DPP Councilor Accuses Opponents of Fabricating Shen's Statements on Neihu Traffic

Taipei City councilor He Menghua has strongly criticized the opposition's campaign tactics, accusing them of fabricating statements by mayoral candidate Steve Shen and engaging in "dumbed-down" electioneering. Shen, a candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party, was reportedly misquoted online regarding solutions for Neihu's traffic congestion.

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How incompetent Mayor Chiang Wan-an is, they want to make Steve Shen appear how incompetent. The more they smear Steve Shen as incompetent, the more Taipei misses the chance for change!

He Menghua stated that Shen never said that increasing housing density would cause the population to surge to 5 million, leading to traffic gridlock. She asserted that the opposition's claims were deliberate misinformation aimed at discrediting Shen. The councilor argued that the focus should be on policy visions for the capital, not on personal attacks.

Shen's actual proposal, according to He Menghua, involved integrating workplaces and residences in Neihu to reduce commute times. This would include providing affordable housing for young families and tech workers. She presented "five facts" to counter the opposition's narrative, emphasizing that Neihu's traffic issues stem from a large commuter population, not Shen's proposals. She also pointed out that global urban planning trends favor mixed-use development and that Taipei's population, even with integrated living and working, would not reach 5 million.

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The root cause of Neihu's traffic problem is the large number of commuters.

He Menghua accused Mayor Chiang Wan-an's campaign of resorting to smear tactics against Shen and his supporters. She suggested that this strategy reflects a lack of confidence in Chiang's own policy achievements, forcing his campaign to attack Shen's perceived weaknesses. The councilor concluded that such tactics not only misrepresent Shen's ideas but also prevent Taipei from considering potentially beneficial changes.

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The opposition's claims are deliberate misinformation and dumbed-down丑化 (uglification).