Statistics show that more than half the counties or cities in Taiwan Province have poor land and poor people. Total taxes collected in these areas (including national, provincial, and city and county duties) are not adequate for covering expenses. Of these, seven cities and counties must rely on outside help even to pay the nominal salaries of their employees. Clearly they cannot manage to be "self-sufficient and self-governing."
根據統計，目前台灣半數以上縣市地瘠人窮，當地課得的所有稅收（包括國稅、省稅、地方稅）加起來，還不夠負擔各項開支；其中不少縣市，更連自己名下的公務員薪水，都要仰賴外援，實已無「自給自足，自治自理」的功能。