In the evening, residents of Shenmu County watch basketball games around the underground shopping mall of People’s Square. In the distance, the county government building is already lit up. Our reporter Zhuang Qinghong photo
editorial comment/note
Before this year, Shenmu county had a beautiful growth diary: in the spring of 2008, 12 years of free education in urban and rural areas was implemented, and "zero fees" were realized from primary school to high school; In March 2009, the free medical care system for all was implemented, becoming the first "new inland special zone" county in China with public medical care; In September 2011, kindergarten education was included in the free education system, and the free education was extended to 15 years. However, since 2013, Gong Aiai, the "house sister", first appeared, and then Liu Xuming, the "Prince Charming" in the coal industry, was suspected of raising funds to defraud hundreds of millions of yuan, and the image of Shenmu suddenly changed. The last time Shenmu was brought into public view, it was a group gathering event triggered by the rumor that "the policy of free medical care and free education will be terminated". China Youth Daily reporter arrived in Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province to visit Shenmu’s "myth" today.
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Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province, is a star county famous for its "free medical education for all". On July 15th, thousands of Shenmu people surrounded the gate of the county government and looked excited.
Because they heard a rumor: "the county party secretary is going to be transferred! Shenmu has no money Free medical education will be cancelled! "
On July 16th, the police took control of four suspects suspected of spreading online rumors, and the official rumoured that Lei Zhengxi would still serve as the secretary of Shenmu County Party Committee after he was promoted to the Standing Committee of Yulin Municipal Committee.
However, ten days after the rumor was dismissed, Lei Zhengxi was transferred from his post on July 26th, and Wei Jundong, deputy secretary of Yulin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, held the post of member, standing committee member and secretary of Shenmu County Committee.
The sudden change of leadership has made the future of Shenmu even more confusing.
Why do rumors arise? Will Shenmu’s myth of "free medical education for all" come to an end? China Youth Daily reporter recently walked into Shenmu to restore the small county behind this "myth".
"Shenmu people, who have always been simple, have done something’ out of line’"
People’s Square, with two football fields, is the center of Shenmu County. The county government building, built in 1996, is located on the east side of the square.
Every day when the sun sets, the square begins to be crowded, bearing the laughter of thousands of people. Shenmu people either stand or sit, enjoying the cool and chatting. Children who play roller skating wear fluorescent pink protective gear, just like their peers in big cities.
Children in vests and shorts shouted and rushed to the open fountain in the center of the square. Many boys were soaked through in the water mist. Several grandfathers, with big brushes dipped in water, slowly wrote calligraphy on the brick floor, which attracted the blue security guards to watch.
On the west side of the square, a huge LED screen plays the Shenmu News of the local TV station. The white-coated doctor and the tanned patient’s aunt spoke to the camera, but the music in the square was so loud that no one could hear them at all.
As soon as the camera turned, the four blue words "free medical care" were posted on the glass window of the hospital, flashing on everyone’s face. Only this reminds us of the unusual in the square more than 10 days ago.
The mass gathering on July 15th happened in front of the square. They are here to contain Lei Zhengxi, the county party secretary who is about to be transferred from the network, "to ask him for an explanation".
Before and after the mass gathering, a rumor spread rapidly on the Internet: "The former county party secretary left 60 billion yuan, and now Shenmu County has a deficit of 30 billion yuan, and the policy of free medical care and free education will be terminated due to financial deficit."
At the time of the incident, Chen Ming (pseudonym), who lived in Shenmu since childhood, "failed to catch up". A friend who went to "join in the fun" described it to him: "It was really noisy that day. Shenmu people who have always been simple finally did something’ out of line’."
The propaganda department of Shenmu County Committee of the Communist Party of China said that the rumors were "completely out of thin air". However, netizens found that in 2012 alone, Shenmu County achieved a fiscal revenue of 21.1 billion yuan, so it continued to question.
Liu Shengqiang, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of Shenmu County Committee of the Communist Party of China, responded online: "In 2012, Shenmu’s total fiscal revenue and local fiscal revenue reached 22.07 billion yuan and 5.36 billion yuan respectively, and local fiscal revenue was the available funds of the government at the same level."
