Ko Wen-je

I would give that a like if not for the spelling mistake in Discobot’s name.

Love Ko

Trapped behind a paywall. :wall:

This is really naïve and borderline laughable. He’s not the Messiah.

What right thing has he done exactly? I’m really curious because so far he’s done nothing but the same as all other scumbags politicians.

There’s that one small event that everyone thought he did a pretty good job at being head committee of, but we all know you’re the only one that didn’t think it was a big deal. So I’ll skip that bullet.

How about, the north gate? I know you’ll only shoot this point down, so I’ll wait for your reasons why instead of listing the good it’s brought. Go.

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I saw him talking yesterday in Nangang .

Interestingly he said the north gate took a longtime to achieve but is now showing a lot of progress. That really is concrete improvement in what was a sorely neglected area, a real eyesore.

He also said the Taipei city govt is going to refocus after the sports games, one of their big targets now is Nangang area redevelopment !
Kept repeating that Nangang is the key area for the North East.

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Wow you guys must have really lowered your standards on politicians. A gate is enough to impress you so much that you’d go as far as putting him on a pedestal.

What about the dom scandal? Have you guys forgotten about that? And do you people not remember the protest at the opening ceremony of Universiade? The security was a complete disaster.

I really don’t think he’s that much different from all the other nasty politicians you see here. He was an egotistical doctor who gave it a try. It’s been 3 years and I honestly haven’t observed any improvement. Apart from the north gate, that is.

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At risk of further derailing this thread, I will say that Taipei City’s ridiculous dome scandal is one that Dr Ko inherited–and was willing to call bullsh-t on and at least try to fight. After years and years of Ma and Hau as mayors (16 years total), it was I think important to have a new voice to speak the truth, at least as Dr Ko saw it. I am not claiming that this man is the best mayor of all time but he is far more candid in calling bullsh-t than perhaps any politician in Taiwan since Chen was mayor of Taipei in the 1990s.

Now if he could just fight to get some godd*amn trees planted in this town–instead of continuing to cut everything down–I’d be happy.

Guy

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Among his deeds, for example, there is the roof of Taipei Main Station. A project that had taken years due to corruption. he set the wheels in motion to get it finally done. It is one of the things I have heard him praised among the locals. That he is finally doing what needs to be done to get things done.

And he is through. Once the North Gate’s bridge was removed -efficiently, on schedule- then work started on removing the old bus station, which had been delayed also forever, and got on track to make it a park. This open space helps in appreciating the North Gate and opens up the city landscape.

You have next to it the new station complex, which is going to be a great addition. With this, Dihua Street, renovated with cafes and creative enterprises, is a stone’s throw away and touruists can go to the train museum, the postal museum, etc. The whole area is going to see a great tourism push. Most tourists from Korea or even Japan stay around Taipei Station area, and to have these amenities nearby helps reliving them from their hard earned money and into Taiwanese pockets in an enjoyable way for both.

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If removing a highway that blocked an important piece of Taipei history, which eventually lowered traffic, created some green areas in its place, revitalized it as a tourist destination AND allowed for bikes to cross that intersection low in_your_ standards.

Come on Debbie Downer, I would like to see what is considered high.

No one will forget that. But wait, I thought you didn’t care about Universiade and it wasn’t a big deal. If it wasn’t a big deal, then how can you consider it one of Ko’s successes? I’m confused.

Honestly, you probably haven’t observed any improvement because you only see the negative side of things and not the positive.

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The way he’s been managing Taipei has been stellar, and the fact that he’s been doing it with both political parties (one in particular) complaining about EVERYTHING because they’re jelly as fuck, is amazing.

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I like the bike lanes as well and his charging for parking in Taipei.

He isn’t perfect or amazing, but breaks the mould of Taiwanese politicians not doing ANYTHING. Gives you hope that this place won’t be permanently in stasis

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Yep _c6d4984d29d9baa9ca21d826800f3821

huh? Ko merely inherited the dome scandal. In fact, Ko is investigating and rectifying the effects of the dome scandal, he is not involved in the scandal.

You want to fault Mayor Ko for stopping the construction of the dome? He did it because alteration to the safety features of the dome was never approved by the city.

Mayor Ko also didn’t cause the protest at the opening of Universiade. If he is to be blamed for not doing enough to stop protesters, then perhaps the Ministry of Interior should share half of the blame, since the MOI technically runs the police.

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Ko could have easily have had the dome completed and then got out in time before any eventual disaster happened.

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If he’s so uncaring and calculating, he wouldn’t be in so much trouble he’s in.

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The problem with the dome was that the changes that the building company made without authorization and going off the especifications as per the original plans not only ruined the structure but most of all, made it unfit to harbor baseball, for which it was supposedly built. It does not correspond to international standards as it was requested in the contract. Moreover, this is not the first time the same architect ruins a sports facility, which makes anyone with half a brain wonder why he was given the task to build another sports facility…plus he failed again by going off script a second time?! It does arouse suspicious of collusion and, in effect, sabotage. With what purpose?

If I ask you to build a table and you give me a pot holder, that is a problem. It may be a good pot holder but it is not what I need, what I asked you to do nor what I paid for. It may be a pretty pot holder and you may tell me I can eat on it…but it is not right. In thsi case, teh pot holder is not even stiched right; it has broken glas and nails in it. It cannot be used.

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Im not up on the details, but wasn’t the reason that it was unsafe that Farglory decided to shoehorn a shopping mall and hotel into the design at a later date ?

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I personally don’t like him that much. I feel like he and I can’t be bros. that’s really important to me in elected officials as stupid as it sounds. If I can’t be in a room alone with you and have a good time and have things to talk about. I personally wouldn’t vote for you.

I met Ma many times. As a mayor as a kid and as the president. Always thought he had a nice smile but no back bone. Turns out I was right.

As a tax payer, I don’t want my mayor to be my bro. I want him/her to make the city a better place to live. In Taipei (and elsewhere is Taiwan) this means stopping some folks we could politely call unscrupulous (I have other adjectives, but since this is a family site I will refrain from using them) from grabbing everything they can. The dome scandal, the twin tower scandal, the massive overcost of the ridiculous basketball facility in Daan–the list goes on.

I think the reason the Beimen zone renewal gets positive reviews is that everyone can see a massive change (highly positive) in a much-neglected area–a change that is good for tourism and also civic pride in the history of our city, going from late Qing into some handsome Japanese colonial area structures. Dr Ko is not my bro but he has helped to oversee these changes–ones that amazingly do not include yet another shopping mall/hotel/blah blah complex.

That’s my two NTD.

Guy

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