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Hailing one masked man who stopped vanity project
By Ni Tao |
January 27, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RENOVATION and upgrading of some urban amenities has been put on hold in the southern city of Guangzhou thanks to one masked man's efforts to halt profligate waste in the project - a move that could save the city's taxpayers about 51 million yuan (US$7.5 million).
Last Thursday, a man in sunglasses, knitted hat and mask aroused people's curiosity when he appeared in the People's Square in downtown Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.
Draping banners that read "Save Guangzhou" and distributing leaflets to whoever came his way, he protested against the city government's decision to replace perfectly adequate pavement on the sidewalks, curbs and flower beds lining the city's 81 main roads with fancier ones made of granite, the Southern Metropolis News reported on January 23.
"These curbs and flower beds are in good shape. So what's the purpose of removing them and putting expensive granite in their place?" the man was quoted as telling an official in charge of urban construction, who went to the square and accepted his petition.
The masked man complained that his pleas to city authorities to drop the granite idea had "fallen on deaf ears." The face-lift would only contribute to "road congestion and illegal dumping of construction debris," he said.
Jian Wenhao, director of the urban construction commission, promised the man that his petition would be handled seriously, the People's Daily reported yesterday.
The man's unconventional approach worked, as the next day the Guangzhou government ordered suspension of all face-lift work on the remaining 20 areas slated for "beautification."
Heart-breaking
"The sight of roads in good shape being ripped apart was heart-breaking," he said. "Why hadn't the money been pumped into projects like subsidized housing, medical care and education?" the People's Daily quoted him as saying.
That the man in Guangzhou called for an end to extravagant vanity projects would not in itself be notable - many Chinese feel the same way about fancy urban make-work - but the fact that he felt it necessary to hide his identity is very disturbing.
While the government's U-turn on the granite issue is commendable, showing it is indeed accountable - at least in this case - questions arise as to why similar concerns were not addressed earlier, and why a public-spirited citizen should feel so insecure about petitioning with his face uncovered.
The perplexing rapidity with which Guangzhou did this about-face raises another issue: if government projects can be implemented and then ditched in such an abrupt manner, doesn't this speak volumes about government decision making and the whimsical ways of some officials?
What happened in Guangzhou is playing out daily in other major Chinese cities. Roads and sidewalks in Shanghai are torn up, repaved and then ripped up again, sometimes without any perceived benefits.
Whatever the financial cost, I reckon that a good portion of these projects' funds could have been put to more meaningful uses than powering earsplitting jackhammers in the name of beautification.
Last Thursday, a man in sunglasses, knitted hat and mask aroused people's curiosity when he appeared in the People's Square in downtown Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.
Draping banners that read "Save Guangzhou" and distributing leaflets to whoever came his way, he protested against the city government's decision to replace perfectly adequate pavement on the sidewalks, curbs and flower beds lining the city's 81 main roads with fancier ones made of granite, the Southern Metropolis News reported on January 23.
"These curbs and flower beds are in good shape. So what's the purpose of removing them and putting expensive granite in their place?" the man was quoted as telling an official in charge of urban construction, who went to the square and accepted his petition.
The masked man complained that his pleas to city authorities to drop the granite idea had "fallen on deaf ears." The face-lift would only contribute to "road congestion and illegal dumping of construction debris," he said.
Jian Wenhao, director of the urban construction commission, promised the man that his petition would be handled seriously, the People's Daily reported yesterday.
The man's unconventional approach worked, as the next day the Guangzhou government ordered suspension of all face-lift work on the remaining 20 areas slated for "beautification."
Heart-breaking
"The sight of roads in good shape being ripped apart was heart-breaking," he said. "Why hadn't the money been pumped into projects like subsidized housing, medical care and education?" the People's Daily quoted him as saying.
That the man in Guangzhou called for an end to extravagant vanity projects would not in itself be notable - many Chinese feel the same way about fancy urban make-work - but the fact that he felt it necessary to hide his identity is very disturbing.
While the government's U-turn on the granite issue is commendable, showing it is indeed accountable - at least in this case - questions arise as to why similar concerns were not addressed earlier, and why a public-spirited citizen should feel so insecure about petitioning with his face uncovered.
The perplexing rapidity with which Guangzhou did this about-face raises another issue: if government projects can be implemented and then ditched in such an abrupt manner, doesn't this speak volumes about government decision making and the whimsical ways of some officials?
What happened in Guangzhou is playing out daily in other major Chinese cities. Roads and sidewalks in Shanghai are torn up, repaved and then ripped up again, sometimes without any perceived benefits.
Whatever the financial cost, I reckon that a good portion of these projects' funds could have been put to more meaningful uses than powering earsplitting jackhammers in the name of beautification.
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