EDITORIAL: Choosing a leader with a vision

Videos of passers-by playing a public piano at the new Tainan Railway Station have gone viral on the Internet. From children to teenagers, from young adults to seniors, people from all walks of life lined up near the piano, waiting to share their music with the crowd who had gathered to enjoy an impromptu performance at a bustling transport hub.

Within just a few days, the station hall has become a concert hall featuring all sorts of music instruments — strings, woodwinds, brass — you name it. Taiwan Railway Corp’s official social media account “clarified” that not every passenger is required to be able to play the piano before they travel to Tainan.

Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), in a post on Threads, tagging Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and DPP mayoral candidate Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃), asked whether Tainan Railway Station has become an opera house or a music hall, praising Tainan residents’ musical talent.

Some Threads users attributed Tainan residents’ musical talent to the efforts of former Tainan mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) of the DPP, who promoted music and art education in elementary and junior-high schools during his tenure from 2001 to 2010. The policy encouraged students to learn at least one musical instrument and every school to have at least one art group.

Hsu in 2009 said more than 90 percent of elementary-school students and 80 percent of junior-high school students could play at least one musical instrument. The number of art groups in schools more than doubled from 102 in 2003 to 237 in 2008, a report by Global Views Monthly in 2009 said.

Hsu said he hoped that while receiving their basic education, every child who grew up in Tainan would also learn to appreciate music. The policy has clearly had a profound impact on the city’s music education.

Universal music education takes time and requires resources. It is not something that would bring instant material benefits or tangible results. However, it breaks the barrier of class, providing equal access to learning music among ordinary households, nurturing cultural literacy in society.

“A musical instrument for every child” is certainly not a policy that aims to benefit the privileged class or a slogan to fight for votes, as it could take years to pay off. It is a policy that requires a long-term vision of a city where future generations would live in the years to come.

This is something worth thinking about ahead of next month’s local elections. In the capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who is seeking re-election, has repeatedly bragged about his “fresh milk for every child” policy, his efforts to turn Taipei into a smoke-free city and the Taipei Dome that opened during his tenure. Recently, out of the blue, he announced his plan to relocate Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) — much to the surprise not only of the central government, but also his fellow KMT candidates, and of course the local residents.

A mayor near the end of his tenure announcing a major urban renewal plan that would involve dismantling an international airport to construct an industrial park — which would likely only benefit developers — without consulting relevant authorities and stakeholders is either reckless, desperate or both.

A Threads user suggested that instead of distributing fresh milk to every child, Chiang might garner more votes by giving out beer to every wage slave in Taipei.

While inspecting the city’s recovery from the aftermath of Typhoon Champi over the weekend, Chiang, surrounded by reporters, picked up twigs on the street and, with the help of district representatives, swept tree leaves with a broom. When critics said he did not know how to properly use a broom, he said he has a different one at home.

When asked whether Chiang was cleaning the street for a photo op, DPP Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) affirmed the city government’s efforts, saying disaster recovery work should not be partisan and that Chiang worked hard at the Central Emergency Operations Center. As for criticism about the way he handled a broom, Shen said he believed Chiang has his own way.

Shen has refrained from attacking Chiang throughout his campaign, despite frequently being maligned himself, showing respect for his political rival.

Taipei residents should take the opportunity to think about what future they want for the city and choose their mayor wisely.