鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
HongKonghasreservesofatleastHK$1,000,000,000,000.It'srichbyanystandard.It'scertainlyveryrichforaplacewhichhasnonaturalresourcesandonlyabout7millioninhabitants.Evenmoreamazingly,itlooksasifthereserveswillgoonincreasing.
Butwhosemoneyisit?It'sours!TheHK$1,000,000,000,000belongstoeachofus.It'snotmoneybelongingto"thegovernment";it'snotmoneybelongingtoanybodyelse,butOURSELVES!It'smoneybelongingtothepeopleofHongKong!
What,youmightwellask,arethecircumstancesinwhichthegovernment,whichhascontrolbutnotownershipofthemoney,mightspendsomeofthisvastamountofmoney?AsfarasIcansee:never!LookingatthefiscalfiguresofHongKong,wehavealmostalwaysachievedasurplusyearafteryear.Inthefewyearsinwhich,exceptionally,weincurredadeficit,wetightenedourbeltandhardlydippedintothereserves.That'swhyourreserveshavegrownandgrown.Myquestioniswhenthehellarewegoingtodipintothispot?
InoticethatinthelatestproposalforWestKowloon,asinequanonisfortheHK$2,500,000,000requiredtobepaidbacksomehowfromdevelopers,andthatthecomplexshouldbeself-sufficientfinancially.Inotherwords,wearegoingtohavethesameoldsorrowfulstoryofexpensivespaceswithinwhatpromisestobeaculturalhub.
Forme,itisabsolutelyludicrousthatthegovernment,aseffectivetrusteesforthepeopleofHongKong,shouldnotspendsomeofourcapitalreserves(noticetheword"our",becauseit'sourmoney,notanybodyelse's)incaseslikeWestKowloon.
Whyshouldthegovernmenthaveanobsessionaboutmakingthisculturalcentreself-financingorself-sustainable?Itisaneasyargumenttosaythatthat'sthewayHongKongworks.Butthereareclearexamplesofexceptions.Justlookatthewayinwhichourgovernmentusedourmoney(billions)tosubsidizeDisneyland.Thatreallywastotallyunacceptable-bothfromthepointofviewoffinancingandculture.SotheargumentoftotalfreemarketdoesnotholdinHongKonganyway.Inotherwords,thestrongargumenthereisthatifwecoulddoitforDisneyland,thenafortiori,wecouldandshoulddoitforWestKowloon.Inanyevent,manyormostculturalinstitutionsindevelopedcountriesandplacesareinfactsubventedbygovernments.Theseinstitutionsare,quiterightly,regardedasasymbolofthepeople,andthereisalwaysadecentargumentforusingpublicmoneyonpublicinstitutions.Indeed,publicinstitutionsforthebenefitofthepublicshouldbetheonlyareasinwhichthegovernmentshouldspendourpublicmoney.Andwhenthegovernmentdoesspendourmoneyforgoodcauseslikethebuildingofaculturalcentre,especiallyinHongKongwhichhasbeenthirstingforonefor150years,thereshouldbenoapologiawhatsoever.Onthecontrary,thegovernmenthasadutytoseetoitthattheordinarypeoplearegiventheopportunitiesforenjoymentandeducation-somethingthatwasquintessentiallycultural.
Andthereisnowachance,intheretailspacesofWestKowloon,forusalltore-introducesomeofthetraditionalsmallbusinessesthathavebeengobbledupbythebigbusinesses.IhavecontinuallybemoanedthefactthatHongKonghaslostitscharmthroughthedisturbingandappallingdisappearanceofthecottageindustrywhichhadcharacterizedourcityandmadeourselvesintowhatwearetoday.Yetwearefastabandoningit.Wherearethesmallefficienttailorsandcobblersandmillinersanddressmakersandhairdressersandfung-shuimastersandhandcraftersandseamstressesandlaunderersandcoffin-sellersandrice-merchantsandsmallantique-dealersandtea-merchantsandumpteenothersmallbusinesseswithdistinctChinesecharacteristics?Theycouldallberevivedineffectivelysubsidizedrents,andonceagain,wecanbringbacktoHongKongamodicumofcharmandsoul.Yessome"soul"iscryingoutloudwithinthemindlessconcretejungleweseemtobebuilding-withtotaldisregardtoindividualsandadiscerningsenseofChineseorHongKongpride.Ifwereallymeantobuildaculturalcentre,letusbequiteclearthatweneedtoembrace,andembracefully,ourculturalsensefromthehigh-cultureofthefineartsdowntothevernacularwhosecultureisasimportant.LetusatWestKowloonnotonlyhousebeautifulworksofartinsidethebuildings,butalsocharmingandbeautifullytraditionalshopsthataresmallandmanagedbyindividuals,unconditionedbyfatandgreedylandlords!Thegovernmenthasadutytobringbackagenuinehumantouchtoourcity;toencourageoncemoreandgivehopetothosewhofinditmightilydifficulttooperatewithinthesoaringrentsthatarefallingintothesweatyandrubbingpalmsofpropertytycoons!Comeon,let'sspendsomeofourownmoneywhereitreallymatters.Whatwouldbethepointofsavingupallthosebillionsandbillions,andkeeponbuildingmorebillionsandbillionsinthenameofprudenceperse?Wehavebeenmorethanprudentwithourmoney.It'snowimportanttospendsomeofit.IfWestKowloondoesn'tdeserveit,Ireally,really,reallydon'tknowwhatwould.
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