“People can see the work I have done. I am seeking voters’ support based on my accomplishments. In the past, the constituents put their trust in me before and once again, it is the results my administration has delivered that will count in this election,” Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said of his re-election bid in a recent interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
Hu said he is closing the gap in opinion polls between him and Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for the Nov. 29 mayoral race.
“However, the real public opinion poll will be conducted on Nov. 29 via the ballots cast in the election. I am fighting hard to gain every vote from residents and the local political factions. The goal is to win the public poll on election day,” he said.
When Hu announced his re-election bid, doubts were raised on many sides that he has been in charge of Greater Taichung for too long, with critics contending that throughout his long tenure he had not done a good job.
Hu has served as mayor for three terms for 13 years. He is eligible for re-election because Taichung City was upgraded to a special municipality in 2010.
Addressing these concerns, the 66-year-old said that the results of his efforts as mayor are the only thing that counts with voters, adding that being re-elected would allow him to finish upgrading the city’s transportation.
“When these upgrade projects are completed, I will have fulfilled my promise to Greater Taichung residents and can then leave my post with a contented heart,” he said.
From the original “Worried about letting go, so I must carry on with the job,” Hu’s re-election slogan is now: “Greater Taichung: Making it happen” (大台中, 實現中).
Regarding the claim that he has been mayor for too long, Hu said: “Is it an advantage or a disadvantage to have been doing the same job for a long time? The post of mayor is not filled by political appointment, nor forced occupation — the mayor is chosen by voters. I got the job because of my achievements. Detractors say that mine having been on the job so long is a disadvantage, but for me, such extensive experience is an advantage.”
About the upgrade of the former Taichung County into the municipality of Greater Taichung, Hu said he has not seen old Taichung county districts being marginalized by the move, as claimed by some, and also extolled the progress Greater Taichung has made in recent years.
Hu said his administration has completed 3,867 construction projects with a total disbursed expenditure of NT$32 billion (US$1.07 billion), with 976 of the projects totaling NT$13.8 billion concentrated on the original core of the city; 2,685 projects and NT$15.5 billion on the old Taichung county districts; and 206 projects carried out across various regions.
“It is clear that we are ‘making it happen’ for Greater Taichung,” Hu said.
Of the 3,867 projects, “the most important is the ‘Three-Ring Network’ (三環線) project,” he said. “When I was mayor of Taichung City, I carried out the No. 74 provincial road project — the inner ring of the Three Ring Network. Now I have a plan for an outer ring road that passes through Chingshuei (清水), Wurih (烏日), Lungjing (龍井), while linking up Fongyuan (豐原) and Dali (大里) that has the status of a national-level project. So if I am given four more years, Greater Taichung will have a two-ring road network.”
Hu is also pushing for a “Mountain-and-Sea Rail Line” (山海線) project to link the two main railway stations, Dajia (大甲) and Houli (后里), an endeavor that would cost an estimated NT$80 billion and take 10 years to complete.
“If I am re-elected, this rail line — project will be commenced, thereby completing the ‘Three Ring Network,’” he said. “With the addition of new bus lines, the inauguration of the Bus Rapid Transit system and a planned MRT system, Greater Taichung will undergo a ‘Great Leap Forward’ in transportation and the flow of traffic. This will also level the disparity between the municipality’s urban and rural regions.”
“Some people say that if I am re-elected, I will handle these project nonchalantly because I would no longer be under pressure to win over voters. Am I that kind of person? No, my ethos has always been to give my best until the very end,” he said.
“I am confident that I can win this election. What I am fighting for is not just a personal victory, but to secure a ‘Great Leap Forward’ for Greater Taichung’s future,” Hu said. “This flower garden has been cultivated under good guidance for 13 years. Now is not the time to hand it over to an inexperienced gardener.”
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