SHANGHAI - On December 7, a netizen read a popular post on the Sanxia BBS and sent the information to a reporter from the website Jingchu (which is owned by the Hubei Daily).

The post claimed "the most luxurious riverside villa community in Yichang, Hubei Province is the public housing for the local taxation bureau."  According to sources, this villa community was built by the local taxation bureau and a real estate company. The netizen, "Xi Ling San Ren", who originally posted the pictures, said bureau employees (civil servants) paid just over RMB 1000 per square meter. The villa community next door, however, which is a commercial project, costs about RMB 2 million per unit.  

The reporter from Jingchu invistigated and confirmed the story. Since December 9, the post has been harmonized by the BBS. However, prior to being deleted, the post received 78 comments which have since been circulated online:

"Peng Qiang" said, 
"We refuse to submit any tax! Our money has all been spent by them!" 

"zhjw70" said, 
"This welfare house is for certain bureaus, it shows their advantage!"

Netizen from Huangzhou said,
"So this is our policy? Let some get richer first!?"

Zetizen from Guangzhou said,
"They are the worms of our country. There are so many people who don't even have a place to live. This is so unfair!"

Netizen from Shanghai said,
"It is weird in China. Officials and civil servants get richer and ricer so quickly, but we ordinary people have to suffer!" 

Netizen from Wuhan said,
"They said this can help raise the domestic demand……"

Netizen from Wuhan said,
"This is not a new story, everywhere is the same!"

Netizen from Yichang said,
"I am the assistant to the bureau chief. My family name is Yang. Now I want to be the bureau chief myself, because his house is really really nice."

Netizen from Yichang said,
"The whole society is like this, we have to learn to get used to it."

Netizen from Yichang said,
"Now that we know the truth, what are they going to do? They must come up with a solution!"

Netizen from Guangzhou said,
"Now you know how many benefits taxation workers in China get? Isn't this called corruption? Thanks for posting these pictures online, and letting ordinary people say how they feel and show their determination to stamp out corruption!"

Netizen "59.36.129.*" from Tianya said,
"According to the salary of civil servants in China, I don't think they can afford a villa. Even if they didn't spend a penny, they have to save for 29 years! There are problems!"