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What have your councillors ever done for you? (positives examples only please)

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  • 02-09-2012 10:12am
    #1
    dudmis
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭


    In light of another thread commenting on the expenses paid for a local TC and WCC, I have a question for everyone.

    What have your councillors ever done for you?

    This is a serious question (and I don't want it to get into a b*tching fest) - I am very interested in the positives that councillors have achieved in the Greystones etc area. But actually achievements - none of this 'welcome a decision by govt to install a sign post' malarky.

    I suppose I want to see what we get for our money. I would be happy to pay councillors more but only if i could see an actual significant benefit to the town and county for it.

    And, please, positives examples only!


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    #2
    dudmis
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭dudmis


    Wow, I hope the fact that no-one has replied means that everyone was out enjoying the sun today and not that no-one has anything good to say about their councillors!

    Ok, I'll start. AFAIK, Grainne McLoughlin organised the culture festival last year and that was a great addition to the entertainment calender in the town. In fact, I think Grainne does quite alot in Greystones, such as making the application for the Most LIvable Town Award - so kudos to her!

    Anyone else?


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    #3
    Blandpebbles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 710 ✭✭✭Blandpebbles


    We were all waiting to see your hand ;)

    Did she personally do anything? Indeed can anyone name anything any of them do? I don't mean emails, speeches and photos but actual physical work.

    Even they fixed the pothole comment means some labourer filled in the pothole not a councillor.


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    #4
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,065 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Blandpebbles wrote: »
    We were all waiting to see your hand ;)

    Did she personally do anything? Indeed can anyone name anything any of them do? I don't mean emails, speeches and photos but actual physical work.

    Even they fixed the pothole comment means some labourer filled in the pothole not a councillor.

    It's not the role of a councillor to do actual physical work!

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #5
    Maudi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,516 ✭✭✭Maudi


    Blandpebbles wrote: »
    We were all waiting to see your hand ;)

    Did she personally do anything? Indeed can anyone name anything any of them do? I don't mean emails, speeches and photos but actual physical work.

    Even they fixed the pothole comment means some labourer filled in the pothole not a councillor.
    Didnt simon harris single handleadley do the resurfaceing of church road??sorry..


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    #6
    Jammyc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,979 ✭✭✭Jammyc


    I'm normally a cynic when it comes to politics, especially local politics but my experience has been positive.

    There was an issue, the specifics of which I will not get into, that I was trying to bring to the attention of the Ministers for Health and Education, with not much luck. I sent the same query to our local councillors, many replied and two of which actually submitted Parliamentary Questions on my behalf and I recieved a response from the Ministers.

    The responses on the other hand...


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    #7
    dudmis
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭dudmis



    Did she personally do anything? Indeed can anyone name anything any of them do? I don't mean emails, speeches and photos but actual physical work.

    Thats why I mentioned those examples - I think she did the groundwork, such as getting funding and writing applications etc. (No pothole-filling tho!)
    I sent the same query to our local councillors, many replied and two of which actually submitted Parliamentary Questions on my behalf

    good to hear! do you want to mention the do-gooders?


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    #8
    Jammyc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,979 ✭✭✭Jammyc


    dudmis wrote: »
    good to hear! do you want to mention the do-gooders?

    Sure thing. It was Mr. Simon Harris and Ms. Anne Ferris.


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    #9
    The Durutti Column
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 274 ✭✭The Durutti Column


    Jammyc wrote: »
    Sure thing. It was Mr. Simon Harris and Ms. Anne Ferris.

    Who are TDs, not councillors.


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    #10
    The Durutti Column
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 274 ✭✭The Durutti Column


    dudmis wrote: »
    Wow, I hope the fact that no-one has replied means that everyone was out enjoying the sun today and not that no-one has anything good to say about their councillors!

    Ok, I'll start. AFAIK, Grainne McLoughlin organised the culture festival last year and that was a great addition to the entertainment calender in the town. In fact, I think Grainne does quite alot in Greystones, such as making the application for the Most LIvable Town Award - so kudos to her!

    Anyone else?
    Blandpebbles wrote: »
    We were all waiting to see your hand ;)

    Did she personally do anything? Indeed can anyone name anything any of them do? I don't mean emails, speeches and photos but actual physical work.

    Even they fixed the pothole comment means some labourer filled in the pothole not a councillor.

    There was no culture festival last year in Greystones, and this year's hoped-for festival was cancelled.

    Last year there was a 'Culture Night' which involved pretty fireworks.

    This year? No news yet.


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    #11
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,065 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    The Durutti Column wrote: »

    Last year there was a 'Culture Night' which involved pretty fireworks.

    Plus these events

    See http://www.whatsonwicklow.com/2011/09/culture-night-wicklow-2011/
    Hi Viz
    Greystones Theatre & Studios, Theatre Lane
    3.00pm until 10.00pm
    Presented by Greystones Theatre & Studios

    Wicklow on your doorstep
    Photography Exhibition
    The Burnaby Lounge, Church Road
    All day and continuing until 2nd October

    Ghostly Tree Creatures of Greystones
    From the corner of Bellevue Road& Church Road towards St. Patrick’s Church
    From 3.00pm onwards

    An Evening with Author Claire Keegan
    Venue Greystones Library, Mill Road
    7.30pm

    Siamsa Ceoltóirí
    Dann’s Bar, The Harbour
    9.30pm until late

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #12
    MyPerfectCousin
    Registered Users Posts: 741 ✭✭✭MyPerfectCousin


    Culture Night is a national event coordinated at the local level by the county arts office, not town councillors. Events are put on by local organisations and businesses.

