Even though it goes against everything that the Democratic Party of Japan stands for and is sure to piss off millions of voters (E), the government today approved the appropriation of funds for restarting construction on the Yamba Dam. DPJ Policy Research Council Chairman Maehara Seiji warned the others present at the leadership meeting that the party will not support the decision. He now is resisting calls from well wishers that he resign (J) in protest of the government's decision.
The monthly childcare support payments for all? Halved, then limited to families below a certain income level, then cut again. Freeing up the expressway system? Abandoned except for temporary measures to aid those in the Tohoku Region. Reduction in the number of Diet members? Delayed indefinitely. Elimination of the "temporary" tax on gasoline is place since the 1970's? Forgotten.
With the Diet not in session and today a Friday and a national holiday, the government must have been thinking it can get away with this horrible reversal of policy.
Are they ever going to learn what a lousy political decision it is to spike the very last campaign promise kept...and if the DPJ fissions in the new year, the government can only blame itself for it.
Michael, thanks for this sum-up. And you didn't even mention you-know-what in Okinawa and they-can't-be-serious jet fighters. Or what-to-do-to-help-starving-people-in-DPRK. Do come over to Kurashi and listen to some music to cheer you up. It has been that kind of year.
ReplyDeletewhy? Just, WHY?
ReplyDeleteMartin J Frid - Thank you for the invitation. Beware, I may take you up on it.
ReplyDeleteF. - The politics of the decision baffle me. Does the prime minister need Yamamoto Ichita's vote that badly and thinks that this is the way to win it? Did the governors of all the prefectures spook the central government into coughing up the cash to finish this monstrosity, even though in theory it will cost their taxpayers more in order to complete this dam with questionable disaster prevention properties? As far as we know, the government is not rolling in cash it needs to shovel out into the economy -- and even if it were, there are a thousand better ways to spend the money.