This sorry story tells you all you want to know about the morals of Pubcos and the care they have for their tenants.
This sorry story also tells you all you want to know about a coalition government that is scared sh*tless of an all powerful health lobby. So, scared in fact that they don’t care if the entire pub sector ends up being wiped out!
Jim Gogarty left his job as a sales manager with a stationery company to take on the pub. “I left a job with a good salary and a company car to take the plunge, to come into my own business thinking it was everyone’s dream,” he said.
He further stated, “It is a decision I bitterly regret. Over the last couple of years, it has become more and more difficult and the last three months have been the final nail in the coffin. There just haven’t been enough people coming through the door“.
And there you have it folks. The smoke ban has killed off yet another man’s dreams. The smoke ban has cost another man his life’s savings. The smoke ban has added yet more people to our ever growing dole queues. The smoke ban has deteriorated yet another man’s health.
Ok, it’s only a pub some might say, but it was only a pub yesterday, it’ll only be another pub tomorrow and the day after-the closures are endless!
And what exactly are this government prepared to do about this sad situation? SFA-that’s what!
The pubcos made a horrendous error of judgement when they did not contest the smoking ban placed before them, but they haven’t even got the balls to admit they were wrong. Instead, they are closing and selling properties as fast as they can to get out of the deep financial mire they have found themselves in. They are still overcharging the tenants but then we can’t Tuppen & Co going short of bonuses/wages etc.
If we had a government with some backbone they would admit the awful truth of smoke free, they would grant choice, they would allow this country to survive. They want a healthier country but how the hell are they going to support an extra million centenarians with empty pension funds?