After the incident, the media swarmed in. The county finance bureau, which has rumors of "borrowing money to pay wages", bears the brunt. The staff told reporters that they received at most seven media outlets a day. "There are too many to work normally."
Finally, they specially issued a statement to the Propaganda Department of the County Party Committee: "Shenmu Finance has been in debt for nearly ten years, and announced the wages, subsidies and performance pay of employees, which are implemented in accordance with the relevant regulations of the higher authorities. They can be paid on time from the 10 th to the 15 th of each month, and wages, subsidies and performance pay will not be reduced or delayed."
Strangely, July 15th is the last day when wages have been paid. Why do Shenmu people have the panic of "wages can’t be sent out"?
Some Shenmu county government cadres analyzed the China Youth Daily reporter. Since the second half of last year, the capital chain of Shenmu folk credit has been broken, and some of the people who gathered were "trapped". At the same time, because the incident occurred in the central area of the county, many residents also came to "watch the excitement".
The hole behind the luxury car
It has been more than 10 days since the mass gathering happened on July 15th. The people’s square has resumed its lively scene. If asked about that day, Chen Ming would wave his hand: "Don’t mention it, it’s all over, everything will be fine."
However, is the anxiety really over?
In the People’s Square at night, there are at least hundreds of Shenmu people dancing aerobics and ballroom dancing. The songs of "The Most Dazzling National Style" and "running with the bulls" are mixed together, which often leads to the end of the white-haired old man and the child who cuts the head of the Fuwa.
At 8 o’clock in the evening, 43-year-old Liu Jianying (a pseudonym) came to the square alone and found a seat in the shade. Several women standing by were discussing something enthusiastically, but her lips were tight and she didn’t mean to join.
After looking for a while, she hooked her waist to beat her calf. She is particularly thin, wearing a dark red shirt, which is a bit big. When she bends down, the clothes outline the protrusions of the bones on her back. When she was tired, she would look up again and stare at the noisy crowd in the distance of the square.
If you don’t say it, no one can see that she is a woman with a debt of 13 million yuan.
In the summer of 2007, Liu Jianying’s son got a college diploma and went back to his hometown to find a job.
In many other places, taking the civil service examination is something that young people are eager for. But in Shenmu, it is not the most enviable.
China Youth Daily reporter learned from Shenmu County Development and Reform Bureau that at present, Shenmu County mainly has six pillar industries: coal, charcoal, electric power, energy carrying, chemicals and building materials. Among them, the share of coal industry accounts for more than 70%, which is the main source of Shenmu’s fiscal revenue.
Before 2012, the price of coal soared in the domestic energy market. People who invest money in coal mines can get dividends from coal mines every year, "ranging from hundreds of thousands of yuan to millions of yuan."
"With coal mine dividends and land acquisition, many people get rich almost overnight. Because it’s not hard-earned money, they don’t feel distressed at all when they spend it. Isn’t that just throwing money at cars and houses? " Master Liu, who has been driving a taxi for more than ten years in Shenmu County, said. He loves cars so much that he can quote the model and price of the car at a glance.
"Shenmu people save face. If you buy a BMW 3 Series, my family will have to buy a BMW 5 Series, which can’t be worse than people. Bentley, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Land Rover, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Maserati … I have seen these good cars in Shenmu. " Master Liu said.
According to media reports, in Shenmu County, a large number of residents participated in folk credit. Many people invest in coal mines and real estate through "underground money houses" even if they don’t save money in pawn shops on the surface, and eat high interest.
The once proud purchasing power of Shenmu people attracted a large number of gold shops, jewelry shops and brand-name clothing stores. The house price in this county once soared to 15,000 yuan per square meter, which left the provincial capital Xi ‘an behind.
China Youth Daily reporter found that there are at least four Apple mobile phone and computer experience stores in Shenmu County.
"Our family was opened two years ago. When the business was good, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 sold dozens of units each month." An Apple store clerk told reporters.
The asphalt road in this county is wide and flat, and the corridors and green belts of Binhe Avenue are not inferior to those of southeast coastal cities. In fact, in contact, many Shenmu people, including government cadres, called their hometown "my city" without thinking.
Even today, when the economy is hit hard, there are many luxury cars on the streets of Shenmu. At night, many luxury cars have nowhere to park. The west, south and north roads centered on People’s Square are packed to the brim.
