◎ Akio Yaita
From Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan's criticism of Shen Boyang's drug control policy article published in 2014, we can see the mayor's three tasks in governing: urban governance, policy consistency, and crisis management capabilities. (Taken from the post)
On the evening of October 3rd, I saw Mayor Jiang Wanan criticizing Commissioner Shen Boyang’s 2014 drug control policy article “[Think about it] Ke Zhendong reveals the sores in my country’s drug policy” and I had some thoughts.
Drugs harm families and corrode society. Therefore, it is the common position of everyone to strictly crack down on drug trafficking and protect children. However, judging a mayor’s ability depends not only on his attitude towards anti-drugs, but also on his ability to understand problems, propose solutions, and face doubts.
Please read on...
First, let’s look at the issue of urban governance capabilities.
Drug addiction is a long-term governance problem faced by many big cities around the world. Combating drug trafficking and helping addicts receive treatment can go hand in hand. If only punishment is emphasized and those who need help are more afraid to ask for help, the problem may go underground and increase security risks.
Therefore, many countries have adopted medical, social work and harm reduction measures in the hope of reducing harm and helping addicts return to normal lives. Just like setting up designated smoking areas does not mean that the government encourages smoking.
Management issues are not the same as identification issues.
Specific measures can certainly be discussed, but when a mayor describes assistance and risk management as "glorifying drugs," he is simplifying complex social, psychological, and medical issues into binary oppositional moral criticism.
If a mayor does not have the ability to understand the complexity of problems, can he effectively govern the city and solve various problems?
The full text of Jiang Wanan’s Facebook page. (Extracted from Jiang Wanan’s Facebook)
Secondly, look at the issue of policy consistency.
During his tenure as a legislator, Mayor Chiang also proposed a budget bill calling for increasing medical treatment resources for drug addiction and establishing a friendly treatment environment. In fact, there are many similarities with the proposals put forward by Commissioner Shen Boyang in the past.
In this case, Mayor Jiang should make it clear today: Which propositions does he oppose? What measures does he support? Where exactly is the line?
If there is a major change in policy between Jiang Wanan in 2021 and Jiang Wanan in 2026, then it is necessary for him to explain to the public the process of his change of mind in the past five years and make his position clear.
When Jiang Wanan becomes a legislator in 2021, he proposes a proposal to support strengthening methadone replacement treatment and treatment resources. (Extracted from Facebook)
Third, look at the ability to handle crises.
After Jiang Wanan's post was published on October 3, a large number of comments poured in in a short period of time, and many netizens reported that the comments had been deleted. When faced with questions about specific policies and past proposals, the most effective way is to "answer head on." If it is poorly expressed, you can add or correct it. If there is a change of position, explain why.
Deleting the message will only raise more questions.
When the discussion changes from "drug control policy" to "why did you delete my message?", things that could have been explained clearly professionally turn into a crisis of trust.
I don’t think one post can negate all of a mayor’s work. But this controversy does leave three questions worth asking: Is professional ability sufficient? Is the policy consistent? Is the crisis management mature?
Taipei is an international city facing various complex problems. We need a mayor who is not only able to express his views, but also has the ability to explain complex issues clearly and handle them well, and also has the openness to listen to different opinions.
After Jiang Wanan's Facebook post was exposed, it immediately attracted a large number of netizens to leave messages, and many netizens reported that their messages had been deleted. (Extracted from Jiang Wanan’s Facebook)
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(The author is a Japanese journalist and writer in Taiwan)
This article is reprinted with permission from Akio Yaita’s Facebook page
