Bad news for the voters who thought that the victories of Hashimoto Toru and Matsui Ichiro as mayor of Osaka City and governor of Osaka Prefecture last November would lead inexorably to Osaka Prefecture's achieving the grand and glorious status of a Metropolitan District (thus becoming "just as good as Tokyo," dangnabbit): Sakai City mayor Takenaka Osami told Hashimoto and the governor yesterday that he will not take part in any discussions aimed at compromising either the autonomy or the integrity of his city. (J)
Good news for folks who believe that Hashimoto is a taut mass of ambition in a huge hurry to mount the ladder of success because is running away from the promises he has made that he cannot keep.
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5 comments:
It's nothing new that Sakai is wary about Hashimotos plans. I expect Hashimoto to repeat his strategy in Osaka; field well-funded candidates to beat his opponents in the next round of local elections.
Herr Morén -
Do we know when Takenaka is up for reelection ? The unified local elections were last year.
so is there no (however possibly naive) hope for japanese politics on the horizon? the ldp obviously sucks, the dpj doesnt seem to be able to elect a reformer that isnt brainwashed by or beholden to the bureaucrats. i know hashimoto has some stupid social views but i thought at least he was willing to try something different but i've seen you and other japan watchers i respect deeply be very critical of him (i dont know that much)
Perhaps this is why he has turned his attention to national politics much faster than many expected. Coming from above and below, as such. Or he is being rash again.
OM -
The reason why I (I cannot speak for others) find Hashimoto's political program disturbing is that it is so facile:
1) humiliate the bureaucrats, cut their salaries;
2) humiliate local officials, starve their communities;
3) humiliate the education establishment, enforce patriotic feelings;
4) cut the prefectural budget.
OK, so what is the growth strategy? What is the social safety net strategy?
Bringing Hashism to the national level and you will end up with some really bad policies with all kinds of horrible consequences.
One has to heed the classic Krugman warning: one cannot run a nation the way one runs a corporation.
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