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Henry Tang requires a reality check
I refer to the article on Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen  ('The road to rich pickings', May 23). 
I asked my fellow students what they thought of his comment that young people should ask themselves: 'Why can't I become the next Li ka-shing?'
They agreed with me that this is not an ambition young people in Hong Kong wish to pursue.  Mr Tang comes from a business background and he has applied that mindset to form his view of the world. 
He seems to think that people strive only to make money, which is incorrect.  Most young people have far more decent aims than  the desire to earn billions of dollars. 
Those youngsters who have objected to Li Ka-shing are not complaining about the success he has achieved, but about his (and other tycoons') property hegemony. Thanks to  this, rents are skyrocketing and small shops are pushed out.
 Because of this hegemony, the price of one square foot continues to multiply. What causes people such deep concern is that the developers have no trouble watching their profits increase, while young people struggle to earn a living.  
 Hongkongers work long hours, often doing overtime, but despite their hard work they still have to cope with rising prices.  
 Mr Tang and the government should admit that property hegemony is an unfortunate reality. Instead of trying to divert public attention by picking on the 1980s generation, they should realise that this problem is causing discontent within society.  
Daniel Suen Cheuk-hang, Tuen Mun      
Annoyed by indifference over fires
Burning rubbish is illegal and is sadly widespread in the New Territories. 
Hardly a day goes by without my spotting several incidents in Yuen Long and North District.
 I believe it is widespread because Hongkongers do not see it as something wrong. 
This has been reinforced by the Fire Services Department and the police telling me that for two fires I recently reported, the fire was started by the responsible person to keep warm.
 Any reasonable person, if they knew that those two fires were associated with contractors working on government projects (water mains repair and the new train to 'not quite' Guangzhou), would probably be as disappointed as I am in this supposed world city. 
Brett Graham, Lantau  
Many more recycling bins needed
 Do we want our government to make laws or empty the bins? There is no doubt that a certain amount of street-level rubbish collection is required. 
The doubling of streamed recycling bins  is obviously a sensible addition to the city- scape. 
Also, the 158 recycling bins the MTR Corporation has installed in its malls and stations, as well as a number of property developers such as Hang Lung who offer streamed recycling bins in their car parks and building foyers, are equally welcome. 
But, as the plastic bag levy has shown, the law can be very powerful in changing the behaviour of the community at large, and this could be applied to recycling in general.
Perhaps the government, rather than just putting a few more recycling bins on  our streets every year, could legislate that every major building (where fire and access regulations permit) offers streamed recycling bins. 
This should include offices, shopping malls, car parks, sports centres, and even the larger residential units.
Unfortunately, recycling in Hong Kong is in its infancy because the government currently undercuts the market with its free street-side bins and does not require the private sector to do anything.
If every major building started generating segregated waste, then there should be sufficient to allow Hong Kong's entrepreneurial spirit to take effect and develop the effective and efficient recycling systems needed to deal with all the higher value streamed waste. This would reduce the  pressure on our landfills.
Edward Rossiter, Wong Tai Sin  
Tax break good news for green cars
 The  government proposes raising the tax concession for environmentally friendly cars to lessen the impact of the proposed  increase in the first registration tax. 
 The downside of this measure is that it could reduce government revenue.  
 However, it will ease the financial burden faced by citizens who own these more environmentally friendly vehicles.  
 Also, the concession will hopefully encourage more drivers to switch to using green cars. 
This is another way the government can get across the concept of environmental protection to the public.
Natalie Wong Hoi-yi, To Kwa Wan
Flights deal can attract more tourists
I think the new civil aviation agreement with Taiwan will lead to an increase in visitors to Hong Kong ('HK, Taiwan clear way for more flights', May 24). 
 There have been recent setbacks in our tourism industry, with unpleasant incidents during some zero-fee tours from the mainland. Because of this, many people from across the border were reluctant to come here. This agreement can help to increase visitor numbers to the city, with more people coming from Taiwan.   
 When trying to attract Taiwanese, we have to accept we face keen competition from the mainland. There are many interesting destinations, tour rates are reasonable and the facilities on offer are of a high quality.
 In fact, more tourists from around the globe are choosing to visit the mainland rather than come to Hong Kong. 
 I believe that Taiwan and Hong Kong will benefit from the additional flights.  
Stefanie Tsui Yik-sze, To Kwa Wan
Tour guides should get better pay
Clashes between tour guides and holidaymakers from the mainland are not uncommon in Hong Kong.  
Disputes arise for a number of reasons, most often because of forced shopping and poor accommodation. It has been argued that the clashes are due to the working conditions of local guides. 
They receive a low basic salary and unstable monthly commissions. This is why they will try to increase their commissions by asking the visitors to spend as much as possible in designated places. 
The low package tour fees also make it difficult for the agencies to offer quality accommodation that is up to the expectations of the mainland tourists.
 Self-discipline is a strategy often proposed by the Travel Industry Council.  But apart from this, there should be other measures that help mitigate the clashes, such as a more reasonable basic salary  or a fairer commission scheme. 
However, even though the local tour guides are facing tough working conditions, a large majority of them are working very hard to fulfil the different needs of the tourists and to treat the guests both sincerely and wholeheartedly. They are indeed ambassadors of Hong Kong. 
Andy Seto, North Point  
Redefine meaning of homeless
Sleeping on the street is bad enough, but Hong Kong's notorious cage homes and cubicles are even worse. People who complain about their shoebox flat should consider what it is like to live in a cage home, housed in a flat 625 sq ft in size and shared with 18 strangers in their cubicles. 
 It may be hard to believe that people have been living in this way for years, in a city with so much luxury property. But with Hong Kong being home to some of the most densely populated urban districts in the world, real estate has always come at a premium, no matter how small. 
 I was  surprised when I first saw those cage homes; it must be unbearable for the occupants. There is no privacy  and everyone is packed together in a tiny space with poor hygiene. The lack of windows and air conditioning mean there is poor ventilation, which is bad for people's health. 
 The government has to provide more in the form of social welfare for these cage home dwellers.  
Also, officials should redefine the meaning of homeless so that it covers not only street sleepers but also cage dwellers. More should be done to help these vulnerable people.
Rosanna Chiu Tsz-yau, To Kwa Wan



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