According to the statistics of China Youth Daily reporter, there are 113 private cars parked on one side of the road just a few hundred meters west of the square, most of which cost more than 200,000 yuan, including 7 Land Rover, 34 BMW and 37 Audi.
At that time, Liu Jianying’s son was eyeing this business opportunity, asking his parents for loans to raise money, and opened a high-end car dealership in the county. "When the store first opened, the business was not bad, and the family was suddenly rich."
Liu Jianying was not happy for two years. In 2012, the price of coal plummeted, which also affected his son’s garage.
"Coal mines have closed down one after another, rich people have also run away, and many people’s money has been put in pawn shops. Who has spare money to buy these high-end cars?" Speaking of this, she lowered her head and her voice became weaker. "I owe a debt."
Since the second half of 2012, there has been a blowout in the dispute case of folk credit in Shenmu County.
Liu Jianying now owes a bank loan of 3 million yuan and a personal loan of 10 million yuan. "I dare not eat or wear." The life that was originally quite rich suddenly lost its rhythm.
From two or three months ago, every day, "as soon as it is polished", the door of her house will be ringing.
All the people who come to the door lend money to Liu’s relatives and friends. It is said that it is a "guest", but in fact it is to collect debts. It is a day to sit down. At first, Liu Jianying was able to greet each other with a smile, and after the other party would exchange a few commonplaces, he tried to ask, "Is there money to pay back?"
Later, the greetings between normal friends disappeared. Every time she opened the door, she saw her former friend sitting on the sofa with a straight face and asking, "Do you have money? Bring the money! "
Once, Liu Jianying couldn’t help it. He shouted at his friend, "If you want money, it’s fatal. Take it!"
The friend is also angry: "If you don’t have money to pay back, you shouldn’t have borrowed it at the beginning. What kind of money do you have?" Say that finish, he slammed the door with a bang and left swearing.
"I really panicked. That is to say, I have made friends for many years, so I have torn my face. " Liu Jianying was sad, took out a piece of paper and blew his nose.
Tragedy like hers has intensified in Shenmu since 2012.
According to the data released by Shenmu County People’s Court, since 2012, the court has accepted 4,786 cases of private lending disputes, involving 3.217 billion yuan and 7,658 people. Seven loan cases were filed for investigation in the county public security bureau, involving 4.31 billion yuan and 1,247 people.
In 2011, Shenmu Court accepted only 679 private lending cases, less than a quarter of the second year. Previously, it was reported that pawnshops and guarantee companies could be found everywhere on Dongxing Street, the main road of Shenmu, but now, it is difficult to find their traces on Dongxing Street.
"The owners of debt collection are staring at it. How many dare to open pawn shops?" Master Liu said.
"tighten your belt and live", the soil where rumors grow.
Walking through the scenery of "coal boss" and "king of gold", Shenmu County took the lead in implementing high-standard free medical care for all and 15 years of free education in the country. It is believed that strong financial strength is Shenmu’s confidence in doing so.
In 2013, Shenmu County became famous because it had no money.
"Now Shenmu is not the Shenmu a few years ago!" Since the second half of 2012, when Shenmu people talked about their hometown to foreigners again, this sentence became a mantra.
"Well, the coal recession. Many luxury cars are afraid to drive out, for fear of being chased by debt. " Master Liu said.
Huimin Road, the most concentrated entertainment venue in Shenmu County, is called "Little Hong Kong". A few years ago, various leisure clubs and bathing centers began to blossom everywhere in this street. Now, the glitz of Huimin Road is no longer there. Instead, broken billboards and dusty glass doors. Entertainment places bear the brunt, basically the iron general closes the door, with large and small advertisements of "this house is for rent" and "store transfer" posted on it.
The most exaggerated one, played the slogan "the whole transfer of this building". The red backboard, which is more than two meters high, still bears the pride of the past, proclaiming: "The business area from the first floor to the third floor is more than 3,000 square meters, which can be used as a shopping mall, a high-grade monopoly and a private club …"
But in front of the clubhouse behind it, there are already broken bricks and tiles. The advertisement has also been torn.
