Perthshires Most Wanted.

Perth Mafia Hold Town Traders to Ransom

NB. What right do the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce have to speak on behalf of local business? They only represent a minority of businesses in the area!!!!

A protection racket thinly disguised as the Business Improvement District Status or BIDS project, could well see the end of many struggling city centre businesses.

Muir Associates have jumped on the Business Perthshire bandwagon with claims published in the Toy Town News (aka PA) that Perth is continuing to lose shoppers to Dundee Stirling and Inverness.

'You only have to walk around the city centre to see how shoddy and run down the main shopping thoroughfares are'.

'The street paving, lighting, shop fronts and condition of many of the buildings are poor, ugly and inappropriate'.

Muir Associates said they didn't have confidence in the councils capabilities or efficiency to successfully implement to deliver a BIDS. Potential projects are illustrative of the failure and lack of imagination of Perth City Centre management.

The Toy Town news states that the scheme which is backed by Perth City Centre Management and Perthshire Chamber of Commerce would see a 2-10% levy on city centre businesses non domestic rates bills. This figure comes on top of increased rates and council tax. Perth City Centre management and the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce are literally suggesting that a legalised form of extortion is the future way forward. You pay, pay again and pay some more. Great plan ivory tower fat cats!.. Lets see, how can we capitalise on this, ah yes! - you pay us £500K and we'll take this site down. Lovely game extortion.

A ransom note has been circulated to businesses signed by Perth City Centre Management and the Godfather - Alistair 'The Don" Dorward from the Chamber. The letter requires an answer by the 24th Feb or expect contact from a member of The Family!!

On the plus side, Perth might get some new Christmas lights, footfall monitors, street cleaning and additional marketing campaigns. Whoop Di Doo!!

Now lets see :-

Xmas lights - they come out once a year so that really will be the saving of Perth.

Footfall monitors - the biggest joke of all. You don't need these to know that the town centre is being deserted in favour of other better shopping centres.

Street cleaning. Start with the A9 and other main routes into town - they are a disgrace and enough to put off any potential visitors. Anyway, isn't this the councils job and what we pay our council tax for?

Additional marketing campaigns - you just know don't you that this is bound to generate nice little earners for the inner sanctum and their associates.

For those not belonging to the inner sanctum - prepare to be screwed for your hard earned money.