The proposed NT$80 billion, eight-year, flood-control bill favors DPP-controlled areas and will lead to an unfair distribution of resources without a comprehensive plan, while failing to strengthen flood control functions, opposition party lawmakers claimed yesterday.Kuomintang lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said the ruling Democratic Progressive Progress government plans to allocate at least NT$58 billion - 74 percent of the total budget - to DPP-controlled counties, while counties under the control of the pan-blue alliance are to be allocated around NT$20.5 billion - 26 percent of the budget.
Water policy is probably the most heavily politicized of government policies around the world, used as a way to distribute cash to local governments. In this light the PFP criticism was quite interesting:
Meanwhile, People First Party lawmaker Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) criticized what he called a crude and loose plan and claimed the government was only focusing on the construction of flood controls, without establishing a mechanism for monitoring the construction work and the apportioning of funds for the work.
True of so many government programs in Taiwan....and so many that made PFP candidates rich.
UPDATE: Testimony on Pinglin Today (10/4) in print version of Taipei Times.
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