Master Liu recalled that the phenomenon of "collective closure" of Huimin Road began to appear at the end of last year, and his business was also affected a lot. "In the past, we always solicited customers on Huimin Road, and more than two people had to collect two dollars. But now I can’t. I won’t talk about it when I see people, and I have to bargain. "
The starting price of taxis in Shenmu County is 6 yuan, which "often doesn’t hit the meter, so it’s near 6 yuan and far away from 10 yuan". Last year, Master Liu was able to work in 600 yuan every day. "Now it’s good to have 300 yuan.".
The business also suffered heavy losses, as did Li Yuan (a pseudonym) and his wife.
Two years ago, in order to take care of their son, the young couple closed the restaurant they had run for many years and started a shop instead. When the business was good two years ago, I could earn more than 7000 yuan a month, and my family’s life was booming.
"I can’t do it this year. I can only earn more than 2,000 yuan a month, and I have to pay 1,500 yuan for tutoring my children. The rest of the money is not enough to live." Li Yuan was worried and thought about moving the shop out to do something else. However, after three or four months, no one cares.
China Youth Daily reporter visited many shopping malls and shopping centers and saw the same depression.
Even the owner of a clothing store in a shopping mall immediately expressed his willingness to transfer it to reporters. "I can transfer all the goods to you. Business is so bad that many people who make clothes are clearing their stocks. Those who sell home and bedding upstairs can’t see guests at all! "
"Now everyone knows that business is difficult. I just heard that two big supermarkets have closed down a while ago, not to mention our small shop. Who dares to take over at this time?" Li Yuan said.
In front of her, it is a difficult multiple-choice question: "If you close the door, you can’t find a way to make money for a while, and your life can’t be maintained; If you don’t close the door, you can only watch the business get worse day by day, and even stick to the old book. "
She was so anxious that a lot of pimples broke out on her face. "People in their 40 s still have acne, that is, they get angry in their hearts."
On the main roads of Shenmu County, such as Dongxing Street and Linzhou Street, well-known brands such as Erdos, Belle, Bird of Good News, Zhuang Ji and so on have put out huge advertisements such as "buy one get one free" and "clearance treatment", but there are still only salespeople in the shops.
The scene of depression is more obvious in shopping malls. At three or four o’clock in the afternoon on weekends, there are still only a handful of customers in Wanqian Fashion Shopping Center.
"The rents of shops have all been reduced." The manager of an ONLY clothing store told the China Youth Daily that in the past, the store in 280 yuan had to be rented per square meter, but now it can be rented as long as it is in 150 yuan.
"The money has been trapped by pawnshops and coal mines, and everyone has tightened their belts to live!" Master Liu said.
"Free" is not interrupted, and the worry is still there.
It was when the big shops were in a depression that the worries caused by rumors staged.
There is a rumor on the Internet that the hospital in Shenmu can’t support free medical care, so it can only "write a white note".
However, the China Youth Daily reporter saw in the free medical hospitalization reimbursement window of Shenmu County Hospital that all four people who came for reimbursement were not "IOUs" in one afternoon.
A mother ran upstairs and downstairs to go through the formalities, and she was so tired that she was sweating. When she received the reimbursement from the reimbursement window, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and was all smiles. In Daxing Hospital, the reporter also saw a similar situation.
"There is no IOUs, those are outside speculation. Our current reimbursement work is working normally, and patients can receive reimbursement on the same day as long as they prepare the procedures. " The staff of Shenmu County Hospital Co-therapy Office said.
China Youth Daily reporter learned from the Co-therapy Office of Shenmu County Hospital that as of June, the county hospital had provided reimbursement for 5,560 people in the first half of the year, with expenditure reimbursement of 22,061,170 yuan and per capita reimbursement of 3,967.84 yuan.
"The outside world always regards Shenmu free medical care as news. In fact, for us, it is old news in old news. We have been running smoothly." Guo Yongtian, deputy director of Shenmu County Health Bureau, told China Youth Daily reporter.
"At present, there are 21 medical points in the county, 14 of which are designated hospitals for free medical treatment. Beds and medical staff have basically met the needs of the masses, and there is even a surplus. "
Shenmu County Hospital is one of the largest designated hospitals for free medical treatment in Shenmu.
