sgusers2的部落格

迷你倉 I have a dream. My dream is that the 80,000 protesters who marched to demand that the government give Ricky Wong Wai-kay a TV licence will also march to demand that the super-rich pay higher taxes. Hong Kong's tycoons (rich and powerful businessmen) don't pay any taxes. They avoid taxes by taking a very low salary from their companies. Their companies pay them dividends instead. Dividends are a share of a company's profits that shareholders receive. Hong Kong's tycoons own many shares in their own companies. This means they are paid billions of dollars in dividends. But Hong Kong has no dividend tax, which means the tycoons pay no taxes on the billions of dollars in dividends they receive.　　I am sure the 80,000 protesters who marched to support Wong Wai-kay will not march to pressure the government to charge a dividend tax on the super-rich. This is because the issue is not sexy enough. The word "sexy" is normally used to describe sexually attractive women. It can also be used to describe sexually attractive clothes or underwear. But when an issue is not sexy enough, it means the issue is not interesting enough.　　I have another dream. My dream is that 80,000 protesters will march to criticize the government for doing so little to help poor people. Super-rich Hong Kong has 1.3 million poor people. I often see elderly women pick up discarded (thrown away) cardboard boxes to sell to make ends meet. The expression "make ends meet" means to have just enough money to pay for the things you need. It is disgraceful (shameful) that elderly people must collect discarded boxes to make ends meet in super-rich Hong Kong. But I know not even 10,000 people will march to help the poor because it is not a sexy issue. Experts agree polluted air causes lung cancer but I know not even 5,000 people will march to pressure the government to clean our dirty air. Why is it that 80,000 protested to help billionaire Wong Wai-kay earn more money with a TV licence but they will not march to help the poor？　　我有一個夢想。我的夢想是，那八萬個遊行要求政府發電視牌照給王維基的示威者，也會遊行爭取超級富有的人交重稅。香港的大亨（tycoons）都不用交稅，他們從公司支取低薪來避稅，而他們的公司則給他們股息（dividends），Dividends是股東所獲取的股息。香港的大亨（tycoons）在他們的公司持有很多的股份，也即是說，他們獲取數以十億計的股息（dividends），但香港沒有股息（dividends）稅，那就意味�大亨（tycoons）不必就其數以十億計的股息（dividends）交稅。　　我肯定，那八萬個遊行支持王維基的示威者，不會以遊行向政府施壓，要求政府向超級富有的人收取股息（dividend）稅。因為這個議題毫不誘人（sexy）。Sexy這個字通常用以形容性感的女人，也可以用來形容性感的衣服或內衣。但當一個議題不夠sexy，即是說它難以挑起人的興趣。　　我還有另一個夢想。我的夢想是，那八萬個示威者，會遊行批評政府為窮人做得太少。超級富有的香港有一百三十萬窮人，我常常見到老婦要拾棄置（discarded）的紙皮箱去賣，才能勉強餬口（make ends meet），習語make ends meet解作勉強維持生活。在超級富有的香港，我們要讓老人收集棄置（discarded）紙皮箱，生活捉襟見肘（make ends meet），真的很丟臉（disgraceful）。但我知道，會遊行幫助窮人的，連一萬人也沒有，因為這不是誘人（sexy）的議題。專家會同意，受污染的空氣會導致肺癌，但我知道，會遊行要求政府讓污濁空氣變清新的，連五千人也沒有。為甚麼那八萬個示威會幫助億萬富翁王維基，以電視牌照賺更多的錢，卻不會遊行去幫助窮人？mickchug@gmail.com逢周二及四見報自存倉