My opinion of this week (517)

How can ordinal citizen can drink \5000 mineral water?

It appears that only Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is willing to accept farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka's foolish explanation about his massive office utility bills. Matsuoka's political fund reports say his office spent 5.07 million yen in lighting, heating and water expenses in 2005 alone and nearly 30 million yen in a five-year period to December 2005. It can't happen because because the office is in the Diet members' office building, which provide public cared , cost-free office space to lawmakers. How he could prepare such expense report ?

The 5.07 million yen Matsuoka reported as his office's utility bills represents 22 years worth of such bills for the average Japanese household headed by a corporate employee. Asked such fact by opposition front at the diet session, he said no men these days drink tap water. He prepared some special device to improve the quality of running water and he drinks some special mineral bottle water which cost \5000 or so. What a silly explanation it is!

A few days after this comments, several lawmakers of Democratic Party of Japan visited his office without any notice and found out the fact that there is no such water device at all. That's quite a laugh as a matter of fact.

Matsuoka's more critical comment is about tap water. According to news reports, some hundreds of people protested his comments about tap water. I want to make the same protest about what he said about tap waters.

I personally drink tap waters from time to time everyday. It is not really so good but not so bad at all. But whether it is tasty or not is not a big issue.

The most critical issue is whether it is safe to drink or not. Matsuoka seems not like the taste of tap waters and he drinks \5000 bottle water. That's fine.

But if he means to say he does not drink tap water because it is not so safe for health, his comments is really serious. He denied the safety of tap water which is provided by local government as public service. I personally believe the safety of tap water because it is provided by public corporation. How can such man like Matsuoka who is in such an important position of Minister of Farm Ministry make such astonishing comments as to drinking water?

He said he would withdraw this comment concerning tap water after he heard a number of adverse criticisms. Since the start of Abe administration, we have heard so many inappropriate comments stated by several moisteners of Abe cabinet. This was just one of such silly comments.

Matsuoka shows no intention whatsoever of fulfilling his responsibility to cleanup
the suspicions with a convincing explanation . As such, he is not suited to serve as a minister. His attitude also shows he lacks the moral integrity to be a Diet member. Prime Minister Abe also should be criticized severely for failing to take any action against Matsuoka.

There is criticism about how Matsuoka is responding to the allegations even within the ruling camp. It seems there exists even no common sense in politics. It is not the matter of law but the matter of moral and common sense from our general public point of views.

Abe and the ruling coalition should make a sincere response to this issue.

2007/3/17
Tadashi HAYASE