[War] Republic of China (Taiwan): "Spending Bill"

[Alan Tang]

“Spending Bill”
President Tang Wai Kiat
Republic of China
September 20, 2006

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[September 23, 2006]

President Tang Wai Kiat was eager to get the agenda rolling for his 
administration. The first thing on the list was to redecorate the office 
with a brand new staff. This new staff would compose of advisors and 
administrators he trusted and had made allies with during his days in the 
Legislative Yuan. The only thing that wouldn’t change was Victor Shin, the 
Chief of Staff of the previous Chen administration. Victor Shin was a 
powerful member within the DPP ranks and had a lot of supporters. Tang knew 
Shin well; fact was that both of them went to university together at Harvard 
Law, back when the ROC and the US were still best friends. Victor for all 
intensive purposes was a policy buff, and a hardcore liberal. Just the man 
he needed to roll out his planned social and health care initiatives.

Tang and Shin sat together in the President’s office ready to start another 
round of affairs of the state. In the room was a fresh warm aroma of tea 
brought by the secretary filling the room, but would soon come to be laced 
with smoke as the President lit himself a cigarette. Overlooking Tang on his 
desk was a series of reports handed in by the Bureau of National Health 
Insurance “As you can see here Mr. President, since the SARS crisis of 2003 
we’ve made efforts in expanding the Bureau’s directives in reducing disease 
and increasing preventive measures in the case of an epidemic. Our Centre 
for Disease Control also expanded their department and added two additional 
centers Kaohsiung and T’aichung greatly increase our capability to set up 
quarantine and disaster areas.”

”That’s good, has there been any scenarios on a possible avian flu 
outbreak?” Tang said, fairly pleased that Chen kept his house in order. Shin 
looked up, his expression somewhat grim and handed over another set of 
documents to the President. “If there were to be an outbreak of avian flu or 
any other similar strain of outbreak we would be looking at a national 
disaster very quickly, according to this report we’re lacking in the proper 
vaccines with enough vaccine for only 20% of the population?”

“Why haven’t we stocked up?”

”Political will, we’ll need a cash inflow approved by the Legislative Yuan, 
and at the time Bird flu wasn’t considered enough of a threat to warrant 
such a large order considering the vaccines available don’t necessarily work 
on the mutated form.”

”But they do have a better shot of saving someone’s life do they not?” Tang 
asked.

Shin paused, his facial expression telling Tang not to push on this agenda. 
His eyes said it all. ~It’s pointless, too much money~. “Sir, I’m not sure 
that acquiring this ‘vaccine’ for every man, woman and child is the best way 
to spend the taxpayer’s money. We should invest that cash into the armed 
forces and to civil defense, assure the people that we’re still on the ball 
in relation to the mainland across the strait.”

”You and I both know that the mainland won’t dare attack Taiwan unless 
provoked, they want the status quo and so do I…for now, anyways I want to 
get some of the domestic spending out there as well as look like we’re doing 
something on health care. I want 66 Billion (NT$) invested over two years in 
the vaccine orders as well as expanded health care research in a new 
spending bill. Also in order to tackle increasing pollution, give the 
Premier notice that I want them to draft some sort of legislation curbing 
pollution and CO2 gases as well as more green initiatives within the next 
budget”

“Very well Mr. President. I will pass it off to the Premier, who’ll in turn 
get one of our Yuan members to put out and endorse. It should pass through 
with our coalition as well as a few votes from the New Party members,”

”Good, then let’s move to it…”

Actions:

-completely reshuffle political and administrative staff for the President
-President submits a spending bill of 66 Billion NT$ (2 Billion USD) to the 
Legislative Yuan outlining a plan to increase spending in health care 
research to combat the Avian Flu and to order more vaccines and resistant 
drugs against a possible outbreak
-President sends notice to Executive Council (The Cabinet) and the Premier 
(head of government) to include green spending initiatives in the next 
yearly budget and anti-pollution bills before the end of the year