香港報紙懷舊:星報

今回談到接續存在多年,以不同形式存在過的星報.最初星報(The Star,1965年3月15日-1984年5月13日)是香港第一份以小型報(tabloid)出版的英文報紙,由澳大利亞人Graham Jenkines創辦兼任總編輯至1979年.而中文星報亦以小型報出版,在1969年開始刊行,與英文版同日停刊.
該報在1980年轉售予星島報業集團,在停刊前讀者有所增加,這教人大惑不解.
後來該報以相同格式刊行地區星報(1978-2005),在除大嶼山和南部離島以外的香港十七區都有其版本(荃灣,葵青星報,和1998年起中西區,灣仔星報為合刊),每月出版一至三期,主要關注地區衛生,房屋管理,社區設施和道路交通事宜.地區星報在區議會成立初期獲得其資助,因此經常刊載地區團體訊息和最新社區活動預告,社會人士常稱其'區議會報'.地區星報在不少大型屋苑地面大堂,區議員辦事處,民政事務處均有派發,本人都有每期領取閱讀.

香港報紙懷舊-公正報

今回談談曾經聽說過或閱讀過,但已停刊多時,也許早已遺忘的報章.當中一份比較別具一格的是公正報(2000年9月21日-2001年2月20日).首先,公正報是香港第一份採用綠色報頭的報紙,也是第一份以環保為主要理念和訴求的報章.其次,公正報不設馬經版,惟刊載文化界消息,貫徹其嚴肅風格,試圖吸引文化人或重視科學,環保的讀者,並避免對學生構成不良影響.

筆者早前在搜尋引擎上鍵入'公正報'三字,只見一些網站零碎引用公正報文章,卻未見專門講述公正報的網站或報紙原樣.香港大學慧科新聞資料庫雖上載公正報,但只供其教學,研究人員和學生閱覽.而且,公正報僅出版五個月,一般讀者恐怕沒太深刻印象.這也許是難以尋回相關紀錄的原因.

西鐵通車十年:展望

十年前的今天,(新界)西部走廊鐵路正式開通,象徵著捷運服務延伸到元朗,屯門區.隨著元朗等地區的開發,西鐵乘客量與日俱增,從最初的每日十二萬人次上升至約三十萬人次,輕鐵亦隨即成為接駁西鐵的主要交通工具.2009年8月16日,西鐵南昌邨至紅磡一段通車,進一步吸引居民使用.
可是,由於西鐵走線對往來屯門乘客而言實屬迂迴,城際客貨運輸的進一步擴大,以及深圳灣通道啟用,對疏導屯門公路和三號幹線車流量作用不大.輕鐵亦因擔當接駁西鐵角色,早上和傍晚擁擠情況進一步加劇.
至於早年建議的北環線,也因為興建九龍至廣州番禺的廣深港高速鐵路而擱置.這樣令西鐵未能有效地為往來港深乘客提供服務,窒礙了西鐵的載客量增長和新田,古洞地區的開發,間接減緩房屋供應.事實上,連接元朗和上水的新田公路間或堵車,嚴重者車程可以耽擱數小時之久,因此北環線有相當的需求量.
最近,城中鉅富,立法會議員田北辰提出改建輕鐵為架空鐵路,但這樣必須遷移其途經元朗大馬路走線至十八鄉,而在屯門區的路線和車站須作若干遷移.由於政府有計劃發展十八鄉和洪水橋,而且元朗市居民可使用朗屏西鐵站,因此改動路線符合將來的社區發展.

30 years of Australian dollar flexible exchange rate: review and revelation

The Australian treasury decided to adopt flexible exchange rate on 12 December 1983, 8 weeks after Hong Kong dollar peg to US dollar, in order to cope with speculative bet on appreciation, and to suspend foreign exchange rate control. This became an important landmark of liberalization of economy in Australia. 30 years later, Australian dollar has become the fifth most traded currency in foreign exchange market and it has gained wider acceptance in international trade. As the merit of increasing demand of metal ores and agricultural products, especially in Asia, assets in Australia has attracted large amount of speculation funds and thus AUD has appreciated against most of the currencies in the world.

Since 1983, AUD has been proved volatile against major currencies like USD, but the primary commodity prices expressed in AUD show a gradual increasing trend which is less volatile than other currencies, especially in earlier years of implementing flexible exchange rate regime, thus AUD exchange rate often reveals global resources demand and international investment conditions.

In the past 20 years, Reserve Bank of Australia has maintained lower price inflation and less volatile interest rate changes than before, thanked for currency supply and interest rate autonomy.

