February 28, 2011
A carrot and stick approach the central government uses to impose U.S. bases on local governments has adversely affected local administrations in many ways. Okinawa’s Nago City is one such administration.
The national government last December notified Inamine Susumu, Nago City’s anti-U.S. base mayor, that it will stop paying base-hosting subsidies to his municipality. Nago City is where the state government wants to “relocate” the U.S. Futenma base to.
Since Inamine took office in January 2010, he has not launched new projects funded with the relocation-related subsidy. He called on the state to pay the subsidy of 1.68 billion yen that his predecessor had earmarked for various projects. However, the Okinawa Defense Bureau suspended the subsidy, saying, “U.S. military relocation won’t be able to move ahead under the present circumstances in Nago.”
The projects that were supposed to be funded by the subsidy include the improvement of school facilities and community centers indispensable to citizens.
The gymnasium of an elementary school near Henoko, a possible site for the base relocation, was too old for use and was torn down, but the suspension of the subsidy made it impossible for a new one to be built. Pupils have to take the trouble to go to a junior high school in the area to use its gymnasium.
One of the community centers is so old and falling apart that it is closed now.
Shimabukuro Jun, professor at the University of the Ryukyus said, “Subsidies from the state to local municipalities should be granted based on the needs of and uses for local residents. It is unreasonable for the government to only grant subsidies to municipalities in return for accepting U.S. bases. Such an approach is unconstitutional, violating the principle of local self-government.”
The Democratic Party of Japan, when it was an opposition party, criticized this type of “stick and carrot” approach as ignoring the sovereignty of local municipalities.
The national government last December notified Inamine Susumu, Nago City’s anti-U.S. base mayor, that it will stop paying base-hosting subsidies to his municipality. Nago City is where the state government wants to “relocate” the U.S. Futenma base to.
Since Inamine took office in January 2010, he has not launched new projects funded with the relocation-related subsidy. He called on the state to pay the subsidy of 1.68 billion yen that his predecessor had earmarked for various projects. However, the Okinawa Defense Bureau suspended the subsidy, saying, “U.S. military relocation won’t be able to move ahead under the present circumstances in Nago.”
The projects that were supposed to be funded by the subsidy include the improvement of school facilities and community centers indispensable to citizens.
The gymnasium of an elementary school near Henoko, a possible site for the base relocation, was too old for use and was torn down, but the suspension of the subsidy made it impossible for a new one to be built. Pupils have to take the trouble to go to a junior high school in the area to use its gymnasium.
One of the community centers is so old and falling apart that it is closed now.
Shimabukuro Jun, professor at the University of the Ryukyus said, “Subsidies from the state to local municipalities should be granted based on the needs of and uses for local residents. It is unreasonable for the government to only grant subsidies to municipalities in return for accepting U.S. bases. Such an approach is unconstitutional, violating the principle of local self-government.”
The Democratic Party of Japan, when it was an opposition party, criticized this type of “stick and carrot” approach as ignoring the sovereignty of local municipalities.
