That poll that named Taiwan the number 1 expat place to live, pimped here in Taiwan Today, was totally destroyed by Taiwan Explorer, who points out that the survey of "expats in Taiwan" actually only surveyed a tiny group of privileged white expats in Taipei, and is as unrepresentative as can be imagined. The usual uncritical media coverage then followed...
Following the "sharp drop" in the number of group tourists from China, the government is scrambling for a tourism policy. Proposals are aimed at Muslim and SE Asian tourism.
Meanwhile the Tsai Administration is inundated with protests and strikes. Saturday public sector employees went out to protest pension reforms. Taipower employees are also marching to Taipei because of changes in Taipower. The DPP wants to create additional electricity organizations to carry out Taipower's current role. One of the most hidebound and conservative agencies in the government, it is a testimony to the power of the bureaucracy that reform can only be accomplished by keeping agencies in place but reducing their power by creating new agencies. *sigh* Tourism groups were also out in a small protest to complain about the drop in group tours. What do all these have in common? They are deeply Blue groups. Some of the more suspicious Greens are seeing coordination in the strikes....
Frozen Garlic emerged from his cave to write to the Greens to stop acting as if the sky is falling because Tsai's popularity has declined a bit. We have a pro-Taiwan legislature and a pro-Taiwan Administration, something to celebrate. Moreover, DPP party ID is continuing to rise. The long-term news is good. So relax guys....
Good and bad news out of the KMT... first, the party is grudgingly adopting measures to permit the local chapters to elect their own leaders.
Under the amendment to Article 26 of the charter, local branches will be able to elect their own directors, though the party leadership will retain the authority to appoint deputy directors and to ratify local appraisal committee members.At first you think -- yeah, progress toward Taiwanization. But elites objected to this, since they may lose control of the local branches, and the language of the changes shows obvious intent to keep elected local directors under central party eyes. PTS reports on other changes at the Congress. Apparently the KMT is now incorporating a cross-strait peace agreement into its party charter. The Taipei Times gave an expanded version of the changes, which also involve including the 1992 in the Charter but leaving out the codocil of one China, "each with is own interpretation", though several party bigwigs objected. The key point, of course, is that none of these have any great appeal for the voting public.
The KMT now has two months to form a committee to implement the changes that were outlined in the local branch amendment.
In line with the amendment, the party could hold combined elections in August next year for its chairperson, local directors and party representatives, which would be a first since the KMT’s founding more than 100 years ago.
BTW, my man Donovan the ICRT Central Taiwan news guy notes that...
We're still on track for Taichung to be the second largest city by mid 2017:_______________________
Countdown to Taichung passing Kaohsiung as #2: 20,182 (end Aug data, Aug -1847, Jul -1872, Jun -1470, May -2414)
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Next time they do that expat poll, let's all jump in and boost, I dunno, South Sudan to the top.
ReplyDeleteFG has not really come out of the cave. He never did.
ReplyDeleteHe has no idea of or sympathy for Taiwanese' political purgatory.
His observation is usually that that's normal democratic ....
He will say that same phrase evev if he is to talk about North Korea.