Cash handout? Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say
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56 Comments
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0
Badsey
If you hold a dollar out long enough and just far enough out of reach --> there is always someone crazy enough to go after it. I guess that's why you have lobbyists.
Here! Come and get your dollar! Jump for it!
Incentives are needed to spur this economy. Auto makers need some help. But you should only encourage the positive. Kids in college, older people that are cash strapped, people looking for work, business owners, etc.
0
ooAJSPoo
$100~ (around then $400~ per household/4人)? for each family X 2,500,000~ JP citizens...
And the above with consideration of the aging population compared to the shrinking birthrate... Just from my knowledge (little) i do not know of 'grant' (ala pell, other) or scholarship funding programs for college students.
Some suggest this money will go into savings... which, who knows, but in a good percentage of families may t-r-i-c-k-l-e- down into college student considerations and the future.
that is really not much.
i am sure there are many good suggestions for allocating this money with minded investments for long term prosperity, but would not feeding the youth with both educational grants... and maybe a system where student 'research' for grants and 'achievement' goals to gain grants/scholarships... raises both a financial AND quality social stimulus?
or are gucci bags still the craze?
0
DeepAir65
That is not even 1 weeks food bill in Tokyo - surely the money can be better spent elsewhere?
0
smartacus
NHK did a story on this last night and interviewed many people who were anxiously awaiting this handout. I mean, it's only 12,000 yen. What can a family do with that? Maybe one meal?
0
NuckinFutz
Stupid, Wasteful, and Ineffective - Looks like the LDP has a new slogan to hit the campaign trail with.
All this while medical services slide into the gutter, education fails to make the grade internationally, businesses fail at a skyrockting rate, roads to nowhere are built etc etc etc!
I finally figured out why homeless people won't be getting the money! You have to have a residence in order to register and vote in elections. Since they can't vote why waste the money on them? It's better that the rich (like the Aso who came up with the idea in the first place) get the cash; liquor sales will spike for a day!
0
hereandthere
I have no problem with them returning a portion of my tax money back to me... returning my tax money to those who don't pay taxes, well that is another story... but this is Japan.
0
Scrote
You may as well accept the money since you will have to pay it back (with interest) through higher taxes in the future.
0
uperjer
“Japanese politicians are so immature in the way they think the economy should be run”
quote of the year.
0
depasio
will gaijins even get the 12,000 yen? If i get it i will spend it all at once on some dumb stuff, thats what the money is for to stimulate the economy. If most people save it, that will defeat the purpose. But economically speaking, if this hand out is done right now followed by other srtategic steps like giving tax breaks to local producers and incentives to consumers, it will help keep the economy stay at a level.
0
depasio
will gaijins even get the 12,000 yen? If i get it i will spend it all at once on some dumb stuff, thats what the money is for to stimulate the economy. If most people save it, that will defeat the purpose. But economically speaking, if this hand out is done right now followed by other srtategic steps like giving tax breaks to local producers and incentives to consumers, it will help keep the economy stay at a level.
0
OldGeezer
"Stupid, wasteful and ineffective—and a shameless attempt to woo voters," but not limited to Japanese politicians, I'm afraid.
0
Disillusioned
What is the difference between being naive and being ignorant? None, if you are Japanese voter. Take the bloody money and shut up!
0
Altria
Awesome, I'm gonna splash out for a new Toyota....keyring.
0
cow76
They've wasted so much time on this, it's about 3 hours pay for the average Japanese salaryman. Mine is going straight into a big, fat envelope labelled 'salary'.
0
cleo
the chief aim of the measure is to help households meet immediate economic needs
-which is why it's been months now and still no sign of the handout actually happening.
A spokesman for the prime minister .... reiterated that while many people may not agree with it, that won’t stop them from pocketing the cash.
Duh. If people don't agree with their hard-earned tax money being doled out, they're likely to agree even less to it being doled out to everyone but them.
“The LDP’s strategy of using pork-barrel spending to somehow get through the next election is something I really can’t forgive,” Otsuka said. “They are playing us for fools.”
Only if you vote for them.
0
Osakadaz
So I pay taxes,hoken and then the required contribution for the unemployment scheme..I get told that I can only claim a percentage of what I have paid for a maximum of three years,when I return home,in other words I will receive no remuneration for 4 years of work and taxes...and these people get a payout,when I have likely spent more money in Japan than they have..? Only in Japan.
0
Beelzebub
Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say > Yeah, but you can say that for almost everything else the government does as well.
0
Wottock_Hunt
The money's only going to be wasted (in pork-barrel construction) or stolen outright (in fraudulent expense claims in the manner of the last God-knows-how-many agriculture ministers) anyway, so I'll have my scraps from the master's table if you please.
Pity I go to work six days a week to put the banquet on the master's table in the first place, mind you. It just makes a refreshing change to have the chance to waste some tax money for my own benefit and on my own initiative, without having to go through a very expensive middle man.
And would I be right in saying the half a year of discussions this shamble's already wasted (instead of any more substantial plans to fix the economy) has already cost more than any benefit we can expect to see?
0
Patrick Smash
Wottock Hunt, very good point. It's not as though this money was ever going to be used for anything valuable. Usually our hard-earned taxes are given to mafia-run construction companies so that our masters can receive huge bribes. This time they fear losing power so they are trying to bribe the electorate instead of the yaks connected to construction.
Souka Gakkai members are being encouraged to return the money to Souka Gakkai, so the LDP's main political partner will likely receive billions of this handout back in "donations" to the organisation.
Since this is my money, I will be taxed higher for it later and I get eff-all out of the system considering the amount I pay in and the fact I have a family, I will certainly be claiming what's mine this time.
