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According to Mayor Lu, after assuming office, she strived to implement policies to facilitate economic development, transportation infrastructure, improve air pollution, reinforce education and cultural investment. Through these key administrative measures, she hopes to transform Taichung into an international metropolis with emphasis on technology, modernization, and cultural presence. She also encouraged the younger generation to keep advancing and embrace new challenges, thereby cultivating their international competitiveness and rediscovering their initial aspirations.
The “Learn from Failures and Strive for Success” – 2019 Mother of Success Lecture was held at Asia University today. Taichung City Mayor Shiow-yen Lu and President of Asia University Jeffrey J. P. Tsai were invited as the keynote speaker and host to a full audience. City Councilors Pi-hsiu Lin and Po-hsing Su, Civil Affairs Bureau Director Shih-wei Wu, and Information Bureau Director General Huang-sheng Wu also attended the lecture. After Mayor Lu concluded her speech, she opened the floor for questions from the public and students.
People in the audience expressed concerns about the future administration of Taichung, to which Mayor Lu replied that since she came into office, her top priority has focused on developing the economy utilizing construction and marketing efforts in order to unleash the full potential of Taichung's natural conditions. The second priority is ensuring Taichung's sound transport infrastructure; due to the vast territory of Greater Taichung, as long as the City Hall adequately develops transportation using the limited resources available, the private sector will be more willing to invest in the city's economy, education, and culture. She will see to it that the Taichung Metro Green Line opens before the end of her office, while the Blue Line and other lines are already under construction along with major thoroughfares in Taichung.
According to Mayor Lu, Taichung's magnificent landscape, natural environment, and talents are ruined by air pollution, thus improving air quality is one of the key aspects of her administration as well as her initial aspiration during the mayoral campaign. The primary cause of air pollution is the inadequate energy policy; Taichung Power Plant is the largest power plant in the country, generating more power than Chinshan nuclear power plant, Kuosheng nuclear power plant, and Maanshan nuclear power plant combined.
Moreover, outdated equipment in the power plant burns coal as fuel, causing severe air pollution. According to statistics, all 10 units in the power plant were working at full capacity from May to August last year, aggravating air pollution in Taichung.
Mayor Lu suggested that other sources of pollution such as restaurants and vehicles must also be rectified, so the City Hall has upheld the principle of “large before small” and “public before private” to implement various air pollution improvement measures.
Furthermore, she has fought against the central government and proposed the need to decommission unit 4 in order to express the discontent of Taichung citizens. In particular, 5 units in Linkou, Tongxiao, and Dalin were launched this year, therefore according to scientific calculations, decommissioning 4 out of 10 units at Taichung Power Plant will not result in a power shortage crisis. She also demanded the central government to share the burden of power generation evenly throughout Taiwan. Consequently, air pollution in Taichung in February this year showed a slight improvement over the same period last year. Mayor Lu urges everyone to keep on fighting for the cause with her.
She also believes that although education and culture will not show immediate results, the City Hall will continue strengthening investment in education and culture as part of the long-term battle against air pollution. In addition, the City Hall has recently unveiled the “Plan to Double the Coverage of Underground Sewers” in order to double the number of households linked to the sewer system from 170,000 to 350,000 within the next 6 to 7 years. At the same time, she will strive to transform Taichung into a high-tech, modern international metropolis that is also endowed with cultural presence, thereby sculpting a unique facade compared to Taipei and Kaohsiung.
During her speech, Mayor Lu shared her career experience as a journalist, elected representative, and finally the Mayor of Taichung. Shao-hua Sun, a student from the Department of Visual Communication Design, Asia University, asked Mayor Lu how she manages to govern a city and lead Taichung forward from the perspective of a journalist.
Mayor Lu replied that working as a journalist laid a firm foundation for her political career, as she is able to stand alongside her constituents, understand their needs and unearth the problems. This is why she insisted on election by people ever since she became an elected representative. Furthermore, both of these 2 industries require constant improvement and self-elevation, therefore it is important to monitor Internet platforms such as PTT and various social media in the digital age. As an elected representative, it is imperative to listen to the people. She loves new things and is passionate about learning; these are essential qualities in different fields such as technology and education. The students also asked Mayor Lu's thoughts on international mobility and how Taiwan can fortify its international competitiveness.
Mayor Lu commented, with rapid developments in transportation and network, people now live in a global village, and the competition is constantly intensifying. As the population flows freely around the world, youngsters must be internationally competitive in order to capitalize on development and promotion opportunities, thus school children should begin to strengthen their international skills now. Many schools and private organizations now offer exchange student programs, so students are encouraged to grasp these travel opportunities and embrace new challenges.