My opinion of this week(368):

Don't shift the responsibility to the others

The fact was found last week that three cabinet members were not paying
premium of Notational pension plan. We were surprised with the news that
four more cabinet members and Naoto Kan, the President of Democratic
Party of Japan and Yukio Hatayama, the former President of DPJ were also
not paying the premium for certain period of times. We just wonder, how many
more Diet members are in the same way. The ratio of such Diet members would
be very high.

People must have had some fatal distrust against the present pension system.
About 40% of young generation are not paying premium for the pension plan.
In order to cope with the situation, the Government tried to make TV
commercial to promote participation of young men to the pension plan by 
using a famous  female TV actor. Surprisingly enough,she does  not participate
in the pension plan herself. This serious fact was the start of series of
doubt about cabinet members and other diet members concerning their 
participation for the plan. 

Although the Government tries hard to let young people to  participate in
pension plan, how can they persuade people under this current situation.
It seems that they should come back to the very beginning to discuss the
fundamental issue of the present system. But the Government and ruling parties
are trying to pass the bill which is basically the extension of the current
pension scheme. Why do they try do it? 
 
All of those cabinet members and Naoto Kan, made excuses saying that they
had never intended to neglect to pay premiums. They just forgot or
misunderstood the system itself. We admit that they are telling the
truth in that respect. But firstly that shows how complicated the system is.
Secondly that tells  how advantageous the system is for public servants 
and diet members and so forth compared with people working for private
industries. Otherwise, those public servants will never forget to pay 
premiums. 

When it comes to people working for private industries, social insurance
fees are withheld from monthly salaries. The social pension scheme is
the only income they can acquire after retirement. People carefully check
history of payment all by themselves. Unless they have to do it, they would
miss to get some parts of pension after retirement.   

The reason why those public servants or diet members lack interest about
paying for National pension plan is obvious. They can get some other 
pensions or good retirement allowance when they retire. 

This is why the integration of pension systems is very necessary as I also
wrote in the opinion of last week. But the Government and ruling parties
tried to pass the present plan disregarding integration argument 
which was proposed by Democratic Party of Japan. 

Series of recent findings tell the necessity of the integration of the
whole pension system. But the Government and ruling parties are trying
to pass the bill without further discussion on the issue. 

They try to divert public attention from this basic issue showing even
two leaders of opposition party were not paying social insurance fees
as other cabinet members. Don't gloss over their responsibility for 
that fact.

The Pension Committee passed the bill last week so that it will be 
processed at the House of Representative by the end of current
Diet session. That must be stopped by all means . 

2004/5/1
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(369):

Drawing picture by PC

Although this is not the first time to write about this topic, I would
like to explain how interesting and enjoyable to draw picture by PC.

There was a working session to draw picture by PC in the afternoon at  MPC
 (Murayama PC Club) last Thursday. For about two hours, all attendants 
tried to draw a kind of simple picture of a house using Auto-Shape function
installed in Word or Excel. Several parts, such as a wall, a roof, a chimney
doors, windows,etc are drawn separately by using drawing function of square, 
circle or some other shapes. They are colored appropriately applying 
gradation if considered necessary. Several parts drawn this way are 
assembled finally into one picture in the sheet of Word or Excel.It is
rather simple but very interesting and enjoyable process indeed.

Process of drawing squares, circles, etc. is not so different each other
by people. But when it comes to shape of each parts or total combination
of each parts and to coloring, there are some big difference between works
done by people. 

This difference is especially very big as to option parts such as trees, 
flowers, etc. drawn by free-hand pen installed in Auto Shape function. 
Drawing those optional parts is a kind of difficult work itself for people
who have little experience in original drawing such as oil or water 
painting or whatever they are. People who are versed in such drawing
technique can also draw such optional parts very nicely even using PC pen.

On the other, people who have less experience or techniques for
such original drawing try to draw some unique picture although they are
kind of unskilled and unaccomplished ones. That's also all right as far
as my thinking is concerned.

In order to draw even such a very simple picture, there are thousands of
combinations and steps how to draw each parts and to finish them into 
total picture. Some basic technique of PC drawing must be learned first,
of course. Then some tacit or potential sense for art work are required 
to draw even such  a simple picture. Some of such senses are intuitive
ones in many ways. But some of such sense and capacity are also trained
and studied through such drawing works by PC. 

