Okay so John Lee dropped the city's first-ever five-year plan on September 16. Big document. Doubles innovation spending, wants that number at 3% of GDP by around 2030, pushes yuan gold trading, promises more jobs and homes. Reuters called it politically symbolic, echoing how Beijing does these things. Same day, RTHK reported the public housing wait is down to under four years, and Lee also vowed a crackdown on dodgy building maintenance. Three announcements, one press conference, all filed under "the government has a plan for you now."

Here's the thing about five-year plans. Your actual five-year plan, the one that matters, still runs on rent, MTR fares and whether the lift in your building works. A blueprint that says "boost livelihoods" is nice. What boosts your livelihood is the wait for public housing actually shrinking, which, fair play, it did. That's a real number you can feel. The GDP-innovation target is a number you'll feel in about 2030, if at all. One of these plans you can check next month. The other one you check when you're retired.