0
jeffrey
cow76 at 09:42 AM JST - 4th March They've wasted so much time on this, it's about 3 hours pay for the average Japanese salaryman. Mine is going straight into a big, fat envelope labelled 'salary'.
WTF? 12,000 yen is three hours pay for a salaryman? I guess this is the case if you consider those folks handing out tissue on street corners "salarymen."
0
WilliB
Where is the contradiction? It is totally stupid, intellectually flawed, and insulting... but it is your cash anyway.
0
WilliB
It is Voodooh economics, not different from what happens in another big country. Yes, we can!
0
shouganaika
do you really believe they make 4,000 an hour handing out tissues?
0
archmiel
12000 is most certainly quite a few hours worth of salary for many. Around many of our clients' places, the average salaryman is 300k/month. At 22 or 23 days worked a month, that works out to only 1700 yen or so a month. The managers aren't even breaking 3000 an hour.
0
archmiel
correction, 1700 yen per hour, not month
0
fds
i'm taking it. its one of the few chances to get back what you've paid in. the question is why do the people who don't pay the bulk of the taxes (children and old folk) get more?
0
shouganaika
because the old folk with the minds of children who designed this stupid scheme have a unique empathic link with them
0
jinjapan
they should try handing out some kind of vouchers which have to be spent in stores. this guarantees the money isn't just saved & gets back into the economy. also, put a short expiration date, so all will be used in relatively the same time frame. although i don't really feel this would be a big boost to the economy , better than just cash which can be stashed under the futon.
0
LFRAgain
Here's something truly sad. Yesterday evening, I was chatting with some school teachers I work with, and I mentioned the upcoming city mayoral election. I asked what they thought of the candidates' positions regarding the cash handout and one smiled sheepishly (she’s in her late-40s, btw) and responded, "There's an election coming up? Ahh, I don't really follow that sort of stuff." She knew about the cash handout though.
Seriously, the appalling degree of voter apathy here is the direct cause of why the LDP has managed to stay in power for so long.
0
whatanidiot
that means they pay 12.000 per person (about 120 milions inhabitants) + 82.5 billion yens just to bring those 12.000 yens ?!?!
0
Disillusioned
Ha, ha! Mine is going straight into a big envelope marked 'Airmail, Australia'. That's nearly 200 bucks in Pacific Pasoes. Thank you!
0
sydenham
I can think of lots of things I'd buy with an extra 12000 yen. And, yes, I'd spend it on the same day i got it.
0
pointofview
Well...if it
s so stupid. Why dont they speak up about what they want done? Giving their opinion in a poll will do absolutely nothing.0
Wottock_Hunt
LFR - shot in the dark here: this lady who didn't know there was an election due - she's single and keeps cats, right?
Just seems to fit the profile, that's all.
0
billyshears
That is totally and categorically untrue. A rumour put out by political opponents. LDP's political partner is the New Komeito party which, although very well supported by many Soka Gakkai members, is legally and financially completely independent of the Buddhist lay group.
0
Wottock_Hunt
Billy - the clue's in your post. Why is New Komeito well supported by a disproportionate number of SG members? It's policy, kept off the paperwork.
0
Potsu
What a ridiculous poll....around a 1000 people out of such a large population.Even counting the sheep mentality of this country,it's hardly a serious poll.
0
billyshears
What policy and what paperwork? The fact of the matter is that Soka Gakkai members are definitely not being encouraged to "return" the government handout money to the organization. The vast majority of those Soka Gakkai members who support the New Komeito do so with votes not money.
Moderator: Readers, Soka Gakkai is not relevant to this discussion.
0
LFRAgain
Wottock_Hunt,
Well, that's the sad thing. No, she's not. As I said, she's in her late-40s, but she's married, has a full grown daughter in college in England, and her husband works for a fairly large Japanese corporation. She's an accomplished and respected teacher in the school system and normal in every way that I can tell. But she "doesn't really follow" politics.
0
LFRAgain
Actually, nothing silly at all about the poll as far as how many people were polled. In the science of statistics, 1000 people is usually all a poll needs to establish a trend, within a +/-5% margin of error.
0
70x4060d
I'm taking it and buying things made in China. Aso is a noob who can't get anything done right.
0
Triumvere
Glad to see the public is not nearly as stupid as their politicians are. As to voter apathy and the LDP: What exactly do you want them to do, vote for that clown Ozawa? (will he even survive the current scandle?)
0
blue_monday
Half the money will be pocketed by corrupt officials.
0
Yelnats
ask and take a poll in public and they will have no answers, but ask them in private and they will lie in the opposite direction. Spineless populous. Japanese traditions number 24
0
gogogo
How much fraud will there be? What sort of ID do you need to show to get the cash? The Yakuza will be all over this...
0
DeepAir65
and don't forget drunk!
0
Disillusioned
Oh, I'm sorry. What's the point again?
0
bakabaka
and I suppose the trillions of yen the government spends every year is spent wisely?
0
usaexpat
It is stupid and wasteful and only enough money to eat a dinner out. It's not like 12,000 will actually stimulate spending.
0
Triple888
Actually 12,000 Yen isn't a small sum. I don't mind spending it on some Japanese gadget.
0
kanadamanada
I'm spending the family handout on Ebay. The rest will go into a Canadian bank account via paypal. In your face, Taro! The LDP will see not a single yen of benefit from this scheme from my household.
0
Hotbox08
Yay, 12,000 yen plus the 300 dollars (rougly 30,000 yen) I got from the U.S. will buy a lot of groceries.
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