Japan Press Weekly

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2012 July 4 - 10 [POLITICS]

Osaka mayor ignores public opinion

Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru has openly said that he would not take into account the nearly 30,000 residents’ opinion opposing his plan to drastically cut public services that was sent to the city office.

Commenting on his administration reform plan, Hashimoto said at a press conference on May 11, “I’d like residents to send us their opinions since it is very important.”

The “reform” plan proposes drastic cuts of many services for residents, including the abolition of the free transportation pass program for the elderly. Hashimoto did not include this in his election promise last fall.

During the 19 days between May 11 and May 29, the Osaka City office received around 28,000 opinions, the largest number it received ever, from residents, 94% of whom expressed their opposition to the plan.

At a city assembly meeting on June 22, Hashimoto said that he has not bothered to read those opinions.

On June 23, at the Osaka Ishin-no-Kai’s school for future politicians, Hashimoto, who is the leader of the local party, said, “Only those who want to make complaints send their opinions in the public comment system. Supporters (of administrative policies) won’t waste their time to send comments.”

Regarding the mounting public opposition to the reactivation of the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, the mayor said on July 2, “There are 60 million to 80 million voters.” “Even if the voice of the opposition is raised by 1,000, 2,000, 10,000, or 100,000 people, we have to do what we have to do. That is the nature of politics,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ishin-no-Kai for the first time lost in municipal leaders’ election on July 1 in the mayoral election of Osaka’s Habikino City. The number of votes its candidate received was half of what Osaka Governor Matsui Ichiro (Ishin-no-Kai) obtained in the city in his election last November.