However, commodity boom from 2002 and huge investment flow into stock and property market due to immigration has led to steep appreciation and made the Australian products less competitive in global market. Global low interest rate also fuelled the land price rise.
The house prices in major cities outpace salary increase and a significant part of dwellings have risen to AUD 1 million, which have become unaffordable to general public. Leverage speculation by self managed super funds become a key factor of skyrocketing residential prices.
In addition, it posed pressure on further rent and pay rise, thus Australian goods and services become uncompetitive. Closure of Holden manufacturing plants leading to 50000 job loss, Qantas plan of slashing and outsourcing jobs are major instance for this.

In addition, food processing companies in Australia started to move manufacturing process to New Zealand, in which the wages are 25% less than Australian counterparts (despite of appreciation of New Zealand dollar against AUD). In addition, rigid and pro-union labour laws and strong labour union presence in Australia also prompted the companies to shift the works.

Although flexible exchange rate helped the authorities to adjust currency supply, interest rate and fiscal policies fit to local economic situation, this has caused vigorous changes of exchange rate because the authorities are powerless to turbulent capital flows. High exchange rate and surging land price for years have proven to be hurt the growth of actual economy in Australia.

In order to reduce harmful impact of currency fluctutation due to external factors, the Reserve Bank of Australia should adopt controlled flexible exchange rate based on commodity prices, exchange rate of major convertible currencies and price inflation within a band, as say 12%. That can stabilize export prices in order to promote manufacturing sector. This can prevent rapid increase of prices of import nations. Also, more job positions can be provided in Australia and living standard of Australian citizens can be maintained.

Reference:
'Dollar float good for Aust: Keating', Business Spectator, 12 December 2013, URL: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/12/12/australian-dollar/dollar-float-good-aust-keating , retrieved on 12 December 2013.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/pdp/2007/pdp02.pdf
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.203.1540&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Exchange rate policy by IMF: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/issues13/index.htm

reports: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/jessica-irvine/happy-30th-birthday-to-our-floating-aussie-dollar/story-fnj45kvd-1226763657590
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/real-estate-price-surge-for-sydney-property-market/story-fni0cx12-1226690654418
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/federal-government-calls-on-holden-boss-mike-devereux-to-give-australia-the-truth-about-its-future/story-fnjwq1p2-1226779214737
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/19462454/vic-house-prices-soar-to-record-highs/
http://www.spaa.asn.au/ceo-blog/blog/2013/perfect-storm-in-a-teacup-warnings-of-smsf-property-moneytrap-not-backed-by-figures.aspx#.UqmXf47yzIU

開放巴士經營和恢復非空調巴士

今天下午,九巴向政府申請漲價4.3%,亦是九巴兩年內第二次提出漲價申請.過去數年來,九巴聲稱因營運虧損,油價高企,屢次調漲收費,再加上十多年來全面採用空調車隊,累計上漲達五成,民眾不勝負擔.一直以來,九巴部份路線常因班次不足,路線迂迴等為地區人士詬病,專利制度引致九巴壟斷亦為各界批評.

事實上,不少公共汽車路線由於路線重疊,與火車競爭或因地區人口變遷導致乘客量減少,引致經營虧損;另一方面,運輸署對居民的公共交通需要視若無睹,未有因應新公路開通而開辦新路線滿足居民需求,也令公共汽車公司難以增加車資收入.再者,九巴方面將路訊通(車上電視)廣告和不動產收入撇除出營運收入之外,製造虧損假象.上述兩者如併項計算,九巴每年純利應有約肆億港圓左右.

為了降低營運成本,筆者認為運輸署可將乘客較少路線以牌照形式交由現存的旅遊客車或校車業者經營,並容許它們因應乘客需求自辦路線,惟當局可作適度規範,如限制用車種類和營運範圍,防止市區交通壅塞,也可保持良性競爭藉以維持質素.獨立客車業者可採用30至40座位客車(midibus)取代大型客車,有助控制營運成本,延緩漲價壓力.公共汽車業者可重新購置非空調車輛,因造價,維修費用較廉宜,耗油量僅是空調車的4/7,減少尾氣排放,有助達致減低排放目標.

香港五大公害

最近數周,新聞透視和鏗鏘集先後探討香港出現的市政和環境弊病.本文就此歸納和延伸討論,以及可能的紓解辦法:
光污染:
筆者早在十一年前已參與觀星活動,但是在市區,包括荃灣曹公潭和尖沙咀太空館,夜空常受燈光反射,呈現紫藍色,甚至暗褐色,星光完全被遮蔽.八年前筆者遷居現住所,其位置頗接近貨櫃碼頭,其燈光強烈如白晝,自日落持續至翌日黎明,甚是擾人.
2004年起旅遊事務處舉辦幻彩詠香江燈火匯演,每月至少兩三回,間或加入煙火,令人目眩,徒費能源,更令空氣混濁,此類匯演對吸引旅客恐怕沒有太多正面作用,但騷擾維港兩岸住民作息,此類燈火展示應當減至只在重大節慶,如農曆新年,中秋,聖誕舉行.
要減少光污染,當局可考慮採用類似1973年時實施的燈火管制措施.商店在晚上9時後須關掉外牆和招牌50%燈光,晚上11時後更須完全關上燈光.與此同時電力公司須取消招牌電費折扣,鼓勵節能燈具使用.

