Noda set for crucial test in sales tax vote

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  • 5

    Yubaru

    Cut wasteful government, slim down where you can before stealing more money from my pocket please.

  • 2

    Ivan Coughanoffalot

    Yubaru - quite right. Stop these hordes of bureaucrats "preparing a document" until three a.m. every single day, claiming overtime for every second after 5:30 and then getting a taxi home on our dime.

    But of course that will never happen. This is the only place I know of where demonstrating you are inefficient and cannot manage your time is used as proof that you're indispensable.

    Of course the tax rates will be waved through, and after the vote they'll all head off to Ginza for a late night "Consultation" session - courtesy of the new vein of revenue they can glut themselves with.

    I really wouldn't mind so much if I had even the slightest belief that one yen in a thousand would be used where it is needed. But it won't it will all be syphoned off into the pockets of this legion of incompetents.

  • 1

    marcelito

    Well said as always Ivan. I wish Noda would remember from " the bottom, the bottom and the bottom" of his heart the DPJ promise last election to NOT raise the tax and cut government waste first. He deserves a kick in his other " bottom" to catapult him right out of the PM,s chair and back to the LDP ranks where he really belongs.

  • 2

    Debucho

    if ozawa breaks away and elections are held, he might win. THAT would be pretty funny

  • -3

    sfjp330

    Rather than increasing sale tax in Japan, cutting welfare payments looks like a far easier option. Whether it will result in a fairer system or succeed in reducing government expenditures significantly, is far from clear. Welfare system has significant loopholes in the system and they need to tighten administrative procedures. It is time to reduced welfare payments. The number of recipients of the government’s basic welfare payments exceeded two million after nearly doubling in the past 10 years. This figure will rise even more as the impact of the Fukushima disaster and results in more middle-aged men losing their jobs. Real politics in Japan is about doing unpopular things if they are necessary.

  • 2

    alliswellinjapan

    Debucho: The general view is that Ozawa and his group are in just as weak of a position as other DPJ members when it comes to a re-election, even if they were to stand against the tax hike before the bills pass through. His group mainly consists of first timers (the so-called Ozawa children) whose previous election victory was merely driven by the "DPJ wave" at the time and essentially do not have much credibility vs other expected competition. The situation with Ozawa himself is also not very stable to say the least, particularly after that controversial letter was sent out to everyone from his ex-wife whom he divorced recently, an influential figure to the local supporters known as a major contributor to establishing and maintaining Ozawa's key relations with them. Thus the only parties potentially interested in a re-election at this time should be the LDP (who are benefiting only from DPJ's loss of credibility) and new parties on the rise such as Hashimoto's Ishin and Watanabe's Your Party who are opposed to the tax hike. Thus, Ozawa's recent move, while a painful blow to the DPJ, may also risk becoming suicidal on his part. Thus it becomes clear for everyone that Ozawa is evidently going to give his everything to ensure that Hashimoto/Watanabe (Ishihara too for that matter) eventually agree in forming a coalition with him to win out both the LDP and the DPJ. Projecting beyond all this, the biggest winner is going to be Hashimoto in my view. Whether it will provide any good for Japan I currently have no idea.

  • 2

    GW

    sfjp330,

    Those scamming welfare are NOTHING even remotely comparable to the day to day waste of the beaurocrates, & all the wasteful projects nationwide, dont let the recent news fool you otherwise, sure welfare cheats are a problem but they are tiny winy fish compared tot where the majority of the problem lie, the powers that be are trying to get the people to turn on themselves when they shud still focus on govt & politicians, dont be fooled again!

  • 0

    GW

    And these shenanigans are a disgrace, whether your for or against the tax hike this stuff happening now is nothing but an utter disgrace while the nation rots!

  • 0

    gogogo

    The PM killer, the opposition is going to have a field day with this.

  • 1

    TSRnow

    With all this mess going on, I am already anxious to see the manifest for the next election. The 3 big parties (LDP, DPJ, Komeito) has all agreed to tax us even more while social tax, local tax and everything written on the big chunk taken away from our salaries grow.

    Either way, nothing looks bright for Japan's future...

  • 1

    REMzzz

    @alliswellinjapan, excellent analysis! Hashimoto's band of graduates are definitely ready to run, no question about it. If they win, there will always be someone to side with them and try to form a coalition....

  • 2

    Debucho

    alliswellinjapan: thanks, you know more about Japanese politics than I do. I feel though that Ozawa is using public animosity against higher taxes to his own political benefit. Japanese voters are fickle at best and this could get his new party some seats, which equals political clout. No?

  • 2

    alliswellinjapan

    Debucho: With all the criticism that Ozawa gets, everyone gives him credit for his electoral skills and campaign strategies to win elections. The only two losses the LDP has experienced in the previous lower house elections were mainly because of him, and the DPJ who won under a major contribution from him the last time may have to pay this time. Having said that, while I agree Ozawa is by no means done yet, we are somewhat seeing the rise of a newer generation gaining individual power without any strings attached (which Ozawa has effectively benefited from in the past) under their own agenda and his traditional tactics (developed through his initial years in thwe LDP under Kakuei Tanaka) may not at all be applicable this time, and it may thus not be as easy for him as it may have been in the past. Win or lose, I would assume nonetheless that he is positioning this as his last major battle for which he will certainly give everything he has left in him.

  • 0

    Debucho

    I do not see how it would be possible for Ozawa to come out of this lower than he is now. He is fresh off an acquittal, and the only bigwig who is taking the position backed by about 70% of the voting public.

  • 0

    alliswellinjapan

    The thing with his ex-wife may continue to be an issue. Some journalists suspect politics to be behind this and that she or her son may gain external support to run against him. If so it will become an even larger blow to his political life than the prosecution. I'm sure he will manage but my point is it may not be so easy this time.

  • 0

    tensaisg@yahoo.com

    he's done. soon to be ex pm

  • -2

    Ivan Coughanoffalot

    Noda has ten weeks, max. Look at the calendar.

  • -1

    Franchesca Miyara Yang

    @Ivan Coughanoffalot

    Yubaru - quite right. Stop these hordes of bureaucrats "preparing a document" until three a.m. every single day, claiming overtime for every second after 5:30 and then getting a taxi home on our dime.

    But of course that will never happen. This is the only place I know of where demonstrating you are inefficient and cannot manage your time is used as proof that you're indispensable.

    Of course the tax rates will be waved through, and after the vote they'll all head off to Ginza for a late night "Consultation" session - courtesy of the new vein of revenue they can glut themselves with.

    I really wouldn't mind so much if I had even the slightest belief that one yen in a thousand would be used where it is needed. But it won't it will all be syphoned off into the pockets of this legion of incompetents.

    Old fan of Ivan here. Love your comments. Always right on the money!

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