Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors yesterday urged Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) and his administration to improve their performance after criticizing his low approval rating in recent polls.
DPP Taipei City councilors Chou Wei-yo (周威佑) and Wu Su-yao (吳思瑤) cited polls conducted by local media outlets over the past two years when comparing Hau’s low approval rating with that of Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋).
“Hau’s performance is not much better than Chou Hsi-wei’s. His approval ratings are terribly low in different polls conducted in comparison with other local government heads or with other party politicians in the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT],” Wu said in a press conference at the Taipei City Council.
In a January poll by the China Times on the performance and approval ratings of local government heads, about 500 Taipei residents gave Hau 61 points out of 100. His rating was the third worst in the poll, followed by Chou Hsi-wei’s 60 points and Taitung County Commissioner Kuang Li-cheng’s (鄺麗貞) 58 points. Hau, Chou and Kuang are all members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
In another poll by CommonWealth magazine last year, Hau’s performance fell from No. 8 to No. 17 out of the 23 local government heads, the councilor said.
Taipei City Research Development and Evaluation Commission statistics show that Hau’s approval rating fell from 55 percent in 2007 to 52 percent last year. However, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu’s (陳菊) approval rating increased from 41 percent to 65 percent last year, statistics from the Kaohsiung City Research Development and Evaluation Commission showed.
“Taipei is the capital city and enjoys more resources than other cities and counties. However, our mayor’s performance is as poor as Chou Hsi-wei and Kuang’s. He should reflect upon his low approval rating,” Chou Wei-yo said.
Chou Hsi-wei’s low approval rating has prompted media speculation that the KMT could dissuade him from seeking re-election in the year-end election.
Hau has acknowledged his poor approval rating since taking office two years ago, attributing the low numbers to the lack of promotion efforts initiated by the city government.
Hau defended his achievements in improving Tamsui River water quality and public safety, and vowed to promote municipal policies.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS