The Greater Bay Area mustn’t become a giant bureaucracy (Next Magazine, 2017/8/10, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Integrating the Pearl River Delta to form a Greater Bay Area conurbation is founded on the compelling logic that the largest urban area in the world, with high incomes, leading manufacturing and education facilities,Continue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/7/13, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) One policy error away from fiscal disaster In the west, country after country, government budgets have spiraled out of control, creating persistent deficits and leading to rapidly rising debt. The United States is not known internationally for its extensive welfare state, although thatContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/6/28, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Our government thinks the people are sheep. My grandfather was a sheep farmer. He complained, in colorful language, that sheep were the least intelligent animals, incapable of making decisions and even of trying to save their own lives. So sheep are herded betweenContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/5/11, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) MPF stifles competition and breeds complacency In an earlier column I mentioned the MPF as an example of the risk of a complacent government. The diligent team at the MPF Authority wrote back, objecting to that characterization and citing the default investment schemeContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/04/29, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Hong Kong’s descent into complacency Some translations of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy say that complacency leads to idolatry and brings destruction on the land. We are becoming complacent. As the seasons turn, we move through the last of the spring festivalsContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/03/23, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Set our “automatic adjustment mechanism” free Through the campaigns for Chief Executive, candidates rolled out their plans, policies and visions for the future. They talk about livelihood, the economy, youth and public services. Yet we know and indeed hope that little of thisContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/02/23, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Returning to senior citizens their own assets American journalist and essayist HL Mencken described how candidates for office go about their task – they “search out groups who pant and pine for something that they can’t get, and to promise to give itContinue reading>
(Cayman Financial Review, 2017/02/01, Bill Stacey) The story of the emergence of Hong Kong in the post-war era from city devastated by war to a light manufacturing and transport center for Asia, to the financial and services hub for the region is an encouraging tale of the dynamism of marketsContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2017/01/26, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Is there a good solution to the Palace Museum controversy? How should we decide the right use of valuable land? Who should decide who builds and designs the monuments? These are questions calling for an answer. Now most of the great historic monumentsContinue reading>
(Next Magazine, 2016/12/30, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) As our next Chief Executive “horse race” starts, we should heed the American critic HL Mencken’s warning that “every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods”, and remain vigilant against unrealistic promises from candidates that reach into our pockets orContinue reading>