Since the implementation of the free medical care policy in 2009, taking county hospitals as an example, the cumulative number of reimbursements has increased year by year, with 7,212 in 2009, 9,054 in 2010, 9,234 in 2011 and 10,373 in 2012. The total annual reimbursement is 28,723,414 yuan, 38,975,529 yuan, 36,135,083 yuan and 37,598,197 yuan respectively.
"If Shenmu’s economy continues to be weak, will the existing free medical policy be discounted or even cancelled?" China Youth Daily reporter asked.
Guo Yongtian denied this concern. "On the one hand, raising the standard now will exceed the economic development level of Shenmu. On the other hand, we will not lower the standard. Shenmu’s weak economy this year is also affected by the national economic downturn, but it is impossible to stop doing it because of the economy, medical care and education? " He gave the data of free medical reimbursement for the whole people. "The total amount of reimbursement in the county last year was only 200 million yuan, and this year’s budget is also 200 million yuan. This figure is always available to the county finance. "
He admits: "The economic situation is not good, but the part that the county finance should bear has not changed. The state will not pay more for Shenmu, and we will not increase the self-raised part of individuals. "
Although the government has denied rumors, the "stamina" of panic has not been eliminated.
In the lobby of Shenmu County Hospital, Aunt Wang, an "old patient" for decades, was worried about money while infusion.
She is a typical left-behind old man, with only his wife and 10-year-old granddaughter at home. Because of her poor family, she has never been willing to go to the hospital. When the back pain is the worst, she can’t stand up straight, so she can only lie down and rest.
In order not to let the children who work in other places miss her, she has been hiding her illness. "If it is diagnosed as a big problem, the family will have to raise money everywhere to treat me. I can’t afford that crime!"
After the implementation of the national free medical care policy, Aunt Wang came to the hospital for the first time with peace of mind. "The policy says that it is very convenient to take the list and report it when you leave the hospital."
But now, always listen to patients say "financial money", "may have to wait", her heart pulled up again.
"Today, I spent more than 1,000 yuan on infusion and physical therapy, and I haven’t reimbursed it yet." Aunt Wang rubbed a little sore waist. "Slow reporting (reimbursement for chronic diseases-reporter’s note) will wait until the end of the year, and I don’t know if it will still be a policy at that time?" According to Shenmu County’s free medical policy, in addition to hospitalization expenses, the reimbursement of her chronic diseases is accumulated until the end of each year.
"I heard that there is no money in finance, and it is really hard to say whether it can be reported or not." The patient next to him also speculated.
Wang Lan, who was sitting in the waiting area on the right side of the dermatology department, also heard about the situation of "waiting".
"When I saw a doctor in the morning, I listened to the doctor and said that I should put away the list first. Now I can’t report it for the time being. I don’t know if I can report it in the second half of the year. " Wang Lan said.
"I heard that I can’t reimburse for the time being, and the number of people who see a doctor is obviously much less." Wang Lan even suspected that in order to save money, the medicine prescribed for her was "shrunk". "It used to cost more than 200 yuan to match a pair of Chinese medicine, but now it will become more than 100 yuan."
Caixin. com reported on August 1 that Shenmu’s universal medical insurance was in arrears, and the joint treatment office owed more than 9 million yuan to the hospital and more than 4 million yuan to the designated pharmacies.
"At present, the situation we know is not like this." Guo Yongtian told the reporter of China Youth Daily that the Co-therapy Office adopts the method of "advance payment first, then reimbursement" for hospitals and designated pharmacies, and reviews the reimbursement of the previous month every month before reimbursement.
Guo Yongtian told reporters that because the audit takes about one month, there will be a seemingly "owed" situation.
The second hospital of Shenmu County mentioned in Caixin. com’s report, at present, the advance payment in June is about to be reviewed.
"About 3 million yuan, after the audit, it will be allocated to Shenmu County Second Hospital. The designated pharmacies also operate in this way. " Guo Yongtian said that since the implementation of the free medical care policy, hospitals and designated pharmacies have been using the method of advance payment for reimbursement, and there has never been a case of reimbursement in arrears.
Where does Shenmu, who can’t "eat coal by coal", go?
