Widespread moves against use of tax money for political parties
Government subsidies to political parties are supposed to clean up political corruption, but they don't. This scheme should be abolished as part of the effort to eliminate wasteful use of tax money. Calls for the abolition of the Political Party Subsidy Law are increasing in Tokyo and other parts of the country.
In Shinjuku Ward in Tokyo, which is Japan's largest downtown district, the federation of neighborhood associations in April launched a campaign calling for the Political Party Subsidy Law to be repealed. The organization has so far collected more than 7,700 signatures in support of an end of this misuse of tax money.
On the federation's website, many post their opinions on political subsidies. One person said, "One-forth of 35,000 people who committed suicide last year had suffered from economic hardships such as unemployment, bankruptcy, and corporate restructuring. The tax money now used for political parties may save ten lives a day." Another wrote, "For one million yen in debt, some commit suicide. We are at such a state, so please help us with that misused tax money."
In Nara Prefecture, the Kanmaki Town Assembly last December adopted a resolution calling for the abolition of government subsidies to political parties.
In March, Hokkaido's Koshimizu Town Assembly adopted a similar resolution calling on the government to end political subsidies and instead use the money for measures to rescue suffering people from the recession.