五常考室 9

9、In China, fees are almost routinely charged for facilities, such as highways, tourist attractions, public parks, and even public toilets, subject to public usage. Such a fee-charging practice is seldom used in the United States, where these public facilities are well-maintained and provided to the public free of charge by the government.

(a) Would you expect such public facilities to be constructed/provided more quickly or more slowly in China than in the United States?



(b) Would you expect the quality and maintenance of these facilities, say public parks, to vary more greatly in China than in the United States?



(c) Would you expect there to be more or less tourist guides serving tourist attractions in China than in the United States?

(a) Of course more quickly in China. Raising funding for public facilities is always a headache, anywhere, and in a democratic society the process often takes forever. If fees are properly charged, those facilities not expected to yield sufficient income will be ignored, but those expecting a good return will be constructed promptly.



(b) The quality and maintenance of public facilities tend to vary far more greatly in China than in the U.S. Facilities loaded with tourists, hence enjoying high incomes, are observed to keep investing to maintain the facilities, along with adding new features. Facilities with few tourists are observed of not even watering the plants. In the U.S., public facilities are funded by the government, which tend to follow some established formulae of funding year after year.



(c) There are of course more tourist guides serving tourist attractions in China. They get kick-backs from tourist attractions, usually getting a cut from the admission fees.