 Ishihara is Tokyo's first governor to cut social services in decades In this year's final plenary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on December 16, Japanese Communist Party representative Komatsu Kyoko revealed that Ishihara Shintaro is the first Tokyo governor in decades to slash the budget for social services. His budget cuts amounted to 52.6 billion yen for the last five years. Governor Minobe Ryokichi increased the budget by 180 billion yen (12 times) in the period between 1967 and 1978. His successors Suzuki Shun'ichi and Aoshima Yukio increased expenditures on social programs, though by a smaller amount. By contrast, Ishihara has cut subsidies and other benefits and downsized programs for education, small-and medium-sized industries, and the environment. In answer to a JCP question in the assembly meeting on December 8, Governor Ishihara described himself as being "more enthusiastic than any of his predecessors about budgeting social services." The figures that the governor cited were for social services in comparison with other areas which did not include areas unfavorable to him. The data the JCP representative showed show changes from the preceding governor's performances. Stating that the governor's statement is deceptive and that nothing can conceal the fact that the governor impoverished the social services budgets, Komatsu demanded that the Tokyo government make good use of the expected increase in tax revenues to improve social services and rehabilitate Tokyo's finances. (end) |