Cool stuff is happening all around us in Taiwan. For example, here's a story about
run of the river hydropower being tested in I-lan.
Devised by a renowned inventor, Liu Cheng-shih, the millwheel- shaped hydropower facility can generate electricity using the weak water flow in rice paddy irrigation systems, which would represent a new clean energy source suitable for agriculture and poultry farming.
Liu said a mini power facility costs about NT$10 million (about US$300,000) and takes two months to install, but the cost can be recovered in six to seven years.
Meanwhile, Liu noted, the minimum required span between two mini-hydroelectric generators is only 12 meters, which means that if all irrigation systems in Taiwan adopt the mini hydro station, more than 30,000 sets can be put in place.
Alas, there's only so much cool stuff going on...
The papers here announced the latest twist in the struggle to define the voucher program, a
vote buying project stimulus program that will distribute $3,600 to every citizen on the island, now the object of much derisive discussion here on The Beautiful Isle. The government has said that
foreign spouses will get vouchers! The government seems to have realized that thousands of locals (160,000, according to the article) are married to non-citizens, yea, even unto short, pudgy, balding bloggers. Yesterday the news was saying that Hong Kong was considering a voucher program as well, after looking at Taiwan's. I think they ought to make our vouchers exchangeable for theirs; then we can engage in currency speculation along with our
investments in gold. The CNA was reporting today that the voucher program will
be handled as a separate budget from the NT$420 billion infrastructure stimulus program now under contemplation, as the DPP had threatened a boycott if the two were stuck together. And if you need a second job,
Kaohsiung is currently holding auditions for street performer licenses. More stimulus projects: the goverment is planning to begin development of all that empty land
around several HSR stations in 2009.
[Taiwan]
12 comments:
Met with some Taiwanese American friends here in USA lately. They are discussing when they are gonna fly back to Taiwan to take that 3,600.00 !!!!!!
I was like --- WHOLLY SHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiT !!!
(sorry, not enough i's to express my disgusting)
These people, many of them are American citizens and paying taxes to Uncle Sams for decades. And now they are gonna go back to take Taiwanese tax money ....
Very often, it's hard for me to say out loud:
"I am proud of being a Taiwanese."
Congratulations to you. You can have that BIG BIG BIG money now :D
Well, you don't realize how much sense it makes to spend $1,200.00 to get, what is it...like $125.00 give or take a few dollars.
Its only about US$100 - why would anyone spend money on a plane ticket (US$1000) for a measly 100 bucks?
The real scumbags are the Taiwanese Americans that live in the USA, pay no Taiwan taxes, but come back to Taiwan and abuse the health care system.
Just a reminder, some Taiwanese American fly back to Taiwan on yearly basis. They just have to re-arrange their trip, for example, moving from a summer trip to a winter trip, in order to take that 3,600.00.
And, another reminder, these friends of mine, are pro-China.
"The real scumbags are the Taiwanese Americans that live in the USA, pay no Taiwan taxes, but come back to Taiwan and abuse the health care system."
Anon, while there were definitely loopholes in the system in the past, and there still are today, this commonly repeated truism isn't quite accurate.
First, if you are still a citizen but haven't paid your monthly health care insurance premium, then you would have to payback all unpaid months prior to receiving healthcare under the nationalized insurance system. If you were away from Taiwan for 5 years, you would have to first pay 5 years in premiums before you could get discounted health care and in those five years, you obviously haven't received any other health care from Taiwan. But because of how costly health care is in the US, it's possible it's still worth it (and given how much in premium you're paying and the relative low cost of health care in Taiwan, it's not clear the service is being provided at a loss).
Second, if it really were for something serious, their domestic health insurance should cover it. If it's not covered, then quite often, it's not covered in Taiwan either (normal health checkups for example). In that case, the hospital in Taiwan is making a profit while the expat is simply getting a good deal relative to health care costs in the US.
Third, From a purely economic perspective, I'm not sure how Taiwan loses on expatriates coming back for health services. There are at least two big plus sides including often talented or successful expatriates maintaining connections with Taiwan and all the auxiliary spending (plane ticket, daily living expenses, shopping, etc). Looking at it that way, it's a ready-to-go health tourism market.
Last, where is the outrage of Taiwanese living in China coming back to use the health care system? If they are paying their premiums and are a citizen, then...? You'd have to decide for all Taiwanese expats whether they are going to be allowed to participate, not just for Taiwanese Americans.
Several loopholes were closed a couple of years back, and I'm sure some still do remain. Holders of Overseas Chinese ROC passports are a different category than residents in Taiwan. I'm not saying all the premiums are quite right or there are no situations that expats are taking advantage, but it's not exactly what you are claiming (or what people in Taiwan commonly claim).
It's even worse the ones who have nothing to do with Taiwan and have never even been there... but show up every year to eat for free at the Double 10 dinner on the taxpayers dime. The ones who cheered for the authoritarian regime from the comforts of the USA.
"And, another reminder, these friends of mine, are pro-China."
It makes me wonder...are there co-relation between "lack of self respect" and "pro-China" among Taiwanese American or Taiwanese Canadian? I can't really understand how can some of those TA and TC get to be so pro-China...
Dixteel: Many are waisheng, which means they don't have roots in Taiwan going beyond grandparents fleeing in Taiwan, maybe having kids, then immigrating to the US/Canada. These people generally self-describe as Chinese and don't self-describe themselves as Taiwanese.
Dixteel: It's easy to be "pro-China" when you aren't set to lose your civil liberties in case of assimilation!
Now... can these be used for entertainment... KTVs, liquor, whores and expensive banquet hall dinners? Taiwanese male entertainment?
I didn't expect the KMT to put in that much effort to win you over. :-)
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