money

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

'State-run' parties have the vice of advocating privatization

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi in a speech in Osaka on August 21 criticized other parties for preaching the virtues of making more tax money available to the private sector while receiving tax money in government subsidies. Excerpts of his speech are as follows.

The Liberal Democratic and Democratic parties are calling for more public money to go to the private sector. If so, why don't they run their parties at their own expense?

We have found out that the government subsidies to political parties account for 60 percent of the LDP's income and 85 percent of the DPJ's.

Since the government subsidy system was imposed, 154.7 billion yen of tax money has been given to the LDP and 68 billion yen to the DPJ.

The Komei Party has received 21.3 billion yen and Social Democratic Party 27.1 billion yen.

These parties never call into question their being "government-run" or "state-run" parties when they brazenly advocate the merits of promoting money flow "from the public sector to the private sector" that will result in shifting heavier burdens onto citizens.

What's more, the DPJ proposes in its election policy cutting 80 proportional-representation seats in the House of Representatives as a way to save tax money. Its aim is to force the JCP out of the Diet. But if the DPJ really wishes to save tax money, the first thing it should do is to give up accepting tax money in subsidies.

Remember that these parties promised the public that they will abolish corporate donations in five years after the government subsidy system was instituted. However, corporate donations continue to increase, and these parties are depending on tax money. How can they understand citizens' hardships? -- Akahata, August 23, 2005