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A City Mismanaged: Hong Kong’s Struggle for Survival
A City Mismanaged traces the collapse of good governance in Hong Kong, explains its causes, and exposes the damaging impact on the community’s quality of life. Leo Goodstadt argues that the current well-being and future survival of Hong Kong have been threatened by disastrous policy decisions made by chief executives and their principal officials. Individual chapters look at the most shocking examples of the government’s refusal to implement the Basic Law in full; official reluctance to halt the large-scale dilapidation of private sector homes into accommodation unfit for habitation; and ministerial toleration of the rise of new slums. Mismanagement of economic relations with Mainland China is shown to have created severe business losses. Goodstadt’s riveting investigations include extensive scandals in the post-secondary education sector and how lives are at risk because of the inadequate staff levels and limited funding allocated to key government departments. This book offers a unique and very powerful account of Hong Kong’s struggle to survive. Leo Goodstadt is an honorary fellow of the University of Hong Kong. He was head of the Hong Kong government’s Central Policy Unit from 1989 to 1997 and previously served on eight government statutory and advisory boards. His academic publications are extensive, and he has four books published by Hong Kong University Press since 2005. ‘Goodstadt demonstrates how the neglect of social rights in managing the SAR has brought about serious consequences through the discussion of housing, medical services, and education. A highly readable title with a lot of interesting arguments for those who really care about Hong Kong.’ —Lui Tai-lok, Department of Asian and Policy Studies, Education University of Hong Kong ‘Goodstadt gives a well-grounded and relentless rebuke of the HKSAR government for failing to safeguard lives, quality of living and the interests of its people in the past twenty years. It is a poignant siren that calls for reflection and correction.’ —Christine M. S. Fang, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong ‘Goodstadt utilizes his long experience in public policy in Hong Kong to interpret the city’s mismanagement. He supplies a devastating critique of the fallacy of the approach taken by the Chief Executives and the senior leaders.’ —David R. Meyer, Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis
- GenresNonfictionHistory
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2020
I would venture to say that this book published in 2018, would run foul of the new National Security Law, namely publishing seditious materials which are malicious and harm the government. Self-censorship will be the new regime for any book published after 1st July 2020
The book is a good and very interesting read. It covers the social welfare fabric in society and deals with a policy of small government, housing, health, ageing population and very importantly the relationship (or lack of it) between the HKSAR and the central CCP government. I actually hadn't realised that HK wasn't important to the CCP other than as a showpiece and the political aspirations of recovering Taiwan back into its fold.
The HKSAR government lacks insight and most of all is out of touch with the grassroots. Surprisingly that two SAR Chief Executives rose from the grassroots to lead the SAR, but yet have astonishingly completely ignored their plight. Housing is a sore point for HK. Then there is a mandatory retirement fund that completely fails to provided sufficient funding for the retiree.
The government leans too much on the private sector in formulating public policy. You'll see the creation of the Competition Commission and its related ordinance, but you'll never see the government pursuing glaringly obviously cartels that exist. Think supermarket the two chains that sell super expensive produce. Instead, the Competition Commission will pursue cases against interior decorating firms. Think als0 the gas stations that never reduce gas prices, but always raise them on the blink of an eye. When oil fell well below $50 a barrel, fuel pumps did not budge an inch and show the same prices as when prices were above $100 a barrel.
HK is a city mismanaged. See also after 2018, what happened to it. The government will not change.
The book is a good and very interesting read. It covers the social welfare fabric in society and deals with a policy of small government, housing, health, ageing population and very importantly the relationship (or lack of it) between the HKSAR and the central CCP government. I actually hadn't realised that HK wasn't important to the CCP other than as a showpiece and the political aspirations of recovering Taiwan back into its fold.
The HKSAR government lacks insight and most of all is out of touch with the grassroots. Surprisingly that two SAR Chief Executives rose from the grassroots to lead the SAR, but yet have astonishingly completely ignored their plight. Housing is a sore point for HK. Then there is a mandatory retirement fund that completely fails to provided sufficient funding for the retiree.
The government leans too much on the private sector in formulating public policy. You'll see the creation of the Competition Commission and its related ordinance, but you'll never see the government pursuing glaringly obviously cartels that exist. Think supermarket the two chains that sell super expensive produce. Instead, the Competition Commission will pursue cases against interior decorating firms. Think als0 the gas stations that never reduce gas prices, but always raise them on the blink of an eye. When oil fell well below $50 a barrel, fuel pumps did not budge an inch and show the same prices as when prices were above $100 a barrel.
HK is a city mismanaged. See also after 2018, what happened to it. The government will not change.
October 24, 2020
A clear book on how the current government of Hong Kong SAR started to fail ever since the 1997 with their emphasis on budget controls and fear mongering.
However, this book sometimes contain too much repeated information that it can be quite hard to swallow after a while.
However, this book sometimes contain too much repeated information that it can be quite hard to swallow after a while.
June 27, 2021
Insightful
A very insightful reading of the situation, explain in simple wording.
Easy to read while offering a lot to learn.
A very insightful reading of the situation, explain in simple wording.
Easy to read while offering a lot to learn.
September 20, 2021
Read this, and you get a sense of how the well-ran British-colonial Hong Kong is ruined, by the politicians in power, kow-tow-ing to CN, cutting government resources for no-reason even the city had been growing, delaying possible solutions (even when there was a pandemic in 2003), ignoring signs of crippling.
Goodstadt ended this book in 2018. What would he have written of his insightful observations if he had the health to survive 2019-20.
Goodstadt ended this book in 2018. What would he have written of his insightful observations if he had the health to survive 2019-20.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews