A sightseeing activity was carried out by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to six massive sludge digestion tanks outside a sewage treatment plant in Pali, Taipei County, yesterday to illustrate the effects of "black-gold" culture.
A skit was performed by DPP staffers and volunteers in front of the expensive plant, construction of which was started in 1992 amid a controversy about the discovery of a historical iron-smelting site on the proposed area covering 45 hectares of land in Pali.
According to DPP staffers, the plant could be the largest landmark symbolizing black-gold politics involving the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The plant's digestion tanks cost only NT$1.7 million but NT$4.8 billion of taxpayers' money was spent on the project, according to the DPP. Then-KMT legislator Wu Tzer-yuan (伍澤元) was accused by the DPP of reapportioning the budget when he headed the Taiwan Provincial Government (台灣省住都局), which was in charge of sewage treatment.
A performer playing the role of Wu, thanked two others performers playing the roles of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) because "a black-gold miracle was jointly created."
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
"Wu was prosecuted not only because of this case but also because of another one surrounding a pumping station. He had no choice but to flee to China," Lee said.
The sewage-treatment plant was built by the Taipei City Government to solve pollution problems in the Tamshui River. The first phase of the Great Taipei sewage treatment project cost NT$10.2 million. It was designed to treat about 1.3 million tonnes of sewage a day from Taipei City, Taipei County and Keelung City. The trial was conducted in January 2000, but an official operation was suspended in June, 2001 because the Taipei County Government owned NT$228 million in operating fees.
In response PFP Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said that the suspension of the plant could be attributed to Taipei County Government, which is reluctant to complete the construction of new sewage pipes.
"How can we have all sewage sent to the plant for further treatment?" Lee Hung-chun said.
Yesterday in Keelung, the DPP also accused the pan-blue camp of involvement in black-gold politics. In front of Keelung Train Station, another skit was played out by DPP supporters.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS