Mayor in the US on our euro

Max Powers

Once again our councillors have left us down, the mayor (Mary Roche) is on a trip to the US, paid for by ourselves. She commented in todays Irish Examiner that the trip wouldnt lead to any jobs. They all thought they were great not leaving for Patrick's day, now we know they just postponed the trip for a few days. UNBELIEVABLE. I see also they are bringing Noel Frisby (of object to TK Maxx fame) along with the rest of the holiday makers, im sorry i mean delegation.

wellboytoo

You obviously have not looked at the amount of meetings and travel they are doing for the period they are away, if you call that a holiday you must be a masochist, that was a cheap shot by you, I think the Mayor has done a fine job so far and is not the type of person to partake in junkets, this is a proactive attempt at selling Waterford Inc. Its called positivity a thing by your comments you may genetically hard wired against.

merlante

These sort of trips have to be done. We can't wait for the world to just discover Waterford -- we'd be waiting long enough for the rest of the country to discover Waterford. If 10 or even 20 of these trips result in one FDI into Waterford, it will have been worth it. Even when they are not successful, they create good will.

I don't know what exactly they are doing, but we should be actively trying to strengthen links with our diaspora and harnessing US goodwill towards us.

Yes, they will also have a few nice meals out and catch a show. We'd all do the same. That doesn't mean they're taking the piss.

jad2007

I agree with Wellboytoo and Merlante, trips like this are needed. If people consider what companies like Sunlife contribute to the city its the least to expect that the Mayor would visit their HO. There are a couple of hundred people working in Sunlife with well paid quality jobs. Every city in Europe would love to attract that kind of operation so why should the City of Waterford meet with their top people and try and ensure their presence for the future.

The schedule of the visit was published and it is far from a holiday. As for the City Manager I believe that he is the best thing to happen to Waterford in years and if he is on the trip it will be all business.

Max Powers

i dont think Sun Life or any FDIs came here becuase the Mayor was over for a visit. I agree with raising our profile by any means necessary and get jobs here, however, what kind of cost-benefit analysis did we ever see that indicates that this is worthwhile. A former mayor (Mary O Halloran) went over to the US to save Waterford Crystal jobs unsuccesfully and she took her husband along for the trip.

I reject your comments about positivity wellboytoo, I have a positive outlook, but our public reps have a long history of abusing travel for 'offical purposes'. How much of these activites could be completed by using digital multimedia conferencing calls.

I would like to see the schedule jad 2007, can you post it and I agree 100% Michael Walsh is doing an excellent job and deserves our recognition.

calvin_zola

I agree with the fact that she should have never taken her hubby along to the states before,,he had no reason to be there and if she feels that she couldnt be on her own and away from her family from that length of time she is in the wrong position, and for this reason unfortunately I cannot change my perception of her and feel like she is yet another free loader, and thats her doing in my opinion cos she set this perception to me and a lot of people in the first place.

Gardner

these trips are a farce. nothing short of a junket!

Mary Roche has alot to live upto replacing John Halligan but she is in fact probably one of the worst mayors of the city we have ever had!

she is more interested in having a few ****ing boats up the quay for a weekend instead of properly representing the working people of Waterford regarding job creation and works rights and most of all attacking our 3 representatives in the dail regarding the lies Labour and Fine Gael told us pre election regarding the University.

did anyone read her brain dead comments recently on the Ferrybank shopping centre when her facts were completely wrong. totally pie in the sky idea! input your time and effort into something logical and worthwhile please Mary.

i think its time for the people to elect a mayor every second year and these people do not have to be members of the council! its cuts out people like Mary Roche getting the job of representing our city!

