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Incomes matter most

I refer to the article 'Mr Tung, together we can revitalise our city' (August 1), by James Tien Pei-chun, chairman of the Liberal Party.

Mr Tien says that the July 1 demonstration 'gives us an opportunity to put the past behind us, and focus on our common goal - economic recovery'.

This echoes similar statements by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and other senior officials.

Well, it's not just the economy, stupid.

I suppose we should not be surprised by the narrow-minded focus on economic pragmatics of a government dominated, by design, by moneyed pro-business interests.

However, I would like to gently remind Mr Tien that an uptick in gross domestic product or property prices is not going to be meaningful to most of the population unless there is a corresponding rise in their real incomes.

Indeed, over the last few years Hong Kong has experienced (slow) GDP growth while median incomes dropped rapidly, indicating a consolidation of wealth in the hands of a small minority. Experience in the US has shown that even during long periods of economic health, the incomes of much of the population can remain stagnant.

Today, much of Hong Kong's population is trapped in an economic race to the bottom, as they have few skills to compete with low-wage workers north of the border. To many visitors Hong Kong appears more backward than mainland cities due to crowdedness and poor sanitation.

Pro-business groups everywhere have traditionally been less than enthusiastic about the investments in education and public services needed to solve these kinds of problems. Paradoxically, they are exactly the investments needed to ensure the long-term health of the economy.

More importantly, Hong Kong people, like people everywhere, want not only rapid economic growth but a voice in determining how those economic resources are allocated. Thus the call for more democracy.

RICHARD DIESEL, Quarry Bay

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