Thu, Apr 26, 2012 page8

• [ LETTERS ]

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  Pot calling the kettle black

  As a newspaper that loves to criticize, I trust you will have the openness of mind to print a letter that criticizes you.

  Many newspapers in the world support a political party, but your reporting is so openly biased toward the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that it is too much even for some DPP-leaning people to stomach. I’ve never seen any positive reporting from you about anything the current administration has done. You sound like an angry, bitter child who lost a game.

  Lately, you have reserved your negativity for the decision by the government to raise gasoline prices. If readers had only your paper to rely on, they would fault the current administration for having to pay more at the pumps. The truth, that you fail to report, is that international oil prices are going up. Everybody in the world has to pay more. Do we live in a fairyland where we are exempt from facing reality?

  During the previous administration, when the price of crude oil shot up, the government didn’t allow CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC), to raise prices. That was a blatant attempt to win votes, as it was just before an election. It put CPC so deep in debt that it took them years to recover. You were quiet at that time and did not alert the public to the real situation. Had the previous administration increased the price, I have no doubt you would have supported it and explained in detail how international oil prices control the price of gasoline in Taiwan.

  In your editorial of April 17, you chose a valid topic to comment about. More people should ride bicycles, not only for recreation, but also to work. Unfortunately, you couldn’t help yourself and had to blame somebody for that not happening. So you went after the Taipei City Government. It’s all their fault.

  Don’t you realize that Taiwan will never be Holland or Denmark? People here will never ride their bicycles to work en masse. Should the city government spend money on things like bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly facilities that few, if any, would use, you would be too happy to criticize such spending as a waste of money.

  And isn’t it interesting that during the DPP administration, when their policies were ruining Taiwan economically and the president and his wife were stealing millions of dollars from the public, you were right there supporting them?

  Cilliers Landman

  Shilin, Taipei

  (Editor’s note: It is the responsibility of the media to monitor the government and its policy implementation, and to highlight the public interest. Currently, the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] is in charge of administration at both the central government level and in Taipei City. It is therefore our responsibility as a newspaper to offer constructive criticism of the KMT as the sitting government.)

  Homemade economic crisis

  Working in the restaurant business, I am experiencing firsthand the impact of the government’s recent decision to increase gas prices and electricity rates.

  It is always the same issue around this time of year, but nobody can resolve the problem. Prices increase in April and people watch their pockets more closely. This leads to lack of consumption, which in a worst-case scenario could result in staff layoffs, then the workers have no money to spend — a recipe for a downward spiral.

  Does no one remember what happens every April to the public’s disposable income? It’s as if this news appeared without a moment’s notice, when it is already stressful for everyone.

  The price hike announcements this month have brought trouble to many workers and companies, and I wonder why the government has waited until now to address the issue. It should have been addressed before the January presidential and legislative elections, not afterwards.

  There should be solutions, but where are they? Now it is too late, the downward spiral has begun.

  If anyone wants to give a figure, the truth is that the service sector will decline 50 percent. Is this not an alarming number? So must we wait for President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) second inauguration on May 20 and the protests before it, or can we do something about it right now?

  Andreas Forster

  Sanjhih, New Taipei City
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