Deisekickboxing

Its around 8am over there now,
Is she tucked up in some 5 * hotel hungover?
0r out
Sellin her city to whover ??? Thats the IDA 's. Job after all not hers....
Its just a highty tighty buddy holiday
when all her maintence staff are out on strike over some gps gadgets, which makes no odds potholes still wpnt be filled whether they can be tracked or not....

fricatus

Max Powers wrote: »

i dont think Sun Life or any FDIs came here becuase the Mayor was over for a visit. I agree with raising our profile by any means necessary and get jobs here, however, what kind of cost-benefit analysis did we ever see that indicates that this is worthwhile.

A cost-benefit analysis is almost impossible in this case, because the benefit (i.e. goodwill) is an intangible, and therefore very hard to quantify in monetary terms.

Sure those companies could pull out in the morning despite the visit ("they're nice folks Brad, but we can't afford this office"), but they could also be thinking of expansion plans, the siting of new business processes, etc. If we're at the forefront of minds over there because we sent our Mayor, then it puts us in with a shot, and then how much would that benefit be worth?

I'm all for it, as long as they're not taking the mickey cost-wise.

Gardner wrote: »

she is more interested in having a few ****ing boats up the quay for a weekend instead of properly representing the working people of Waterford regarding job creation and works rights

If that's how you view the Tall Ships, an event that last time brought 450,000 people into the city, then you really haven't a clue what you're talking about.

As for working people, are not the people in hotels, bars, transport, hospitality, catering, etc. not working people who will benefit greatly by this event (even if it's only in overtime)? Or are people not "working people" unless they're working in a factory and a member of a union, like I suspect you mean?

As for workers' rights, don't make me laugh! The Mayor has absolutely no remit in that area, no more than she influences health or education policy nationally.

fricatus

Actually, just on the subject of the Tall Ships, the number of people I know who wouldn't otherwise think of visiting Waterford, but who came last time, and who are coming again, is unbelievable.

I must say it gave me great pride the last time, to hear people in Dublin (where I was working) talking about their weekend in Waterford, rather than vaguely mixing the place up with Wexford, which is what you usually get! :rolleyes:

wellboytoo

@Maxpowers, on first reading your post does seem negative, and I am sick of negativity, but if I misread I apologise, as regards Michael Walsh he has been a god send to us, he says does it and f the begrudgers, a delightful change in atmosphere to what went before.
@Merlante agree 100% (ps a fantastic book by your namesake called Matterhorn this year on Vietnam war great read)
@gardner Yawn, seventies socialist drivel still exists and is what held this City back for years, Work is what we want not Idealistic ****e , no more comments by me on this .
As always the petty politics have crept into a thread already, my point was credit where credit is due , and by all means brick bats if needed, on this occasion I think the Mayor has done a very good job overall, and does not deserve to be lumped in with mistakes or jollies of the past.

AdMMM

I have seen the itineraries of such trade missions before and I would most certainly not classify them as junkets. They are full of trips to meet business owners and speaking arrangements with influential and relevant people. There is very little downtime and only after dinner (which would be taken care of and arranged by the hosts) would any of the delegation have any time to themselves and even then they have an early start the next morning so couldn't go crazy.

If this trip results in jobs being brought to Waterford, or convinces existing employers to stay in Waterford then it is a success. My only worry is what influence an essentially powerless figurehead could have on such a subject.

Psychedelic

Deisekickboxing wrote: »

Its around 8am over there now,
Is she tucked up in some 5 * hotel hungover?
0r out
Sellin her city to whover ??? Thats the IDA 's. Job after all not hers....
Its just a highty tighty buddy holiday
when all her maintence staff are out on strike over some gps gadgets, which makes no odds potholes still wpnt be filled whether they can be tracked or not....

The IDA are not doing their job for Waterford, which is why Mary Roche has decided to do this trip to the US. The IDA haven't created new jobs in Waterford for years, and only brought a handful of visits of potential investors to Waterford in the last couple of years. Waterford needs to do these things for ourselves now because the Government and its agencies have not much interest in Waterford.

wellboytoo

calvin_zola wrote: »

I agree with the fact that she should have never taken her hubby along to the states before,,he had no reason to be there and if she feels that she couldnt be on her own and away from her family from that length of time she is in the wrong position, and for this reason unfortunately I cannot change my perception of her and feel like she is yet another free loader, and thats her doing in my opinion cos she set this perception to me and a lot of people in the first place.

