Doling Out NT$700 Billion for Year-End Elections, DPP’s Squandering Has No Ceiling

  Doling Out NT$700 Billion for Year-End Elections, DPP’s Squandering Has No Ceiling

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

September 10, 2018
 Translation of an Excerpt

With only two months left before the year-end local elections, the ruling party has accelerated the tempo of “buying votes” with policies. Wherever President Tsai and Premier Lai’s stumping trains stop, they offer massive construction projects to entice the localities. The KMT legislative caucus accused Premier Lai Ching-te of issuing over NT$700 billion in policy checks in over two months, all of which were concentrated in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Changhua, Taoyuan and other counties and cities under DPP administration. The Tsai government is utilizing the gun smoke of elections to cover up its “vote-buying” through policies, while dipping into the people’s pockets; can we not be furious?

Since President Tsai came to office, fully utilizing the advantage of the "complete control of government," she has had her way unopposed in the matter of budgets and bills, not a bit abashed. As to criticism and advice from the outside world, the powers that be never felt ashamed, fully exhibiting her highhandedness that "it’s my government, it’s my country, and if I want it, I’ll take it." Nevertheless, currently the central government’s debt has reached NT$5.5 trillion, and the government surprisingly can still squander money by issuing checks for construction projects, often spending NT$100 billion without changing its countenance. Simply for the year-end local elections, in just two months, policy checks in the amount of over NT$700 billion have been issued; with a government of such lunatic squandering, is it truly and conscientiously planning for Taiwan’s long-term future?

With the approach of “buying votes with policies” to push for construction projects, the Tsai government's special characteristic is spending alarmingly huge amounts of funds, but only effects covering partial areas, lacking overflowing effects to gear up industries. What is even worse is that these large-scale construction projects, often involving NT$100 billion, look just like a cake covered with large quantities of honey, only being able to attract interest groups to hover around fighting to eat like flies. As an end result, it is doling of spoils by the government, and reaching certain businessmen with proper connections, while the public may not necessarily be able to benefit from the construction.

In fact, the phrasing “everything can be resolved with money” has become the omnipotent formula of the DPP government to deal with all problems. Ironically, the pension reforms for retired military, civil servants, and public school teachers, which the Tsai government prided itself on, only "saves NT$40 billion a year"; however, for the year-end local elections, the Lai Cabinet has squandered more than NT$700 billion in two months. The Tsai government will not mind this account, because it dips into your pocket.

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