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EDITORIAL: The
government’s false advertising
The popular Top Pot Bakery chain caused an outrage last week with its admission
that it has been using artificial flavoring in products it advertised as
“all-natural.”
The Taipei City Government’s Department of Health has since slapped the chain
with a NT$180,000 (US$6,000) fine for false advertising, with Taipei Mayor Hau
Lung-bin (郝龍斌) asserting toughness in the city government’s handling of the
incident and demanding that the bakery adopt a stringent refund plan.
“Top Pot Bakery set a bad example by mislabeling the ingredients in its baked
goods. It was a dishonest, deceptive act,” Hau said on Tuesday.
Indeed, the chain needs be held responsible for deceiving consumers, and it is
encouraging to see Hau carry out his duty as mayor by speaking for the
protection of residents’ rights and showing uncompromising firmness on food
safety.
However, as exasperated consumers expressed disbelief and panned the chain for
its fraudulent behavior, some were struck by a disturbing thought: They have
become aware of how, for a long time, they have harbored a double standard
toward politicians, indulging their shamelessly deceitful rhetoric and conduct
without taking action to deter them.
If people are upset over a bakery’s deceptive advertising, why are they not
angry at the misleading claims, brazen lies and broken promises of politicians?
Let’s take President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as an example: Elected as the head of
the state, Ma has disappointed voters and set a bad example by failing to make
good on his election-time promises.
To name a few, he has failed to deliver on his “6-3-3” campaign pledge — 6
percent annual GDP growth, an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent and
US$30,000 annual per capita income; he has failed to donate half his salary as
he had said he would if he fell short of the “6-3-3” targets; and he broke his
pledge not to double as president and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman.
The government under his leadership has failed to seek compensation from Beijing
for the damage caused to Taiwanese firms in 2008 over the imports of
melamine-tainted milk products; failed to honor pledges to create a “golden
decade”; and forsook national interests by resorting to back-room dealings.
Having lost much of their credibility because of broken promises and vacillating
policies, it is evident that both Ma and his administration are not just
incompetent, but also insincere.
Ma would not have gotten away with his unscrupulous behavior had it not been for
lawmakers who serve as his accomplices in the Legislative Yuan, blindly
endorsing any policy put forth by their party headquarters and sacrificing the
nation’s interests.
Almost always, legislators who fail to serve the public and keep the executive
branch in check complete their terms, enjoying the privileges that come with
their status as lawmakers, while the taxpayers who voted them into office and
pay their salaries continue to suffer.
Democracy is more than just people casting votes. While voters know they are
responsible for electing public servants, they should be equally aware that they
can recall any official who forsakes their duty to serve the public’s best
interests.
Luckily, a recall campaign recently launched by the civic group Constitution 133
Alliance has reminded the public of its power to root out incompetent lawmakers.
As screenwriter and author Neil Peng (馮光遠) put it: “Ma has set the nation on
fire on numerous occasions and we, the people, are always the ones left to put
out the flames.”
The time is now for Taiwanese to exercise their right to recall lawmakers who
are neither worthy of their pay nor respectful of their constituencies.
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