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Year-end revelries
wasteful: netizens
PUBLIC WASTE: Critics of lavish
government-sponsored New Year¡¦s Eve parties said the money would be better spent
on promoting creative arts and cultural activities
By Gan Chih-chi, Chao Ching-yu and Jason Pan / Staff reporters,
with staff writer
Pop group S.H.E performs at the
New Year¡¦s Eve party in Greater Taichung on Jan. 1.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
An online campaign urging people to
boycott extravagant government-sponsored New Year¡¦s Eve parties during which
millions of NT dollars are spent on the programs and accompanying fireworks has
garnered tens of thousands of supporters.
Within a few days of its launch, more than 14,000 people joined the Facebook
campaign, which states: ¡§I will not attend, nor will I join any New Year¡¦s Eve
party, which is the government¡¦s way of squandering taxpayers¡¦ money.¡¨
The petition says that for many cities and counties, the local government¡¦s
full-year budget for arts and culture is spent on this final day of the year.
Huge amounts of money are spent on such events, which ¡X like the fireworks ¡X are
blown up and dissipate within seconds, it said.
Numerous netizens posted messages in support of the campaign.
¡§These events are for people who have political connections or for their
companies to get rich. They are not members of the underprivileged in society,¡¨
a netizen wrote.
¡§It would be better to hold New Year¡¦s Eve activities that promote local culture
and its special characteristics, or tourism in the area. [Local governments] can
also organize programs like year-end charity drives, collecting donations of
food and other goods for distribution to needy families during the wintertime.
That would be much more practical and meaningful,¡¨ another wrote.
Writer Liu Ka-Shiang (¼B§JÁ¸) said these mass entertainment shows, starting from
before Christmas to New Year¡¦s Eve, mainly feature celebrities such as Jeannie
Hsieh (Áª÷¿P) or Jolin Tsai (½²¨ÌªL).
¡§Aren¡¦t there more meaningful creative arts and culture events that people can
attend and learn some new insights or perspectives?¡¨ Liu asked.
¡§Taiwanese society is poor and run down, yet huge amounts of public funds are
allocated for these events to artificially create merriment. It is deluding the
masses ... with these fantasies. This is wrong,¡¨ he added.
Liu said that city and county governments could host such events by rotation,
instead of holding similar events. More opportunities should also be given to
young artists and creative culture performers to let them take the stage at
these events, he said.
Huang Huan-chang (¶À·Ø¹ü), a medical science professor and environmental activist,
also supported the campaign, saying ¡§a true city of happy living should leave a
sustainable environment for the next generation.¡¨
While a number of city and county government officials have said in response
that these kinds of revelries can help stimulate the local economy and promote
tourism, those who oppose it say that tens of millions of dollars are spent to
invite star performers, along with the bill for clean-up.
Additional reporting by Tsai Wen-chu
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