Thats like ordering a pint, handing in a tenner and the barman says thanks its exact change only!!!!!!! and keeps the tenner????? one word fot it STEALING!!!!!