Ko Wen-je’s “Shameful Taboo”, What Could We Do?

 Ko Wen-je’s “Shameful Taboo”, What Could We Do?

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

October 22, 2019

 Translation of an Excerpt

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je has made two clear-cut statements that "the Taipei Dome issue should be resolved, it won’t be further delayed" and that "the Taipei Dome has a chance to be completed within my second term"; the ill-fated Taipei Dome has finally, amid spirited contention, been rammed through, in its 7^th try, the Taipei City Urban Renewal Review Committee, hopefully to be inaugurated in 2021. Ko Wen-je has planned to jointly seek sponsorship of the 2030 Asian Games with New Taipei City, using the Taipei Dome as the main venue. Under the halo of the Asian Games, the Taipei Dome is expected to turn around with splendor. However, behind everything, too many ridiculous shadows abound; in addition, there is a sense of helplessness and sighs about if we had known the end result earlier, then why the circus show?

Since the Cabinet approved Taipei City’s project to push for the construction of the Taipei Dome in June 2000, Taipei City has elected three mayors, Ma Ying-jeou, Hao Lung-pin and Ko Wen-je. Were it not for the interference of non-professional, political factors, the Taipei Dome should have been completed and inaugurated. However, during his first mayoral campaign in 2014, Ko Wen-je lambasted the Taipei Dome as a scandal; after being elected, he couldn’t find substantive evidence of transgressions. Thus, he had to use public safety as grounds to order the suspension of construction; now it has been over four years, becoming an unfinished idol building, not living or dying in Taipei’s bustling east zone. Now suddenly the mayor has rammed everything through, resuming construction, even setting a date for completion. The rights, wrongs, and changes, as well as lamentable vicissitudes, we would not want to recount; we can only use “shameful taboo” if we have to describe it.

The Taipei Dome is a negative paradigm of politics lording over professionalism, even to the point of trampling on professionalism, and a political culture for vicious battles in electoral campaigns, as well as fertile soil for politics trampling on professionalism. Taiwan’s society should cultivate anew the authority of professionalism and trust in professionalism, excluding excessive political intrusion. With an IQ of 157, Ko Wen-je has his own calculations, but the people having witnessed the sudden changes in the Taipei Dome are not all idiots; shouldn't Ko Wen-je give an explanation and a different version?

Attachment : none