2007—Some Thoughts and Suggestions on Urban Work (Part 1)
Some Thoughts and Suggestions on Urban Work—To Secretary Hu, Mayor Zhao, Vice Mayor Lu, Minister Fan, and Vice Mayor Xiang. During the Provincial Tourism Industry Development Conference, Secretary Chunxian and Governor Zhou Qiang delivered important speeches on our city's urban work. As Provincial Party Secretary, Comrade Chunxian has such an accurate grasp of our city and such...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Some Thoughts and Suggestions on Urban Work—To Secretary Hu, Mayor Zhao, Vice Mayor Lu, Minister Fan, and Vice Mayor Xiang
During the Provincial Tourism Industry Development Conference, Secretary Chunxian and Governor Zhou Qiang delivered important speeches on our city's urban work. As the provincial party secretary, Comrade Chunxian grasps our city so accurately and attaches such importance to our city's urban construction—it is truly admirable! To be honest, when I studied the speeches of the two leaders, I truly had the feeling of "the east wind brings spring to the eyes." Now, based on my study and understanding of the spirit of the important speeches by Secretary Chunxian and Governor Zhou Qiang on Zhangjiajie's urban construction, I offer the following opinions and suggestions on our city's urban work for the reference of the main leaders of the municipal party committee and municipal government and the municipal party committee and municipal government leaders in charge of urban work, hoping it will be helpful to your decision-making.
To sum up, our city's urban work currently faces five "urgent tasks."
One, the first urgent task: there is an urgent need to unify the understanding of the whole city from five aspects.
Based on our city's current reality, it is necessary first to solve the problem of ideological understanding throughout the city, and from five aspects, highly unify it with the spirit of the speeches by Secretary Chunxian and Governor Zhou Qiang.
(1) The first aspect of unified understanding.
We must firmly seize the tremendous development opportunity presented by the provincial party committee and provincial government attaching great importance to Zhangjiajie's urban construction. From May of last year, when Secretary Chunxian first visited Zhangjiajie for inspection and proposed building Zhangjiajie into a world-class tourism masterpiece; to last year's Ninth Provincial Party Congress and this year's provincial economic work conference, where Secretary Chunxian's reports all included content specifically about Zhangjiajie; to this year, when the provincial party committee specially selected a comrade skilled in urban work to come to Zhangjiajie as mayor; to March of this year, when the province's first tourism industry development conference was held in Zhangjiajie, and the provincial party secretary and governor delivered extremely important speeches specifically on Zhangjiajie's urban work—all of this is unprecedented in our city's development history. The provincial party committee and provincial government attaching such great importance to Zhangjiajie's urban construction is truly a tremendous opportunity to advance our city's development. According to what I have learned, some comrades do not have sufficient awareness of this. Previously, we have often lamented missing this opportunity or that opportunity; this time, under no circumstances should we miss such a rare opportunity!
(2) The second aspect of unified understanding.
Urban work is the top priority of our city's work and the first priority concerning our city's development. On this point, Secretary Hu's concluding speech at the city's urban work conference was very thorough and very much on target. This time Secretary Chunxian said, "The city is also part of the core scenic area, or at least the foundation for the core scenic area," and "it is the support and carrier for building a world-class tourism masterpiece and for meeting tourism needs." With this "imperial sword," we have even more confidence to bring the whole city to a consensus and confidently carry out work closely around this central focus, without any further wavering.
(3) The third aspect of unified understanding.
"Building Zhangjiajie into an internationally oriented tourism city and a central city driving western Hunan" specifically refers to the municipal urban area. There can be no ambiguity on this issue. There can be only one center; with multiple centers, there is no center. The "center" status of a "central city" cannot be allowed the slightest wavering. The city's urban work conference took into account the two districts and two counties, which is correct, but when it comes to "visible improvement in three years, major transformation in five years," it unquestionably refers to the municipal urban area.
(4) The fourth aspect of unified understanding.
Accelerating the pace of urban construction must be concretely carried out around the hard target of "visible improvement in three years, major transformation in five years." In Secretary Chunxian's speech, he spoke about the issue of speed in many places. He said, "The problem is that it must be fast," and "take some shortcuts," otherwise "the daylily will have gone cold"; "the goal is still to have relatively major improvement in three years and major change in five years... to meet the needs of building a world-class tourism masterpiece." In the first part of Secretary Hu's concluding speech at the city work conference, he understood this thoroughly and spoke about it brilliantly as well. This is a hard target and hard task assigned by the provincial party committee, so the thinking of the whole city must be unified around it.
(5) The fifth aspect of unified understanding.
A city must have a main theme, must have a soul, and must have distinctive features. These are Secretary Chunxian's exact words. This is crucial to what kind of city is to be built concretely. This is not only a matter at the technical and operational level, but even more a matter of concepts and philosophy, directly affecting and influencing whether there can be improvement in three years and major transformation in five years. Only by fully grasping Secretary Chunxian's viewpoint and reaching consensus can we grasp it well at the macro level and effectively guide the functional departments, so as to avoid "inviting a monk who chants the wrong scriptures." When Mayor Zhao spoke at the city work conference, he discussed principled opinions on what kind of city to build, and I believe this reflects Secretary Chunxian's intentions.
