Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday urged opposition lawmakers to approve the NT$50 billion job-creation bill intended to stimulate the nation's economy and help local governments build infrastructure.
Hsieh yesterday appealed for support in the legislature for the bill, which would give Kaohsiung City NT$940 million to fund a series of major infrastructure projects.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Though in the Cabinet's version of the bill, Kaohsiung City only receives NT$940 million ... the funds will definitely be of great importance to many of the city's infrastructure projects," Hsieh said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The city construction projects to benefit from the job-creation bill include the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit system, drainage construction, a light rail system, the management of open lands to prevent the spread of dengue-fever-carrying mosquitoes and the joint project to combine developments of Kaohsiung Airport with Kaohsiung Harbor," Hsieh said.
Hsieh said the projects should not be sacrificed because of a political brawl.
"Under a democratic system, political parties should consult with each other through appropriate channels to work out an agreement," Hsieh said.
Under the Cabinet's plans, NT$8.5 billion out of the NT$50 billion would be at the disposal of the central government, NT$2.3 billion is slated for the special municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung and the remaining NT$39.2 billion would go to other local administrations.
The KMT and PFP insist that NT$8.4 billion out of the NT$39.2 billion be distributed directly to townships.
Hsieh said the pan-blue camp should respect the Cabinet's proposed budget scheme since the ruling DPP is to be held responsible for the execution of the policy.
"The KMT and PFP made noise about changing the Cabinet's version of the budget. But are they going to be responsible for carrying out the bill? After all, they will blame the ruling DPP if execution of the bill fails," Hsieh said.
"We should stick to the Cabinet's version of the bill, if the ruling DPP administration is to be responsible for the execution of the policy," he said.
Meanwhile, Hsieh yesterday confirmed his plans to sue the Chinese-language United Daily News.
"The media is the fourth estate; it's not the fourth god. The media can't incriminate me given that the court had cleared me [from any involvement in the bribery scandal involving Kaohsiung City Council speaker election]," Hsieh said.
Hsieh said he should have sued the newspaper for slander 20 years ago when it allegedly libeled him for saying he was involved in an election scam.
"The United Daily News then proposed settling the case out of court and I agreed. But now I deeply regret not having sued the newspaper 20 years ago," the mayor said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition