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Instead of my usual rant I want to be a little more constructive and intellectual in my latest column. As the farsighted Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Small mind talk about people. Average minds talk about events, while great minds discuss ideas.” Today I want to discuss an idea. I am by no means a great mind but occasionally I have my moments.

Legal troubles are not easy for Chinese citizens at the best of times but try having a legal problem in China if you are a foreigner. It is not like back in Canada where I can just pick up a phone book and go to the “Lawyer” section and take my pick. In Canada we also have an organization called Lawyer Referral that helps put potential clients in touch with the right type of lawyer for the right price. It’s a wonderful service as it provides low cost advice to clients with legal concerns and it provides business for the lawyers. It’s a variation of this concept that I am suggesting.

I would like to suggest that either the local or federal government create a service that helps out foreigners that have legal questions and have nowhere to turn for help. Like it or not there are going to be more foreigners in China as the economy grows. It’s good for business and it diversifies culture. The two major problems as I see it is that there is no infrastructure in place to help people that don’t speak Chinese with legal troubles and there is a wide spread belief among foreigners that many government officials are corrupt. Many of us believe that help is only for well connected people who grease the palms of government officials. Am I wrong? I have no way of knowing.

Now, I am not suggesting a free service for foreigners only. I am suggesting a user pay system that would alleviate foreigners concerns over government corruption and provide helpful advice in pressing legal matters. Let me give you an example of what I mean. I am having a dispute with my neighbors over an illegal suit they have built without permission from the proper authorities. I asked my landlord to correct the problem and he says his hands are tied and he will try to stop them in court. That has yet to happen and I wonder if he is ever really trying. I don’t know for sure but I suspect some money changed hands and he is happy enough to keep his mouth shut. I complained to the building management but they don’t seem to give a rat’s ass either so I suspect they are also on the take from my neighbors as well. I have no idea who to turn to for help. My Chinese girlfriend says I have every right to be upset but doesn’t know what course of action to take either.

A group of angry foreign experts living in my building brought our collective problem to the police and they just shrugged their shoulders and told us it was not their problem, and there was nothing they could do about it. If the police can’t help with noise, zoning, and fire regulation violations then who can? Who is responsible? It’s inconceivable to me that the situation got this far. If there was a number we could call or an office we could visit that provided legal advice in English would be wonderful. Not only would it help us but it would also bring much face and prestige to the Chinese and municipal governments. I would be willing to pay 100 Yuan per consultation for some sound legal advice. In fact I would be will to pay twice as much as that. Instead of being a drain on public funds to help foreigners the city of Beijing could make money on us while keeping us happy and improving the state of the city. It would be like getting paid to uphold the law.