I think you are mixing up your Mayors!

Trotter

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. She won't have time to blink with all the meetings going on. Trying to drum up some business and investment for Waterford isnt a junket. If she was going to the Bahamas I'd say something. The tall ships, far from being a few ships here for a weekend is putting Waterford in the shop window globally.

I'm quite happy to see her trying to do something for the city. Of course there are those who'd prefer to endlessly complain about us being ignored. Maybe send some of the outrage in the Dáil direction and get our university?

Shes doing her job.

wellboytoo

For immediate release


Mayor begins intensive US tour to promote Waterford
with ‘roots’ presentation to Mayor Daley of Chicago


The Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Mary Roche, began an intensive cultural, tourism and trade promotion tour of eastern US cities this week with the presentation of a family tree to Mayor Richard M Daley of Chicago which dramatically illustrates his deep family roots in Waterford city, home of his Dunne cousins.

Mayor Daley who has held Chicago’s most important position for the past twenty-two years was formally presented with a fully-researched genealogy completed by Waterford’s Tony Hennessy which shows that all of his ancestry is of Irish origins with very close links to both Waterford city and county.

“I took the opportunity to invite Mayor Daley, his family and friends to Waterford when we presented him with his family tree,” says Mayor Roche. “The present Mayor’s father, Richard J. Daley, visited Waterford in 1964 and discovered his very close links with the city so it would be fitting that the next generation would also ‘come home’.

“The event in Chicago was a wonderful occasion at which Mayor Daley was also presented with an Honorary Fellowship of Waterford Institute of Technology and it was a very encouraging start to what I hope will be a productive week of networking and strengthening our close links with business, cultural and tourism leaders and opinion-makers in America.”

Mayor Roche is scheduled to meet senior executives of US companies with operations in Waterford, including Bausch + Lomb, Genzyme, Hasbro, Sun Life Financial and KPS Capital Partners. In addition to Mayor Daley, Cllr Roche, who is accompanied by city manager, Michael Walsh, and Director of Services for Economic Development, Lar Power, is also scheduled to meet New York State Lieutenant Governor, Robert Duffy, who visited Waterford during his term as Mayor of Rochester; John Conlon, vice president and director of IDA North America; Joe Byrne, who heads Tourism Ireland – North America; Kieran McLaughlin of the Ireland Fund as well as sister city representatives and other business leaders. Waterford businessman, Noel Frisby, is accompanying the delegation.

“It’s a very packed schedule but I believe we have to be seen to be getting the message across that Waterford is open for business, that we welcome and will support more investment and more tourism,” said the Mayor.

“There is no question of us encroaching on the work of Irish agencies such as the IDA and Tourism Ireland – in fact we hope our efforts will support theirs – it’s simply a matter of using our network of contacts to promote Waterford as a place to invest in, a great place to live and a location that is willing and able to do business.

“I don’t think we can sit back and expect business and investment to come to us so we’re going out there to do what we can to get it. It is not likely that we will come back with a significant announcement of new jobs or new investment but we will have done our bit to ‘sow the seed’ and I hope that we will also have helped secure the already significant operations of the many American companies based in Waterford,” concluded Mayor Roche.

Max Powers

First off: anyone who thinks the Tall Ships festival coming to Waterford is not significant should realise that the festival will bring tens of millions into the local economy.

Im all for talking to these companies with a base in Waterford: B&L, Hasbro etc. I dont think they should wait to see them face-to-face. When all this recession started, any Mayor worth their salt should be ringing up the heads of those companies saying 'anything we can help you out with, we will'.

