Dear Editor,
You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. There is something seriously wrong with officials at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC)’s office. They are now trying to remove the focus from the flooding and the ubiquitous heaps of garbage throughout the city and the country, to parking meters. We have been down that road before. The parking meters didn’t work. They are now consumed with suing the government for taking control of 57 streets.
We need to be focusing on creating more parking space in the form of multi storey facilities. There is unused land in strategic parts of Georgetown available for that, such as between North Road and Church Street and Cuffy Square et al.
The M&CC need to focus on collecting rates and taxes and imposing harsh methods for non- payment that will serve as a deterrent to those who do not comply.
Revenue from owners of abandoned and neglected properties also would provide the M&CC the means to fulfill their mandate.
More so, proper garbage disposal and collection, restoration of efficient and effective drainage and handling of kokers, will prevent the hazardous and unhealthy flooding of streets and buildings. We need to focus on proper urban and rural planning, roads wide enough with pavements and monitored for proper use and road safety. It is useless to talk about parking meters when streets can’t even be used during flooding, which has become quite a frequent occurrence. Recently, the Mayor was seen wading through a flooded street accompanied by his colleagues. That bore no fruit on the alleviation of the suffering of the residents. It has come across as merely another photo opportunity.
The time has come for a change. How much longer must citizens endure the significant inconvenience, health risks and material losses created by preventable flooding, littering and neglect? The M&CC must step up to the plate. Is the M&CC or the government going to bell the cat?