KMT upgrade plan blatently political

[cfimages]

The French and the Chinese went to war in 1611? I couldn't find that in Wikipedia anywhere.

Well d'uh. They didn't have computers and the interweb back then.

[ludahai]

I think I misunderstood - I thought it was upgrading counties to city status. My bad.

Also, Zhanghua voted KMT last election.

True in the last election, however, Zhanghua generally leans green.

[mr_boogie]

I think Sandman was a infiltrated sailor in a Portuguese ship when he arrived here... then he stayed because of all the Formosanas....

[ludahai]

Actually Zhanghua's case is not so out there. Yuanlin (the town in Zhanghua not the county, Yunlin) is the biggest town in Taiwan and is not that far short of having the population numbers to become a city on its own - it has almost as many as both Hualian and Taidong. It'd make more sense to merge it with Zhanghua city though - together they'd be about the same as Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu).

FYI - Zhanghua city is a part of Zhanghua county.

Yes I'm fully aware of that, although it's a separate govt for the city.

What do you mean a separate government for the city? Zhanghua is the county seat for Zhanghua county. Each city and township has its own government.

[ludahai]

And you conveniently forget Taoyuan county, population by far the highest of those rejected for upgrade, solid KMT, mayor Zhu Lilun, senior KMT figure.

I did NOT forget Taoyuan. I have mentioned it since early in the discussion.

Maybe there is a good argument for it, but could any administration push it through? As it is Ma ran on a policy of "three cities, 15 counties"-apart from the fact that Taipei City and County have not yet been merged, this is exactly what happens. I also thought "upgrades" were DPP policy.

I believe they were, but would they have implemented it in this manner? We will never know. It is all speculation. Frankly, I see no reason for large cities to have a status higher than the counties in such a small country. Equal - yes. Higher, kind of silly.

Do you have any better solutions? If the election is this year, then they next mayor would have to serve a longer term. These kinds of things happen in democracies all the time.

They happen in democracies all the time? Care to cite an example? And, no, they don't have to have a longer term. Why can't ALL local level elections be at the same time?

Even more ridiculous then.

I think Zhanghua/Yunlin makes more sense, but why would Yunlin/Jiayi counties be "even more rediculous"? Both are rural, agrarian counties.

But then the next term would be one year longer, municipal and county election dates are different.

But the election would happen this year with voters KNOWING this. Terms wouldn't be extended mid-term immediately prior to a scheduled election. The fact that you don't see the problems with this shows you look at things with blue colored lenses.

As for reorganization, I would like so see something along these lines:

1. Merge Keelong (Jilong) (Jilong) (Jilong) City with Taipei County
2. Taipei City
3. Taoyuan County
4. Merge Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) county and city
5. Miaoli county merged either with Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu) or Taichung (or parts merged with both)
6. Taichung County/City with Caotun township in Nantou County
7. Merge Zhanghua with Yunlin with Nantou City in Nantou County
8. Merge Jiayi City and County
9. Merge Tainan city/county
10. Merge Kaohsiung City/county
11. Merge Pingdong and Taidong Counties
12. Merge Yilan and Hualian counties
13. Take aboriginal townships in Nantou, Taichung, Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu), Tainan, etc. and make them into an autonomous region
14. Penghu as is
15. Merge the islands offshore that are formally part of Fujian Province into a single county.

Wouldn't this make much more sense than the ad hoc process that is going on now?

Why? Because you think it looks better? I can't see how it is any more logical that the present system.

One - many of the current administrative divisions are too small. I try to include large cities with their hinterlands and predominantly agrarian counties together - makes more administrative sense. Additionally, keeping the aboriginal townships together also makes some sense and give them some autonomy. They are already talking about this with Heping Township here in Taichung.

This kind of reorganization is very difficult to push through. It involves the redistribution of resources, and some people may even loose their positions if governments are merged. People are likely to get upset whatever you do.

Difficult? Perhaps, but with the supermajority the KMT has, if they were interested in genuine change, they could push it through.

As far as I can see, the current arrangement will ensure that there is a more equitable distribution of resources between the three major cities in Taiwan.

Agreed, and in Taichung, we need the resourses - perhaps we can finally get the MRT that Major Hu has talked about for nearly eight years. However, it will result in less money going to many agrarian areas.

As for the rural areas, there are definitely major problems. They have basically been neglected for far too long in the rush to industrialization and urbanization. That was part of the cost of the "economic miracle". I know some people are also very concerned about a new law regarding rural development that is being pushed through. Will this reorganization mean less money for rural areas? I don't know-do you have any forecasts?

Here, we can perhaps find a thread of agreement. I don't have the figures, but the only way the rural areas will get more money is if you increase the amount of money in the kitty to be distributed - but as that will not happen, the money will have to be diverted from rural areas to provide the additional funds for Sinbei and Taichung.

[ludahai]

Also, as a separate matter, what is to become of Banqiao, Xindian, etc.? Have they just been downgraded from cities to districts? And the townships, are they about to become neighborhoods?

We have the same questions here in Taichung - of course, we have a merger going on here. Taichung city has eight districts while Taichung County has three cities and about two dozen urban and rural townships - including an aboriginal township. The only thing I heard is speculation that Heping (the aboriginal township) will get some form of autonomy to protect the rights of the aboriginal mayor of the town.

[cfimages]

What do you mean a separate government for the city? Zhanghua is the county seat for Zhanghua county. Each city and township has its own government.

The county govt doesn't look after the city, (although their offices are located in the city).

[ludahai]

What do you mean a separate government for the city? Zhanghua is the county seat for Zhanghua county. Each city and township has its own government.

The county govt doesn't look after the city, (although their offices are located in the city).

Are you sure about that?

[ludahai]

What do you mean a separate government for the city? Zhanghua is the county seat for Zhanghua county. Each city and township has its own government.

The county govt doesn't look after the city, (although their offices are located in the city).

This map on the Zhanghua County website includes Zhanghua City.

http://www.chcg.gov.tw/english/01discovering/03main.asp

[cfimages]

What do you mean a separate government for the city? Zhanghua is the county seat for Zhanghua county. Each city and township has its own government.

The county govt doesn't look after the city, (although their offices are located in the city).

Are you sure about that?

Does it really matter? AFAIK, the city is run by Wun Kwo Min and the county by Cho Po-Yuan but I might be wrong. I really don't care enough about it to be bothered finding out for sure.