    This year's Culture Night is on the 21st September. You can see what's on locally here: http://www.culturenight.ie/category/regional-culture-night/wicklow/


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    #13
    The Durutti Column
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 274 ✭✭The Durutti Column


    MyPerfectCousin wrote: »
    Culture Night is a national event coordinated at the local level by the county arts office, not town councillors. Events are put on by local organisations and businesses.

    This year's Culture Night is on the 21st September. You can see what's on locally here: http://www.culturenight.ie/category/regional-culture-night/wicklow/

    What a useful thread! This all proves that reasonable questioning and discussion can throw a good deal of light rather than just generating heat.

    Now I know that it is council staff who organise these events — even if councillors compete to pretend they carried the chequered flag.

    I also know when this year's Greystones event is, what will be on, and DEFINITIVELY that neither Cllr McLoughlin nor any of her colleagues organised it.

    Especially as there don't seem to be any pretty fireworks this year.

    :):D


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    #14
    The Durutti Column
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 274 ✭✭The Durutti Column


    mango salsa wrote: »
    Plus these events

    See http://www.whatsonwicklow.com/2011/09/culture-night-wicklow-2011/

    The tree creatures were great.

    BTW, on my reckoning, so far TDs and council staff have scored FOUR points (a question each by the 2 TDs, two culture nights to the CC) but councillors have scored NONE.

    So I'd like to nominate last year's Mayor, Tom Fortune, for extracting a promise from Sispar to landscape the derelict ghost harbour site.

    The fact that Sispar has still not delivered on this promise, made last April, should not detract from Tom's achievement.


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    #15
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,065 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    The Durutti Column wrote: »
    DEFINITIVELY

    Don't be silly! Just because someone says something on the internet it doesn't mean what they say is 100% definitively correct.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #16
    Cheeky Chops
    Registered Users Posts: 592 ✭✭✭Cheeky Chops


    Tom Fortune has worked tirelessly for the whole county especially in his role as Chairman of Wicklow Tourism.

    He has also been consistent in his work on the harbour.

    A small example of a local positive was when he arranged for a car park to be installed in Kilcoole. After the road had been worked on the local businesses suffered because parking was reduced. This basic car park was a life saver for the local businesses and it was down to him that it was sorted out.


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    #17
    Jammyc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,979 ✭✭✭Jammyc


    The Durutti Column wrote: »
    Who are TDs, not councillors.

    My apologies, I'll be sure not to take such loose meanings from questions in future.


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    #18
    dudmis
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭dudmis


    The Durutti Column wrote: »

    So I'd like to nominate last year's Mayor, Tom Fortune, for extracting a promise from Sispar to landscape the derelict ghost harbour site.

    I agree - it was nice to see someone in the Council finally saying 'enough is enough' - its just a pity that Sispar can ignore the wishes of the locals so easily and without any consequences.

    I stand corrected on Cllr McLoughlin and Culture Night - does anyone have more background on her input to the LivComm awards? Someone told me that that was her initiative?


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    #19
    Blandpebbles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 710 ✭✭✭Blandpebbles


    mango salsa wrote: »
    It's not the role of a councillor to do actual physical work!

    I think the issue is.... They have no role.


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    #20
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,065 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Blandpebbles wrote: »
    I think the issue is.... They have no role.

    Perhaps - but that's a separate discussion for the politics forum

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #21
    Blandpebbles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 710 ✭✭✭Blandpebbles


    Cheeky Chops wrote: »
    Tom Fortune has worked tirelessly for the whole county especially in his role as Chairman of Wicklow Tourism.

    He has also been consistent in his work on the harbour.

    A small example of a local positive was when he arranged for a car park to be installed in Kilcoole. After the road had been worked on the local businesses suffered because parking was reduced. This basic car park was a life saver for the local businesses and it was down to him that it was sorted out.

    What exactly did he do for the harbour, the car park and tourism?

    I have read his previous newsletters and there is lots of "called for", "wrote a letter" and plenty of photos of him in front of stuff.

    Apparently he also turned an eye sore building into an eye sore pile of rubble in Kilcoole :)

    The people of Wicklow didn't think highly enough of him to vote him in as a TD and his response in the Bray People was less than gratious.


    The reality is most public works are budgetted and planned months in advance and not pulled out of the hat by councillors.


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    #22
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,992 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    Cheeky Chops wrote: »
    A small example of a local positive was when he arranged for a car park to be installed in Kilcoole. After the road had been worked on the local businesses suffered because parking was reduced.
    Who caused the parking to be reduced in the first place? And if they just wanted to improve the traffic flow on the main street, why didn't they think of having alternative parking as part of the plan?


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    #23
    Fiachra2
    Registered Users Posts: 594 ✭✭✭Fiachra2


    Blandpebbles wrote: »
    What exactly did he do for the harbour, the car park and tourism?

    I have read his previous newsletters and there is lots of "called for", "wrote a letter" and plenty of photos of him in front of stuff.


    The people of Wicklow didn't think highly enough of him to vote him in as a TD and his response in the Bray People was less than gratious.


    The reality is most public works are budgetted and planned months in advance and not pulled out of the hat by councillors.

    With regard to the harbour he did what we all might expect of a public representative; he represented the views of the public.

    During the planning controversy he recognised that the majority of residents did not want a development of this size and so he opposed it. (As did Simon Harris and Stephen Donnelly both of whom were subsequently elected to the Dail).

    When the development stalled he then acknowledged that the vast majority of residents wanted the problem sorted so again he backed groups like GUBOH who campaigned on this issue.

    An yes much of what all councillors do is to write letters, raise issues at council meetings, put down motions etc. They cant actually do the work themselves nor can they direct the council executive to carry it out.


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