The (unlit) Golden Arches

Castlebar's town council has (again) refused McDonald's permission to light up its big golden arches sign. This is not a big deal to my mind. If this is what the people of Castlebar want, then fair enough. If McDonald's doesn't like it, they can go elsewhere with their business. Not a major issue, right?

Well, according to today's Irish Examiner some council members on the losing side of the vote don't see it that way.

Labour councillor, Johny Mee, warned that Castlebar would become "the laughing stock of the country" over the refusal of planning permission for the illumination.

… Blackie Gavin, a Fianna Fáil member of Castlebar Town Council, claimed the decision would send out "a very negative view of Castlebar internationally".

"Negative view of Castlebar internationally"? Does he think that tourists from America are going to skip Castlebar once they find out that the McDonald's sign there is not allowed to be illuminated? I sincerely doubt that, unless possibly if they're members of Ray Kroc's family.

When I think back 20 years or so I can see a small black & white wooden McDonald's sign in Ridgefield, CT. Every business that had a sign had to meet the same zoning restrictions. I'm pretty sure McDonald's was one of the businesses that complied with those planning laws. Either way, I don't remember Ridgefield being a "laughing stock" and I'm not sure there were many international repercussions associated with the town's zoning laws.

What I'm trying to say is, if the people of Castlebar want to restrict the lighting on the signs in their town, so long as the restrictions are evenly applied and transparent, I don't see it as a big issue at all.