Stadiums are not ATMs
On Aug. 24, the Hsinchu City government released its Professional Baseball Existing Subsurface and Surface Playing Field Conditions Report, attracting more ht 30,000 online visitors who downloaded it within two hours. The interest was so great that the activity caused the official Web site to temporarily crash.
The way Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) has dealt with the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium is exactly the same as how former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) dealt with the Taipei Dome. They both kicked the can down the road, treating public issues as a kind of political ATM to be used for political gain. They not only increased social costs, but also affected sports fans’ rights and interests.
As a baseball lover, I would like to ask Kao: When will the renovations be finished? When will the stadium reopen and fans be allowed back in?
After Ko was elected Taipei mayor, he listed the Taipei Dome as his first priority among the other “five major corruptions,” established an investigation team and spent years on it. However, after two terms, the Taipei Dome issue has remained unsolved, it remains closed to the public, and the investigation team could not find answers.
The investigation started with much fanfare and propaganda, but then fizzled out. We should not hold our breath waiting for Ko to apologize.
After spending NT$1.8 million (US$56,495) of taxpayers’ money within nine months, Hsinchu Baseball Stadium’s improvement project under Kao’s leadership has seen no progress. I would like to kindly ask Kao: Who is to blame?
Municipal administration requires continuous devotion. Now that Kao has been elected Hsinchu’s mayor, she should bear the responsibility of renovating the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium, finish the renovation as soon as possible, and give a safe and comfy playing field back to baseball players and fans. That is the first and foremost task that she should address.
Kao, like Ko and the Taipei Dome, is using the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium as her political ATM where she could withdraw political benefits.
Kao should abide by Ko’s motto and “do whatever needs to be done.” If there are legal issues with the baseball field, then she should turn to the judicial process, allowing prosecutors to bring the truth to light. If there are engineering failures, then she should order the company in charge to carry on with the renovations.
The issue with the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium falls within the field of engineering, so the solution should also belong to engineering professionals.
For her part, Kao should use her skills as a techie, find a way to finish the renovation project immediately, and take the citizens out to ball games in Hsinchu Baseball Stadium again.
A mayor with high efficiency and a sense of responsibility should be able to accomplish that.
Hu Yen
Taipei
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