The Ministry of the Interior's plan to put the two special municipalities of Taipei City and Kaohsiung City, counties and cities all on the same level prompted an immediate backlash from the Taipei City Government, which believes lowering the city's status is a DPP election ploy. The Kaohsiung City Government, however, has accepted the idea.
Taipei has long been the political and economic hub of the nation and enjoyed the best in terms of finance, infrastructure, power and media coverage. To put Taipei or Kaohsiung on the same level as the 18 counties and five cities would be like pulling two of the Greek gods down from Olympus. Taipei's misgivings are understandable.
Politically speaking, the counties and cities have been equal with the two special municipalities, in that they have been directly under the Executive Yuan's control ever since the Taiwan Provincial Government was downsized. But a vast gap remains between Taipei and Kaohsiung and the others in terms of tax revenues, administrative power and infrastructure subsidies provided by the central government. The leaders of the two special municipalities also enjoy the privilege of making speeches in Cabinet meetings. These inequalities have led to a lot of resentment, which is why the two special municipalities, counties and cities should now be treated equally.
Earlier this year Taipei postponed elections for borough and neighborhood leaders in order to redraw the boundaries of the city's districts. The city government was willing to take the central government to court over the matter, saying if the boundaries were not changed then the city's development would be affected by the inequalities between boroughs. That argument sounds suspiciously similar to the central government's rationale for trying to level the playing field now. So why does Taipei have a hard time accepting the idea?
Taipei's streets are well-maintained and well-lit and the city offers good utility services while Taipei County suffers from uneven roads, broken street lights and a relatively poor water supply. It's no wonder Taipei County residents feel that they are being treated as second-class citizens. Kaohsiung County frequently complains about big companies building polluting factories in the county, while setting up their corporate headquarters in Kaohsiung City or even Taipei City, thereby allowing those cities to reap the tax revenues. These are the side effects of uneven development.
Actually, it is time that all of Taiwan's administrative divisions were overhauled. The government should draw up new district and financial systems based on economies of scale and push for the necessary amendments to the Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (
Even after such a readjustment, Taipei and Kaohsiung cities will still continue to attract more than their share of investment and development. That is only natural. In fact, as the nation's capital, Taipei should also get some preferential treatment in order to maintain the city's competitiveness among international metropolises.
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