Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) presented a report on his administration's performance yesterday at a press conference to mark his first year in office.
Hsieh's uneven performance included high praise for his having improved the environment and dissatisfaction over the city's persisting traffic and social problems.
"The lower marks do not necessary mean that these departments are underperforming. It's a matter of public perception," Hsieh said.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, LIBERTY TIMES
According to a poll conducted by ETTV on Friday, an estimated 69 percent of those polled said they are satisfied with the city government's performance and administrative effectiveness.
"That is higher than my predecessor," Hsieh said.
Hsieh won a closely contested race against KMT's Wu Dun-yi (
The mayor said the high marks given to the environmental protection and health departments are due to the aggressive promotion of the "no trash on the ground" campaign and the free-of-charge false teeth for the elderly.
However, Hsieh is under fire for the worsening traffic situation, and the handling of the city's outdated water treatment facilities.
He tried to deflect criticisms of the city's traffic police force by saying that its effectiveness was ranked number one by the Ministry of Transportations and Communication, "but the public may have overlooked their performance in light of the recent drag racing incidents that ended in violence."
The city government's efforts to consolidate the water treatment companies in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County, and to install the much needed drainage system for waste water have been delayed due to budget constraints, he said.
Hsieh was locked in a bitter dispute with the central government over the budget this year.
His run-in with central government further escalated when he unilaterally decided to issue a city-run welfare lottery project this year to beef up the city's finances.
However, the mayor's aggressive style in overstepping the central government has won him high marks with city residents.
While Hsieh has enjoyed favorable public opinion, he has been criticized for mismanagement of his staff and the poor relations he has with the city council.
During his press conference, Hsieh admitted that there are "moral problems" in the city government and that more horizontal integration can be made to improve communication between the departments.
Hsieh said his goal for the coming millennium is to lead his team to make Koashiung the "Oceanic Capital" of Taiwan.
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