I think the goodwill that will be generated can be substantial but if a US company you are thinking of setting up a manufacturing plant somewhere, the main things they are thinking about are:

cost of set up,
cost of running,
tax rates,
can i get personnel to staff it,
do they speak my language and
is it near the markets I want to export to


I would love more than anyone if something significant happens out of this. If the Mayor of Chicago sets up some sort of link with WIT, jobs or anything positive, I will be delighted.

bluestripe

Reading this thread, it's interesting to hear the various views. However one question I have is what exactly the mayor can do for inbound (FDI) business? There does not appear to be any incentives being offered by the City Council to any business' setting up in town - but I might have missed something?

One other comment - my recent experience is that everything goes through the IDA in Dublin and local politicians are not part of that process. I have no doubt they get 'involved' once the PR machine starts but at that point decisions are made, contracts signed, etc.

wellboytoo

One person can make a difference, Nicky Fewer RIP introduced and brought IVAX to Waterford, IDA et al picked up the ball from there , but it was one persons contacts made the initial intro, so one never knows, unless one tries.

old gregg

does anyone know whether we are paying for Noel Frisby to accompany the delegation?
Now that would place a substantial strain on my buzz were it the case so hoping for a resounding no

Psychedelic

old gregg wrote: »

does anyone know whether we are paying for Noel Frisby to accompany the delegation?
Now that would place a substantial strain on my buzz were it the case so hoping for a resounding no

Noel Frisby and the other non Council delegates are paying their own way as far as I know. I think there's a few other local business heads part of the delegation.

bluestripe wrote: »

However one question I have is what exactly the mayor can do for inbound (FDI) business?

The Mayor can't do much on her own but she is being accompanied on her trip by a lot of local and national people - together they might achieve some FDI for Waterford. They will at the very least inform important potential investors about Waterford - you have to be in to win it, as they say. And look at it this way, if we are not included on the maps and websites promoting Waterford, we need to get out there and meet these investors and make sure they know all about Waterford. Better she tries and fails, then doesn't try anyway.

bluestripe wrote: »

There does not appear to be any incentives being offered by the City Council to any business' setting up in town - but I might have missed something.

That's a very good point. As far as I can see there doesn't appear to be any incentives from the City Council to encourage either FDI or Irish businesses to set up in Waterford.

merlante

wellboytoo wrote: »

One person can make a difference, Nicky Fewer RIP introduced and brought IVAX to Waterford, IDA et al picked up the ball from there , but it was one persons contacts made the initial intro, so one never knows, unless one tries.

Nicky Fewer was a legend. Ivax, the airport, the tall ships, the list goes on. That's what one man can do.

The CEO of State street in Ireland decided to set up in Kilkenny having holidayed in Kilkenny. People are very quick to point out the benefits of corporation tax, English speaking population, etc., but painting a few walls and hanging a few flower boxes, or presenting a proud Irish-American with his family tree, can be key in attracting FDI.

I think Mary Roches trip looks very well planned and worth every penny. We are not getting value for our taxes from the IDA and probably never will. We *have* to do this.

gscully

For what it's worth, I work for the Irish division of one of the companies that Mayor Roche will be visiting. To her credit, she called to our premises and met with our senior management for a few hours to get an appraisal of what she should expect and so on when she calls to our head-office.

This 'junket' of hers is not just about the many hours of meetings she will have over there, but also about the hours of groundwork and preparation she carried out ahead of her visit. Far from a holiday it is.

200motels

Max Powers wrote: »

Once again our councillors have left us down, the mayor (Mary Roche) is on a trip to the US, paid for by ourselves. She commented in todays Irish Examiner that the trip wouldnt lead to any jobs. They all thought they were great not leaving for Patrick's day, now we know they just postponed the trip for a few days. UNBELIEVABLE. I see also they are bringing Noel Frisby (of object to TK Maxx fame) along with the rest of the holiday makers, im sorry i mean delegation.

Couldn't agree more. Not. We have to promote our city because if we don't who will.