招牌:
香港市區不少招牌體積巨大,每每懸空橫亙數條行車線,且達數層樓高,鱗次櫛比,世間罕見.綿密的霓虹燈光線反射回大廈室內,居民徹夜飽受強光照射之苦.商店結束後招牌多被廢置,接手商店多只會翻髹或重鋪招牌而不作修葺,支架常任由風吹雨打,直到鏽壞.數星期前旺角彌敦道招牌倒塌,北行全線封閉數小時,可見其對人命構成嚴重威脅.

路邊攤販:

水資源浪費:

未經回收廢棄物:

傳媒須強烈抵制電視廣播霸道作風

電視廣播因壹傳媒指其就免費電視牌照爭議報道'失實',以及呼籲民眾參與罷看等抵制行動,將壹傳媒列為'不受歡迎媒體',不接受一切採訪.記者協會指電視廣播的行徑開極壞先例,箝制採訪自由.這樣'賊喊捉賊'的言論,必引起公憤.
事實上,電視廣播自開台以來,一直雄霸香港所有種類電視逾50%市場,其種種限制藝人,唱片公司的'霸王條款'長期為各界詬病.但各大媒體以至社會各界對此操縱市場行為卻容忍十多年,這樣一來窒礙香港流行音樂和綜藝節目的發展,品質每下愈況.
面對電視廣播的橫蠻行動,所有報章和網絡媒體應團結一致,停止訪問電視廣播及屬下藝人,通過行動抵制,令其失去宣傳渠道,降低公眾關注度和收視,才可能讓管理層醒悟,促使電視台公平對待媒體.

增加託育服務 減家務助理需求

現時香港共有約32萬名外籍家務助理,大多負責照顧家中兒童,長者,並協助部份家務.近期不少社會人士因菲律賓有關當局拒絕就馬尼拉人質事件受害者家屬道歉,主張抵制菲律賓籍家務助理,勞工和貨品.但有部份意見認為菲律賓籍家務助理佔總量51%,短時間內難以尋找替代來源,因此不應限制菲律賓籍家務助理.

香港引進菲律賓籍家務助理的由來,是1978年馬可斯(Ferdinand Marcos)政權面對經濟蕭條,為解決外匯進出虧空,便開始輸出家務助理彌補貨幣出納缺口.泰國,印尼政府先後仿傚,外籍家務助理蜂擁進來香港.

如停止雇用外籍家務助理,父母或其他親屬因工作難以照顧家中小孩,而祖父母通常無法提供適當照顧,不少家庭將陷入窘局:若父母或長輩其中一人辭職,往往會入不敷出,還可能導致家族間成員紛爭;如獨留兒童在家,一旦發生意外,父母很可能因'疏忽照顧兒童'罪而被判刑.

為解決託管兒童問題,政府和社區組織須增加社區育幼院設施,如初期未能設立,或可暫借社區中心,空置校舍.政府部門,公家機關應以身作則,增加育幼設施地點和容納人數,並因應情況可錯開工作時段,方便照顧幼童.再者,有關當局須協調各組織,提供社區保母,並提供資助,讓在居所或工作地點附近未設立育幼院的家長照顧其子女.教育局應在各小學提供課後託管服務,聘用大學生和實習教師提供補習服務,延長校舍開放時間至晚上七時.

Distorted currency market disrupt real economy

The so-called 'economic cycle' is only due to the control of loans by several bankers, including manipulation of quantity of currency, interest rate, derivatives. Also, 90% of overall foreign exchange transactions and large part of commodity market are based on speculation and thus the prices and exchange rate are actually determined by some powerful bankers, instead of real economic situation or actual purchasing power of countries. When currencies are undervalued, that can reduce purchasing power of citizens and reduce internal consumption. The breakdown of gold or silver based currency system seriously disturbs normal international trade and current account balance. This also contributes to rapid expansion of income gap among individuals and countries.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2013/10/currency-markets-are-rigged-2/?fb_action_ids=578672548856877&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=hovercard

統計數字失實,工資率和就業意願

"人均生產總值大幅增加達六成"?2000年,香港人均產值約19萬多港圓,但到2012年,只升至27萬左右,名義數值增加約38%,惟同期物價漲30%,換言之經濟沒多大增長,統計數值嚴重失實.這亦反映在千禧科技網絡破滅後,民眾收入連年下跌. 當局有必要實施集體協商制度,工會建議行業基本工資或薪酬,儘速引進每月標準工時180小時,最高工作208小時,提高工資率,吸引較高學歷者加入,紓緩大專生就業困難和提升入職意願. 至於電腦行業雇員近年薪酬上漲現象,不過是追回過去大幅減薪的結果.