Monday 7 June 2010

Fingal County Council "Growing Places" project. A get-out-of-cutting-the-grass scam?

Anybody want a lawnmower? Petrol, about four years old, starts first time? You see I’ve decided to let the garden and the tiny rectangle of grass on the street in front of the house go to meadow, “wildflower meadow” to be precise.

Our local rulers on Fingal County Council have decided not to cut the grass on many open space amenity areas in Dublin 15. The council claims it is to “add more colour and wildlife”. As if we don’t have enough wildlife as it is in the locality.

But maybe they mean butterflies and ladybirds, as opposed to gangs of flagon-wielding skangers necking cider on neglected waste ground? Have a look at the pic here, taken on Delwood Road, and tell me which you think is more likely.

It is obvious that Fingal County Council want to save money by not cutting the grass on amenity areas currently used by kids to play football and the like, but in keeping with the bullshit we are constantly fed by officialdom in this country, they are dressing up their laziness/tightness by making it out it is for the benefit of us and the environment.

Yeah.

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14 comments:

Councillor Ponyboy said...

Very harsh stance on the lads down at Failing County Council GM. I had a word with the boss cockie down there and he's really upset that it's had to come to this and even more pissed off that you noticed. "It's the Government's Austerity Measures decree" he told me. Apparently the councillors are all doing it tough too in order to comply with the measures. No more "catering" at their council meetings. The big shiny comfy german limos have all been sent back to the car pool for sale not to mention the choke hold that's been applied to councillor's expense accounts. There's even talk of the annual council meeting (the one where the families, friends and business associates of the councillors get together for a mighty 5 star piss up and discuss subdivisions and mutual business backscratching) NOT being held in Monaco this year. So all in all you've got nothing much to be whingeing about GM - have you?

The Gombeen Man said...

That's very true Ponyboy. Sometimes it is far too easy to get so engrossed in our own problems that we forget the suffering of others!

Eoghan said...

Maybe the residents could organise to cut the grass themselves? If local children like to play football there, then getting a group together to cut the grass might be more effective than glaring out the window at it.

The Gombeen Man said...

Yes. Of course the idea that people should expect something in return for their taxes is surely a presumptuous one.

Perhaps residents should take on bin collections, road repairs and the maintenance of public buildings too, leaving the good councillors with more cash for junkets and personal hobby horses.

Laurence said...

Shades of "Atlas Shrugged" in miniature.

Plain English Ponygarcon said...

Laurence - nice to See you in GMspace but I've no idea WTFeck you're on about - I tried Wiki and it said "Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. This was Rand's fourth, longest and last novel, and she considered it her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing.[1] As indicated by its working title The Strike, the book explores a dystopian United States where leading innovators, ranging from industrialists to artists, refuse to be exploited by society. The protagonist, Dagny Taggart, sees society collapse around her as the government increasingly asserts control over all industry, while society's most productive citizens, led by the mysterious John Galt, progressively disappear. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the "minds" that drive society's growth and productivity; with their strike these creative minds hope to demonstrate that the economy and society would collapse without the profit motive and the efforts of the rational and productive." I'll defo read it cos it sounds great BUT what's the connection. Please tell sans le veil

Anonymous said...

Ponyboy is worried about atlas shrugged GM IS worried about the gobshites in the local co counsel iam worried about my BP shares OBAMA IS looking for a big fat arse to kick what next i am going to lite UPbig fat one and let it all work itself outCHEERS BH

Laurence said...

I read Atlas Shrugged about 16 years ago and haven't touched it since. Huge book.
Anyway, there's a theme in it about society reaching a certain point and then falling back. Progress goes so far and then (in the book it's all due to Ayn Rand's bogeyman of communism), things revert to chaos and a more primitive existence. The train system stops working, farmers have to plough fields by hand, not with tractors etc...

Or the council stop cutting the grass and let the whole place get overgrown with weeds and rats.

Anonymous said...

Dystopia, yeah that sums it up well enough. Ireland is the perfect example. Although the ongoing Irish version of dystopia is pervasive, the full effects are primarily demonstrated if your out of the golden circle.

Dakota

Eoghan said...

Something in return for their taxes? That would be paying down the national debt. Any money left over could be used to cut the grass....or spent elsewhere....

The Gombeen Man said...

It's a revolutionary idea alright. Brilliant. Not cutting the grass on Delwood Road will pay off the national debt in no time.

So, Fingal, there you have it. Rename your noble policy "Pay Off The National Debt With Overgrown Green Spaces Initiative" and you're away.

Eoghan said...

No need to rename, the greening / biodiversity angle is pretty good as it is.

Not cutting the grass will not pay off the national debt, but paying the national debt means there is less money to spend, and less money to spend means that to provide some things, others have to be cut, or not cut, as the case may be.

Perhaps Fingal decided that bin collection was a more important priority for its limited budget, and thought that if local people didn't like long grass they could cut it themselves relatively easily. Or perhaps it is a big swiz to ensure there is enough bubbly at the Christmas party.

The Gombeen Man said...

My point is that if they have don't have the money to cut the grass - though they've money for lots of more trivial things than maintaining public areas - they should simply say so, and cut the bullshit.

For your information, the council usually maintain the public green areas with tractors. Not all of us have the leisure time to cut an acre of grass of an evening.

Banker bail outs, developer loan repayments, corrupt scheming politicians. Solution, don't cut the grass in kids play areas.

Genius.

The Gombeen Man said...

@BH. It's been a bad year for you, BH. First the banks and then BP. And your property portofolio - like mine - taking a kamikaze dive. Might light one up myself ;-)

@ Ponyboy and Laurence. Yes, had to look that one up myself, despite vast reserves of on-board wisdom ;-) Yep, it seems like a good analogy, now that I understand it. Cheers guys.

@ Dakota. Golden circle is right. And watch them circle the wagons after those two banking reports. Good to see you back in town, D.