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Poet's Corner

THIS MISERLY ACT

22-04-2009

Free parking has been abolished in Wednesbury town centre, courtesy of Sandwell Council. Local resident Brendan Hawthorne counts the cost.

Soon there’ll be some quiet bays
Where we can rest and catch the rays
Now the rubber stamp has come down
Banishing free parking from Wednesbury town
The nod, the wink
The depths they’ll sink
To screw a pretty penny or two
This miserly act
Of the Labour pact
Is pushing buttons
They cannot retract
Town centre car parks
Will cause some sparks
When an hourly rate is paid
Residential areas
Will become cheap alternatives
And the cost will kill off trade
Then there are young families
And people with disabilities
Who won’t get close to their homes
When they need to be sure
They can get close to their door
Without a hike or a charge for an hour
And if we want it
They’ll sell us a permit
Give the residents a zone
A little something to call our own
And it makes you sick
When you stop and think
About all the money
That’s been sunk into the Public
At times of recession
And retail depression
Is this good timing folks?
Is the council having a laugh
Or playing a media hoax?
Where’s the consultation?
What’s the cost of hardware installation?
Who’ll collect the money?
Endorse the parking penalty?
And thanks to the bureaucrats
Employees face pay cuts
In charging them to park
It’s a tax on faith
A tax on leisure
A tax on shopping
And a tax on pleasure
It’s a tax on the community
A tax on liberty
A tax on the vulnerable
A tax on the gullible
So speak up now
And leave your mark
On the local petition
And keep the free parking tradition
Or bear witness
To a freefall
In quality, economy and all
Leave the charges well alone
And keep parking free in this town!