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SCMP Reporter

Too much faith in our ruling vested interests
Much as I respect Elsie Tu for her lifetime of service to the dispossessed and disadvantaged, I have to wonder  whether she really has the interests of the common man at heart ('Hong Kong can do without political parties', June 17). 
She displays a remarkable and naive faith in the ability of our oligarchical  government to deliver material benefits or quality of life to those at the bottom of the ladder. The reality is that years of economic growth have resulted in a widening wealth gap and zero wage growth for a large part of the population. 
She seems in her letter to decry the undermining by the welfare state of Hong Kong's work ethic. The truth is that Hong Kong's free-market ideology is caught in a vice between welfarism on the one side and crony capitalism on the other. 
It is difficult to know from her letters whose side she is on. The 'democracy' she espouses has much in common with the version to be found in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the 'harmony' she hankers after is the harmony displayed at North Korean National Day parades. 
She pleads for us to work for the good of Hong Kong by peaceful means. 
The advantage of true democracy is that differing views in the community can be resolved in a peaceful way through the democratic process. It is when the people feel 'locked out' of this process (as in Thailand) that troubles arise and politics moves onto the street. 
What we are witnessing is the gradual radicalisation of politics in Hong Kong because many citizens increasingly feel dispossessed by a political process that gives undue weight to vested interests. 
It is ironic that the very people in Hong Kong who espouse 'harmony' are the ones who are advocating the preservation of the political status quo that almost guarantees increasing disharmony.
Markus Shaw, Central
Golf courses open for juniors
In reply to the letter from Tommy F.K. Hui  ('Open golf clubs to youngsters', June 12), I would like to put on record the facts relating to the use of golf club facilities that are made available to our Hong Kong Golf Association junior squads.
All of the private golf clubs make available tee times and practice facilities to our junior squads on at least a monthly basis and at weekends. They also allow the juniors to use the facilities of the clubs for changing and obtaining refreshments. 
I would like to thank all the golf clubs, both private and public, and the many driving ranges in Hong Kong that allow the Hong Kong Golf Association to continue the development of the game in Hong Kong by allowing access to our junior squads.
F.I. Valentine, chief executive,  Hong Kong Golf Association
Poor odds lead to illegal betting
The raids on illegal bookies are not something new in Hong Kong. But one raid really caught my attention - it was at a flat in Lai Chi Kok, in  a fairly new and decent estate where I used to live. 
I believe there is a market for such bookies for the obvious reason that the odds are better.  Better odds than what? Of course, the benchmark in Hong Kong would be the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I believe that if the  Jockey Club could simply match the odds - or at least move closer to those offered by  bookies overseas, such as in England - then many people would be less tempted to make bets through illegal channels. 
Perhaps the key to rooting out illegal football gambling is not continued raids and arrests by police, but reconciling the odds of the  Jockey Club  with those of the rest of the world. 
David Yuen, West Kowloon
Enjoying the vuvuzela 'buzz'
What's the vuvuzela argument all about?
There can be no debate other than the question: do we want to travel the world to events like the World Cup, see new things, meet interesting new people and experience their culture? 
Or do we want to bow to a commercialism that is best served in settings with a monocultural audience? Do we revert to the  'Greece, home of the Olympics' solution, or  adopt neutral Switzerland, say, for global contests like the Olympics and World Cup? 
If we had gone that route,  we would not have had the success of the Beijing Olympics, with the equestrian events here in Hong Kong.
Has technology condemned us to seeing the world through the lenses of our digital phone cameras and from the emotional security of our own homes, and taken the buzz out of living and experiencing completely? 
Where's the spirit?
Andrew Dawson, Central
Support for the reform package
I urge Hong Kong's lawmakers  to vote for the political reform package, which has been amended with the  Democratic Party's proposal.  
The amended package is still not ideal. 
But by voting for the package, those with  reservations about universal suffrage, including Beijing, will develop trust in Hongkongers and their  willingness to compromise for a gradual move towards universal suffrage. 
The next step will be deciding how  functional constituencies can be phased out.  
There should be a standing system to allow all sides involved  to work out the details of a future electoral arrangement with sufficient popular support. 
Supporting this transitional package is not a selling out of Hongkongers.  
I was dismayed to learn about the harassment and verbal abuse directed towards democrats who say they will not veto the package. Though I am non-partisan, I have been voting for pro-democracy candidates.  
I hope the Democratic Party, and the Hong Kong and central governments, will honour their promises on universal suffrage. 
Gavin Kwok, Discovery Bay
Tough rules on vehicle exhaust
I refer to the letter from Joan Tucker ('We must tackle Hong Kong's lax vehicle emissions standards', June 3). 
We have a standing policy to tighten our emission standards for newly registered vehicles whenever practicable.  This policy makes our emission standards  among the most stringent in this region. They are also largely comparable to those of the European Union and the United States, including California. 
Having noted that the EU is in the process of upgrading its emission standards to the next level - the Euro V standard - we are also checking with vehicle suppliers about the feasibility of making a similar upgrade in Hong Kong, and will do so as soon as practicable.
As for controls on  vehicle emissions, Hong Kong's programme is one of the most stringent. To qualify for their annual licence renewal, commercial vehicles, and private cars over six years old, have to pass a Transport Department emissions check.    
In addition, we have been running a smoky vehicle control programme targeting mainly diesel vehicles that emit excessive smoke. We are one of the very few places to have adopted an advanced test that checks smoke levels under on-road driving conditions, simulated by a dynamometer. Since its introduction, the number of smoky vehicles on the road has dropped by about 80 per cent. 
We are  developing a proposal to strengthen controls on emissions from  petrol and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles, including the use of roadside, remote-sensing equipment and dynamometers.  
We are also undertaking other measures to reduce vehicle emissions for better roadside air quality, which is an aspiration we share strongly with the public.
Mok Wai-chuen, assistant director (air policy), Environmental Protection Department
BP payout vs debt to Vietnam
Isn't it comforting to know that the United States is being urged to pay US$300 million to Vietnam in compensation for poisoning them with Agent Orange ('US$300m push for Agent Orange clean-up', June 17). 
Wonderful - let's celebrate! Because it took only about 50 years to come up with this generous idea. Deduct the interest, and the starting point was - maybe US$10 million? 
Compare this with the BP 'floor, not ceiling' oil-spill payment of US$20 billion - to be paid now, not in 50 years. 
Doesn't this make every shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico more valuable than the life of a normal Vietnamese person? 
Roland Guettler, Wan Chai
Democrats will regret mistake
I feel extremely sorry for the Democratic Party. They think they are achieving something by getting most of the  three million-plus registered voters to cast a ballot on five new seats in the Legislative Council's district councils functional constituency. 
But, alas, it is a trap. The party will be f?ted briefly by Beijing and the Hong Kong government, then sidelined again. They'll realise their mistake soon enough. 
I know that under the 2007 decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, no great changes were planned for  2012. But if the government had planned to get rid of corporate voting in the functional constituencies and open their voting lists,  this proposal would have received more support at the outset. That would have been better than adding more functional constituencies. 
Okay, in the current plan, more geographical constituencies are added, too, but the status quo is only enlarged. The outcome? The functional seats will be around forever. 
Jennifer Eagleton, Tai Po



Letters