Campaigning starts for 2nd referendum on Osaka metropolis plan

I'm for YES, but would like to hear more ideas from the opposition. I wonder if both sides will hold public debate sessions.

"Can we really abolish Osaka city? If it becomes a metropolis, the level of services to residents will fall," said Taeko Kitano, a senior LDP member of the Osaka city assembly.

I guess he is afraid of losing his seat at city assembly. Referring to the Tokyo metropolitan model, The Osaka city would become four special districts with "de facto" city status. It's a reform for growth and efficiency.

Under the status quo Osaka-city residents get troubled with administrative redundancy and red-tapes, not to mention its financial waste.

THEY NEVER STOP. I was thinking this issue was put to rest a few years ago, but these politicians' quest for power is endless.

Amazing, they don’t have any other problems in that paradise city. lol

How would this affect other cities in the prefecture?

Can somebody ban those useless food prep masks?

Metropolitan Tokyo controls 23 wards and suburban cities in the western part of Tokyo. Metropolitan Tokyo is a prefecture and above them is the government of Japan. Metropolitan Tokyo has one boss above them while Osaka city has two bosses immediate boss is Osaka prefectural government and the Japanese government on top of it. I understand things are complicating and redundant. Local cities in Osaka prefecture will become under Metropolitan Osaka. But those who oppose the idea may know about problems that will happen by the merger.

Why would becoming a metropolis lead to worse services?

Cutting out duplicative government will free up resources and lead to better services, to the extent that government is good at providing services at all. (Don’t remind me about those Abenomasks from Chairman Abe).

Hope this time round the voters of Osaka get it right.

But those who oppose the idea may know about problems that will happen by the merger.

They have simply been mobilized by the vested interests that stand to lose their privilege from current arrangements.

I can’t see any idea to oppose other than that and perhaps spite towards Hashimoto

This is even more important than the American presidential election. Vote Yes!

Well, the Yes campaign has lost one vote by the fact that I'm unable to vote as a foreign resident (despite having pretty much all my skin in the game).

Tokyo has one boss above them while Osaka city has two bosses immediate boss is Osaka prefectural government and the Japanese government on top of it. 

Technically, the Osaka city is one of 政令指定都市or "designated cities" whose legal status and functions are almost equal to home prefecture. Unlike many other prefectures with designated cities (e.g. Yokohama & Kanagawa, Nagoya & Aichi, Sapporo & Hokkaido, etc.), The administrative zones of both Osaka city and prefecture are overlapped and inevitably conflicting. Note that the whole Osaka is itself very small in size.

While currently the "twin" administrations are still well-governed by Ishin-party politicians, Osaka's public services used to be highly inefficient and near-paralyzed due to futile struggles over turfs between city mayor and pref. governor (often of different political parties/affiliations). Over time such a bad "cohabitation" could emerge again unless structural reforms are made.... and that's the main point addressed by the YES proponents.

Concern about the coronavirus pandemic may affect the votes, as residents like Mayumi Nishioka, the mother of infant twins, said she had no intention of going to the polls out of fear of being infected by the virus.

For info, the early/absentee voting is possible as the booths will be set open tomorrow, more than two weeks ahead of the election day (1.11). So she can go whenever she likes and avoid crowds for virus-concern. I'm not an eligible resident, but find it significant.

So does that mean there will be large layoffs of municipal workers? I’m assuming that usually is the bulk of any savings?

I don't see it making any difference other than a lot of people being out of jobs or if they aren't going to lay people off that means the only savings will be on stationary and that would only be a few billion yen in savings a year which will most likely be spent on giving themselves a pay rise. because the new positions have that much more responsibility

um, No? This reduces accountability from the citizens and is a powergrab. They don't care about democracy

I've met Yoshimura. Pretty slimy kind of guy. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and I'm not in the habit of throwing people.

Ultimately, I think leaving the decision up to people, one way or the other, is a good thing. Democracy at its finest.

Also, to the Mods, if you’re going to remove my post laughing at the guy comparing a democratic referendum to Stalinism, you might also want to consider removing the post comparing a democratic referendum to Stalinism. Because it’s pretty hard not to laugh at.

The problem with centralizing power is that the people are treated more and more as amorphous groups and not individuals.

For me, being the next in line on the conveyor, doesn’t fill me with hope.