政壇：睇社論學英文：預算案揚言減甜 守財奴本色不改

對於預算案可能關水喉，連日來多個團體上街請願，要求當局善用財政盈餘協助弱勢社群和中產階層，不應削減紓困措施，可謂人同此心，心同此理。現時中產生活擔子沉重，除了納稅最多，福利最少，供樓、租金開支不斷上升，大多數中產生活質素每況愈下，如果預算案推出退稅、寬免差餉和電費補貼等措施，多少有些幫助。既然曾俊華自認中產，為何仍拿中產開刀？

此中產不同彼中產，曾俊華只知喝咖啡和看法國電影，不食人間煙火，要一個不愁衣食、腦滿腸肥的人明白飢腸轆轆的滋味，何異緣木求魚。港府窮得只剩下錢，扶貧紓困乃天經地義，曾俊華作為大掌櫃，竟守着儲備不用，有如強迫已餓得皮黃骨瘦的中產減肥，如此刻薄，只會挑起社會怨氣，為現屆政府製造管治炸彈。

Threatening to cut down on sweeteners in the Budget, a miser never changes his natural colour

With the presentation of the new Budget just around the corner, the Financial Secretary （FS） John Tsang laid bare in his own blog a few days ago that the previous one-off relief measures would be cut gradually, hinting that fewer sweeteners would be handed out in the Budget. However, our coffer has no problem in making ends meet. Even if the government has to foot the bill for all the measures to help the poor, the vulnerable and the elderly as promised in the Policy Address, it still has a surplus of tens of billions of dollars. If John Tsang continues to be such a miser as he has always been, the new Budget is doomed to once again stir up people's grievances.

Since the new Budget may cut down on expenditures, many organizations have taken their protest to the streets in the past few days, asking the government to make good use of its fiscal surplus to help the vulnerable groups and the middle class. Everybody believes that the relief measures should not be reduced as life has already become a heavy burden to the middle class. On top of paying the most tax, they are entitled to the least welfare while facing endless rises in mortgage repayment and rent. The quality of life for most members of the middle class is deteriorating. If the Budget introduces measures such as tax rebate, rates concession and electricity charges subsidy, the burden on the middle class can be somewhat eased. Admitting himself to be among the middle class, why does John Tsang still sacrifice the interest of the middle class?

John Tsang may be a different kind of middle class. Only accustomed to drinking coffee and watching French films, the otherworldly FS does not know the plights of the people. Asking a heavy-jowled and potbellied man who needs not worry about clothes and food to understand hunger is barking up the wrong tree. Hong Kong is so impoverished now money is the only thing it has left. Helping the poor and relieving people's difficulties is a matter of course. Being the grand treasurer, John Tsang fails to use our reserve properly and simply hoards it. It is like forcing the starved middle class to further lose weight. Such meanness will only nurse grievances in society, and in doing so setting off a policy time bomb for the incumbent government.

重要生字

cut down on sweeteners 減甜

a matter of course 天經地義

bark up the wrong tree 緣木求魚