The speeches of Secretary Chunxian and Governor Zhou Qiang touched on all aspects, and many even involved the operational level, all spoken very expertly. The "five aspects" I suggest are mainly at the macro level and at key positions. The process of unifying understanding is also the process of general mobilization of the whole party and the whole people. "Sharpening the knife does not delay the cutting of wood." The municipal party committee and municipal government must adopt various measures, including various forms of publicity to build momentum, and must unify the ideological understanding of the whole city with the spirit of the two leaders' speeches.
Two, the second urgent task: issue an implementation plan for "visible improvement in three years, major transformation in five years."
In his concluding speech at the city work conference, Secretary Hu said: "After listening to our report, Secretary Chunxian repeatedly emphasized: 'The problem is that it must be fast,' and 'there must be major transformation in three to five years.' The opportunity must not be lost; time waits for no one. Our urban work must not only ensure quality and stress standards, but also strive for speed." "Urban work is currently the top priority of all our city's work. We must build confidence, make up our minds, and be ruthless in our resolve, and strive to improve urban work—not only improve it, but improve it as quickly as possible."
Secretary Hu, as the top leader, clearly has a very clear and definite understanding of the issue of speed.
The key now lies in how to put it into practice. "Heaven and earth turn, time presses." "Three years" and "five years" are very concrete time concepts; they will arrive in the blink of an eye. There truly must be a sense of urgency that "time waits for no one," and one truly must "seize the day." Otherwise, the opportunity may very likely be missed, and by then there will be no way to account to the provincial party committee and provincial government, nor to the 1.6 million people. In my view, the urgent task is to issue as soon as possible the implementation plan and timetable for "visible improvement in three years, major transformation in five years."
Issuing such an implementation plan and timetable is an inevitable requirement of the municipal party committee and municipal government's scientific decision-making. As a product of the city's decision-making level having a well-thought-out plan, it is both macro and specific. Once the whole city understands it clearly, it will greatly boost morale and, under the leadership of the municipal party committee and municipal government, unite millions as one and strive mightily to achieve this goal.
Three, the third urgent task: urban management must be treated with "strong medicine."
Rectifying dirt, disorder, and poor conditions, and doing a good job in purification, lighting, and orderliness concern the city's appearance, the living environment of residents, and the face of a tourism city. This is something that can be achieved with no money or at least not much money, yet it is truly not easy to achieve. Therefore, whoever can make achievements in this area can win the hearts of the people and public praise.
Urban management is as complex as one makes it and as simple as one makes it. In essence, there are just two things: one is having a clear management approach, and the other is having a safeguard mechanism for implementing that approach.
We have already made some efforts in straightening out the system and establishing long-term mechanisms, and the approach is being straightened out. The key now lies in: first, putting the main body of urban management into practice; second, ensuring that the responsibility for urban management is put into practice. Given past experience and lessons, if our urban management is truly to see a major turnaround, I am afraid it must be treated with "strong medicine"; otherwise it will likely be "a passing shower that only wets the surface of the ground," making it difficult to achieve the expected goal.
(1) One of the "strong medicines": publicity to build momentum.
Through meetings, media, outdoor slogans, large-scale activities, and so on, there should be a mighty launch and mobilization. In Dalian, Bo Xilai once assigned personnel from government offices and units to stand duty on the streets for quite a long period. This was of course not a fundamental solution, but it could produce a deterrent and disciplinary effect. It was both a display of boldness and authority and also a way of building momentum.
(2) The second of the "strong medicines": implement an accountability system.
Along with issuing a responsibility system, an accountability system should also be issued. Secretary Hu emphasized this in his concluding speech at the city work conference. Therefore, the remaining question is whether the accountability system can truly be implemented. As long as the accountability system is truly implemented and runs through the entire process of urban management, with rewards and punishments going hand in hand, and education and punishment going hand in hand; whoever breaks the rules is punished, and whoever fails to act or acts recklessly is dealt with—then there is no city that cannot be well managed. The traffic police department publicly posts the license plates of violating vehicles. Can we also publicly post the names of those who break the rules and those who neglect their duties? The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recently dealt with 15 cadres who did not "sweep the floor," causing a national sensation. If we want urban management, which has long been in a weak state, to see a major turnaround, it is probably necessary to choose targets and promptly deal with a few who fail to act or act recklessly, so as to serve as a warning to others and produce a disciplinary and deterrent effect. At the same time, advanced models who dare to shoulder responsibility should be vigorously commended, and even promoted and appointed, in order to uphold upright conduct. In short, as long as the accountability system is truly effective and rewards and punishments are truly clearly distinguished, urban management will certainly show marked improvement and even a qualitative leap.