The last time I was in Hong Kong was some two years ago, and the overall pollution, air, and quality of life have gone from bad to worse. Not only has the quality of life in the years since the handover become worse for the people of what was a great and wonderful place in Asia, the overall standards in many areas have dropped when it comes to respect of people in the community and the environment in general. The government does little to help the elderly, but wastes billions on infrastructure projects. The elderly, during their working lives, built Hong Kong from the ground up, yet in the last years of their lives, they get nothing but neglect and disrespect. I talk with my friends about the wonderful years we had in Hong Kong from the 1970s to the early 1990s - these were the golden years. They agree the situation has changed for the worse and this started in 1995. To my friends wanting to go to Hong Kong as a tourist, I say forget it, go somewhere else, go to the mainland, don't waste your time and money in Hong Kong. If they are going there to work, my only comment is, do it for the money and leave your families at home, as there is no quality of life. The only religion in Hong Kong is money. Make money before the sun sets, which will be soon, seems to be the catch cry. I would not recommend any of my friends go to that polluted place, which shows no respect for its elderly or the environment. One has only to see the extravagant waste of electricity and the garish and ridiculous light shows on Hong Kong buildings every night, trying to gloss over the real issues in Hong Kong and the feeding frenzy on the Hong Kong stock market, that will end in tears. What legacy is the current government going to leave for future generations? I know Hong Kong better than most as I lived there for 25 years and have been a frequent visitor so I have some perspective. I have been very fortunate to have lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. Andrew McLachlan, Singapore
