Taipei city councilors yesterday spoke out over the resignations of Taipei Department of Education Commissioner Tang Chih-min (湯志民) and Taipei Department of Legal Affairs Commissioner Yang Fan-ling (楊芳玲), and addressed rumors that more officials could exit Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) administration.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said that Tang’s and Yang’s resignations were the inevitable political responsibility Ko had to bear for his political decision to rehire music teacher Hsiao Hsiao-ling (蕭曉玲).
Hsiao, who formerly taught at Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Junior High School, took the Taipei City Government to court in 2007 over former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin’s (郝龍斌) “one guideline, one curriculum” education policy.
She was fired in early 2008 as a result of what she called political retaliation by Hau.
Despite the Supreme Administrative Court upholding the city government’s decision to dismiss Hsiao, the Control Yuan in 2013 filed corrective measures against the city and the school, paving the way for Ko to rehire Hsiao at another school last week.
While the facts regarding the Hsiao case would be difficult to ascertain, it was impossible that the school’s decision to dismiss Hsiao could have passed all the obstacles of the complex legal procedure governing dismissals of teachers, Hsu said, adding that she respects Ko’s choice to uphold procedural justice.
Regarding rumors that Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Beatrice Hsieh (謝佩霓) might be the next to be fired by Ko, Hsu said that it would be unfair to blame Hsieh alone for a lack of results from the promotion of Taipei as the World Design Capital this year.
Citing Seoul’s success with the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design-run event, Hsu said that Taipei’s turn was supposed to be a collaboration between the central government and Taipei, but the city only found out that the central government was not enthusiastic about funding the event after it won rights to host it in 2013.
Hsu said that the event has been overseen by three commissioners during Hau’s and Ko’s administrations, but that Ko has said he understood little of the event.
She said that Ko should let Hsieh know his ideas about design in the capital, rather than firing her for a lack of results, so the cultural affairs department could salvage the event by devising ways to bring in work from the local cultural and creative sectors, in line with the event’s motif.
Citing sources, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chen Chung-wen (陳重文) last week said that Ko expected Tang would resign.
Chen said that Hsieh and Taipei Indigenous Peoples Commission Chairman Chen Xiu-hui (陳秀惠) would be the next to go.
Calling on the city government to stem an exodus of officials, Hsu said that Tang and Yang resigned over the potential legal liability the city might have to shoulder for rehiring Hsiao, and that she could not see any other situations that are so dire that they could make other officials quit.
KMT Taipei City Councilor William Hsu (徐弘庭) said that Hsieh has apparently not achieved much since she took office, adding that most Taipei city councilors do not know her well.
However, with the World Design Capital title to end in three months, Hsieh has to show some results, otherwise she might be asked to leave, William Hsu said.
Similarly, Chen Xiu-hui is rumored to be the next official to be fired due to her lackluster performance, a situation that has been aggravated by her poor relationship with KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Fang-ju (李芳儒), William Hsu said.
He urged Ko to reflect upon “morally dubious” decisions that could take their toll on the mayor in the long run, saying that Ko’s decisions to compensate Kuokuang Motor Transport Co over the demolition of the Taipei West Bus Station and his decision to reinstate Hsiao were problematic.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS