picture of the day

Governor under fire

34 Comments

Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe attends a news conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office in Tokyo on Friday. Masuzoe has been under fire for his heavy spending on overseas trips, use of an official car for weekend trips to his villa near Tokyo, and buying artwork through online auctions as fees for reference materials. He said he has asked two former public prosecutors to investigate his use of political funds.

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34 Comments
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He said he has asked two former public prosecutors to investigate his use of political funds.

Political funds? They should be investigating his use of tax money, big difference!

and buying artwork through online auctions as fees for reference materials.

Buying artwork as fees for reference materials? Sorry but I am scratching my head on this, what is this supposed to mean? He bought artwork as reference materials for his office or home?

12 ( +12 / -0 )

gosh don't draw it out, just go

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Nice picture of one money sucker sitting in front of logos for another.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Nobody is going to ask him to return the money back, right?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@koiwaicoffee

Nobody is going to ask him to return the money back, right?

Even if he does, it's not the taxpayers who'll be getting it...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

pay the money back? is that so hard?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The Olympic logo above his head is supposed to be a halo or something?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This is Japan. So, please stop pointing fingers at China, India, Africa, Latin American nations etc, etc... Because this is human condition since the rise of man. Thus, so-called "Third World Nations", they have no monopoly over any thing. In fact they are the victims of a gross colonization, and looting by those "kings", "queens", and those "emperors".

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Go Already!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Masuzoe is really stingy man. He doesn't want to spend his money from his pocket for private things. He always trys to spend as much tax payers money as possible for his own. His fellows say he was very stingy when he was young. It seems he never changes.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Still, Matsuzoe is a big breath of fresh air after years of xenophobe nationalist Shintaro Ishihara as Tokyo's governor.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Matsuzoe

Masazoe

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Masuzoe

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Masuzoe has married 3 times and divorced twice. He has/had 2 mistresses. He has 5 children totally. 2 children of his present wife and 3 children of 2 mistresses. It seems he badly needs much money for them constantly.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Political funds ? No ! Public money diverted for private use, how is that different from stealing cash from a safe ? Do it, you'll be arrested and forced to confession right away....

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Only in Japan is this guy STILL in power, and will be relected to some other area of politics once he resigns (and that takes a LOT here!). He should be in prison, not in power.

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Political funds? They should be investigating his use of tax money, big difference!

There are strict laws against the inappropriate use of campaign funds, the laws against misuse of taxpayer money are not strict. How else do you think taxpayers get stuck with a national debt which is 250% of GDP? If the use of taxpayer money was strictly regulated, no one would bother to become a politician.

He said he has asked two former public prosecutors to investigate his use of political funds.

In any other developed country, public prosecutors (not retired prosecutors with no authority) would be looking at his theft without his asking them, and he would be sitting at a table being questioned by them, instead of giving speeches to the press.

Right now Masuzoe is trying to make deals for some kind of amakudari position before he resigns. No doubt he will authorize a final government contract or two while he is still in office in order to secure such a job. The taxpayers will get shafted again in the process, but then again, the government sees people only as sheep to be sheared, and occasionally butchered.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

He said he has asked two former public prosecutors to investigate his use of political funds.

No doubt members of the OBAC - Old Boys' Amakudari Club

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Lock this guy up already for embezzlement.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

its interesting how people in the government think that money and benefits come easy and they are entittled to them. At least in Japan they hold their politicians accountable

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

@5petals. Please tell me your post is intended to be satire!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

@sam

not really satire

In some countries like the U.S. the bureaucracy is so huge and vast that accountability is almost impossible because its passed through so many different agencies. for example, you paid 20% of your salary to the IRS, can you follow the money trail? Theres no way to see any ROI. Your ROI might be a government worker doing nothing for weeks or taking 60 days of vacation, I mean, thats all good for him but that doesnt do anything for me.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Attacking local vs national, minorities are not her.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@5petals. I'm not sure how Masazoe---or any of the other countless swine in government---will be held accountable. I have never heard of anyone having to go to jail or losing their job. They may pay some of the money back---maybe---but it's never the full amount. I guess having to stand in front of a mic and pretend to be sorry is punishment of a sort.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@ elbow room, Is it a halo or a noose?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hindsight is always 2020.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He said he has asked two former public prosecutors to investigate his use of political funds.

I bet you the investigation will come back as "He's done nothing wrong and he didn't break anything in the eye of the law". I don't think there's even a law that prevents dirty bag like this guy to use public money for his personal leisure ? He'll just do the bow and retire somewhere in Nagano.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Duck70 - not sure, but the logos on either side remind me of devil's horns...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

5Petals: "At least in Japan they hold their politicians accountable"

Excuse me? Like when, for example? If Masuzoe were being held accountable he would not still have his job. He would be in prison. How's he being held accountable? 'Volunteering' to pay back a tiny little fraction of the amount he's stolen back? (and that's only the amount we know of).

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"At least in Japan they hold their politicians accountable"

I am from the Miami area of Florida, and here is a list of politicians who have been arrested by the FBI and imprisoned (not given suspended sentences); the directors of the sea ports, and airport, the country sheriff, two city mayors, two school board members, an elections supervisor, etc. Recently in Texas, the entire city government of one town was arrested for corruption and misuse of public funds. Those found guilty are never given suspended sentences, they go directly to jail without passing "Go".

Other than the crying city councilman, how many Japanese politicians are sitting in jail now? What happened to Tokyo's previous mayor, Inose? He accepted 50 million yen in bribes, much more than any of the American politicians I mentioned above. Is Inose in jail now?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

when I say they, I mean the media and everyday Japanese people. Japanese seem to want to know where and how their taxes are being spent, whereas in the U.S. nobody knows/cares because once its taken, its impossible to trace

As for direct prosecution, yes I agree with sangetsu, the U.S. is much more aggressive than Japan

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"I mean the media and everyday Japanese people. Japanese seem to want to know where and how their taxes are being spent, whereas in the U.S. nobody knows/cares because once its taken, its impossible to trace"

@5petals. Interesting point (and a good point in my opinion). I would just point out, though, that Donald Trump has a pretty good chance of winning the presidency due mainly to the intense hatred of career politicians but average US citizens.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The contents in that picture cost a lot of money.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ sam

its because the Cruzs Rubios and others are too easy to see through, and have no imagination. Many of them could easily be replaced by a Japanese politician and nobody would notice because its all the same thing. They are scared of supporting the creative destructive free market forces that disrupt the status quo then create new jobs. Its always the same talk, but do nothing, all hidden behind many "holy grails" of special interest that cant be touched. They take the easy route of inviting foreign companies and tax breaks, but find that such kindness is not reciprocal because the foreigners take the profits. There was a recent documentary on Japan TV about Chinese buying up hotels in Japan, and firing local Japanese who complained. Japanese have been doing the same thing in many sectors in the U.S. but get mad when its done to them

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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