The local government in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, decided to issue a high transportation allowance to senior officers. Local government officials said issuing the allowance can help reduce resistance to the reform of official cars.

In Wuxue, Hubei Province, the local education bureau has massively exceeded its staff quotas, but the bureau chief said it is wasteful to let people retire at 50 and so paying them a salary can be seen as the cost of reform.

On the face of it, the costs cited by the officials are reasonable. However, do we have to pay such costs no matter how high they are? Obviously not.

Talking about reform is easy, but accepting it is hard. Officials who are used to easy perks naturally will not have the tolerance, sincerity and courage necessary to eliminate their invested interests.

The reform cost has a transfer effect. If we attach too much importance on reducing internal stress, then most of the pressure will be shifted to the society. This will create more resistance and raise the overall cost of reform.

Issuing a high transportation allowance and paying people who don't work are obviously aimed at reducing internal resistance, but this has increased the cost taxpayers have to pay, deepened people's disappointment and may even delay the reforms of government cars and staff quotas.

While the reform goes on, we have to renew our understanding of resistance to reform. Reforms are costly, but we must let the public participate more in the process.

The Beijing News