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Cash handout? Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say

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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.

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$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?

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That is not even 1 weeks food bill in Tokyo - surely the money can be better spent elsewhere?

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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?

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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!

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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.

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You may as well accept the money since you will have to pay it back (with interest) through higher taxes in the future.

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“Japanese politicians are so immature in the way they think the economy should be run”

quote of the year.

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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.

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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.

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"Stupid, wasteful and ineffective—and a shameless attempt to woo voters," but not limited to Japanese politicians, I'm afraid.

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What is the difference between being naive and being ignorant? None, if you are Japanese voter. Take the bloody money and shut up!

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Awesome, I'm gonna splash out for a new Toyota....keyring.

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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'.

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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.

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Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say

Yeah, but you can say that for almost everything else the government does as well.

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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?

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<i>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'.</I>

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."

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" But polls show that most Japanese oppose the idea—though many confess they’ll take the money anyway. "

Where is the contradiction? It is totally stupid, intellectually flawed, and insulting... but it is your cash anyway.

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" 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. "

It is Voodooh economics, not different from what happens in another big country. Yes, we can!

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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."

do you really believe they make 4,000 an hour handing out tissues?

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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.

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correction, 1700 yen per hour, not month

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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?

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why do the people who don't pay the bulk of the taxes (children and old folk) get more?

because the old folk with the minds of children who designed this stupid scheme have a unique empathic link with them

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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.

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“They are playing us for fools.” Only if you vote for them.

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.

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the central government footing the 82.5 billion yen in distribution fees.

that means they pay 12.000 per person (about 120 milions inhabitants) + 82.5 billion yens just to bring those 12.000 yens ?!?!

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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'.

Ha, ha! Mine is going straight into a big envelope marked 'Airmail, Australia'. That's nearly 200 bucks in Pacific Pasoes. Thank you!

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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.

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Well...if its so stupid. Why dont they speak up about what they want done? Giving their opinion in a poll will do absolutely nothing.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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Wottock_Hunt,

"shot in the dark here: this lady who didn't know there was an election due - she's single and keeps cats, right?"

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.

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What a ridiculous poll....around a 1000 people out of such a large population

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.

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I'm taking it and buying things made in China. Aso is a noob who can't get anything done right.

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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?)

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Half the money will be pocketed by corrupt officials.

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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

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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...

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“Japanese politicians are so immature in the way they think the economy should be run,” said Atsuko Yamaguchi, 42, of Osaka. “It’s always for-the-moment kind of thinking. It’s so stupid. I’m so ashamed.”

and don't forget drunk!

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Oh, I'm sorry. What's the point again?

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and I suppose the trillions of yen the government spends every year is spent wisely?

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It is stupid and wasteful and only enough money to eat a dinner out. It's not like 12,000 will actually stimulate spending.

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Actually 12,000 Yen isn't a small sum. I don't mind spending it on some Japanese gadget.

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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.

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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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