The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is at an disadvantage in next month’s election in Penghu County due to a delay in campaign efforts because of a tight contest between the party’s nominees, but the party’s candidate for county commissioner, Magong City (馬公) Mayor Su Kun-hsiung (蘇崑雄), said he is certain that his policies will be sufficient to win over voters in the county.
According to senior party members in Penghu, it would not be the first time that the mayor of Magong has run for county commissioner and succeeded, pointing to brothers Wang Chien-tung (王乾同) and Wang chien-fa (王乾發) as examples who had previously succeeded.
Su’s proposed policies are an extension of his Magong City policies, such as ridding Penghu’s coast of concrete breakwaters and restoring the natural scenery of the coastline, free health services for residents from the age of 65, as well as liability insurance for all residents.
Su also wants to sign a contract with Far Eastern Airlines to give college students with homes in Penghu four free round-trip tickets to prevent residents being unable to return to their families during holidays, such as the summer vacation and the Lunar New Year holiday.
The country government should also reserve an entire flight’s worth of tickets for other residents in Penghu, Su said in a recent interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
The county government should also subsidize the National Health Insurance fees for students studying in Penghu and use fallow farmland to establish solar power plants, Su said, adding that if a greenhouse were set up under the panels the county government could also encourage farmers to grow products with a high economic value, such as mushrooms.
It would both increase the economic value of having solar power plants, as well as creating more jobs for locals, Su said.
Su said that he hopes to bring Penghu Marine Biology Research Center head Tsai Wan-sheng (蔡萬生) onto his team and establish the islands as a biotechnology hub.
In so doing the county government would have professional advice on how to integrate the various biotechnology achievements of the center, such as growing seaweed and sea grapes, and farming clownfish to give to the public.
“We would be able to upgrade our aquaculture industry by using abandoned fish farms along the coast,” Su said.
Despite the KMT’s baggage of negative public perception of the performance of the central government, Su said his position as head of Magong City would be a great help in alleviating the pressure.
“I have been a county councilor for Penghu County, as well as speaker of the county council,” Su said, adding that he was certain the vast contacts he has cultivated over the years would serve as a strong bulwark in the tough battle with rival Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復).
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