The conflict has temporarily subsided, but the anxiety of Shenmu people has not been eliminated. To a great extent, this is because Shenmu County has not got rid of the "tight spell" brought by the coal industry and the folk credit crisis.
Aunt Wang’s question is simple: "In the past, coal trucks lined up on the expressway, but now none of them can be seen. Where does finance generate money? "
"In the eyes of our people, the development of Shenmu County is closely tied to the coal industry. The decline of coal industry means the decline of finance. What does the county government guarantee that medical care and education can always be free? " Li Yuan also asked.
The report "Shenmu Development Trends" published by Shenmu County Development and Reform Bureau on July 23 this year seems to "prove" the concerns of ordinary people.
According to the report, according to the development trend in the first half of 2013, the fiscal revenue planning task can hardly be completed.
"This is a wake-up call for Shenmu’s resource-based development model. We are also considering the issue of sustainable development. " Gao Haixiong, deputy director of the Shenmu County Development and Reform Bureau, said.
He told the China Youth Daily reporter that as early as more than ten years ago, Shenmu County put forward the question of "what to do when the coal is dug up", hoping to explore a road of transformation.
Since 2011, Shenmu County has gradually established the strategy of "focusing on coal, extending coal and surpassing coal", trying to get rid of the fate of "building-developing-shrinking-scrapping" faced by resource-based cities. According to Gao Haixiong, Shenmu County will further extend downstream around the six pillar industries and develop new industries such as characteristic agriculture, modern service industry, financial industry, tourism culture industry and equipment manufacturing industry.
However, the road to transformation has just begun, and Shenmu County has encountered the cold winter brought by the economic downturn and the cold coal industry.
"So we must speed up the pace, get rid of the old road of relying solely on coal resources to develop the economy as soon as possible and fight a turnaround." Gao Haixiong said.
However, Gao Haixiong also said that Shenmu County, which suffers from "dependence" on coal resources, will not be able to adjust its industrial structure overnight. "This is a problem that no economist or ordinary people can solve at once."
Shenmu is trapped, and the development of small private enterprises is even more difficult.
"After folk credit faces the crisis, the people’s’ investment’ behavior will be more cautious." Gao Haixiong said that it was difficult to get loans from banks. Now, without the capital invested by folk credit, most private enterprises are facing the doom of being unable to survive.
According to Gao Haixiong, 70% of Shenmu County’s fiscal revenue comes from local small and medium-sized private enterprises, and at the same time, it has created more employment opportunities for the local area. However, most of the coal resources in Shenmu County are obtained by large enterprises such as Shenhua, and the share of small and medium-sized private enterprises is less than 10%. "Without raw coal, it is also very difficult to do the next resource transformation." Gao Haixiong hopes to get more support in the process of rescuing small and medium-sized private enterprises.
On the other hand, China Youth Daily reporter observed that the prosperity of high consumption faded, and Shenmu economy was not completely depressed.
Around the People’s Square, the bustle of roadside clothing, groceries and snack vendors continues until 12 o’clock every night. This is unusual for a county town.
The prices of diet, fruits and vegetables in the county are also relatively stable, and there is no abnormal high or low. According to the statistics of China Youth Daily reporter, there are as many as five vendors asking for mobile phone film from 10 yuan to 35 yuan on the 100m roadside closest to People’s Square.
Separated by a layer of window, it is yesterday and today of "Shenmu purchasing power".
In the store, there are summer women’s dresses with the same price of 599 yuan and 999 yuan as Beijing, and shoes and bags with more than 300 yuan. But now, in the bright window, only the shopping guide is alone.
Outside the window, Shenmu people are busy bargaining around rows of hangers on the roadside. The peddler shouted, "A 45 yuan! Two 70 yuan! "
Among the Shenmu population, the hometown is still called "the city where I live".
On the night of July 15th, the young netizen of Shenmu "Bud Smiles" was neither angry nor desperate.
"The bustling Shenmu may really be a flash in the pan, which is worrying and even more worrying. Once, the city gave too many people wealth, but when it was going to be lonely, too many people had to avoid it. I silently pray for myself and a group of people like me, and wish our city to tide over the difficulties quickly. We don’t want wealth, just peace! " She said this just one year after graduation.
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