Some may say PC drawing itself is pervasive and quit different from 
original paintings. Yes, that's right. No question about that. PC drawing
is entirely different one from many of original painting drawn by hands.
But I believe that it is worth trying for anyone, especially for those
who have no much interest of drawing  or have no sense or technique
to draw picture itself. I myself was such a typical example. I began to
have interest in drawing picture itself since I started some PC drawing.
All I can do right now is to make some very simple illustration by using
some existing raw materials. But I began to have an aptitude for painting
since I started drawing a picture by PC. It's very good, isn't it?

The same can be said with PC music. I could have much more interest and
motives for playing piano since I started so called DTM (PC disk top music)
I will talk more about this at another opportunity.

Some of those things I mentioned here will be understood better by people
who have already had some experience of PC drawing. I would like to recommend
to try PC drawing to those who have no experience so far.I am sure that 
they will surely enjoy it and begin to have more interest in drawing 
work itself.

2004/5/8
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(370):

Moral hazard  

Several top leaders of Komei Party, two Vice Premier of Ministry of 
Health, Labor and Welfare and many other diet members were found
that they had not paid pension premiums for a certain period of time.
The last and ultimate fact was that Prime Minister Koizumi did not pay
it by himself. 

Although they are just pro forma ones, most of those diet members found
out for improper acts  expressed some apology and excuse, Koizumi 
said he is not politically responsible for the issue. He looked like 
saying "what the matter it is." 

What's kind of moral does he have?

Both Democratic Party of Japan and Komei Party investigated the fact about
the issue concerning all of their diet members and took some actions 
based on the findings. But Liberal Democratic Party said they would not
do any investigation as a party. All members are supposed to announce the
fact by themselves. Why is it?  Shinzo Abe, the Secretary of the party
and other top executives mentioned that those movement was a kind of 
witch-hunting or sensational story making by mass media. What amazing 
comments  they are!

Ichirou Ozawa, Deputy President of DPJ, is elected to the next President
of the Party. He was the man who opposed the agreement made by three
major parties concerning Pension Revision Bills submitted to the diet.
His stance was that DPJ should not make any agreement at this moment. He
did not attend the diet when that agreement act was resolved. 

Noda, Chairman of Diet Affairs Committee of DPJ, expressed feeling of 
discomfort saying that such man as Ozawa was elected to the top leader
of the Party. The agreement was made by three public parties. It would
be a great moral hazard if their party tore up the agreement.

Is this true? Such an agreement itself made by such irresponsible top 
leaders of three parties are to be discarded first. Expression of 
disagreement against such unreasonable act is quite right course of
action,isn't it?

It is very interesting to listen to what many of those politicians said
concerning this issue. Many of them exactly seem to lack basic moral as
human being regardless their political stance.

Confrontation of two leaders i.e..Koizumi and Ozawa is starting from now.
I do hope that some new movement will start in Japanese politics soon.

2004/5/15
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(371)

Lay judge system bill  

A judicial reform bill to introduce a lay judge system in which private
citizens join with professional judges in trying serious criminal cases
was enacted Friday after the bill cleared the House of Councilors with
the approval of ruling and opposition parties almost unanimously.

My wife and I were watching TV news on that matter and she was quite
surprised to hear the fact that such new judge system would  be initiated
in May 2009. She said: " I can't believe it. How can those ordinal
citizens join to judge such very difficult cases which are now handled
by legal professionals such as prosecutors, judges and attorneys. Some
bad decision may be made with participation by those untrained amateurs."

"Yes, that's right. That is quite possible, because the selection of 
such citizen judges are made by lottery. Any people age 20 or older are
to be elected by chance including yourself and myself." 

"Wow,  by lottery! That's impossible!" 

"I wish I could act as a judge once I were selected someday. How about you?
Do you mind participating in such judgment by yourself if you were selected? "

"No, never. I will not accept it."

"No, you cannot refuse it once selected unless  you have some reasonable
reasons." 

"What! What a terrible system it is! I cannot agree with it."

I did not talk to her anymore and kept watching the TV news. At any rate, 
it is  too late now whether or not she agrees with it. The die is cast.
Many people must have had the same thought on this issue when they knew 
it like my wife.

I basically agree with this bill myself. Although there still involves
a number of problems related with the bill, I understand the reason why
the bill was passed at the diet almost unanimously. Firstly the purpose 
of the bill is to reflect common sense of citizens to court judgment
in along with the views of professional. 

Secondly such system will draw the more sense of participation and 
interest of citizens concerning the importance of court judgments.
Both are very important to keep improving quality of court judgment. 

I certainly welcome this unanimous decision at the diet. But some 
ironical thought came up in mind as well. A number of reforms at 
administrative and lawmaking process are also very necessary at this
stage in this country. The same kind of view points seems to be 
necessary to proceed those reform. But any trials on such reforms
on Government and Diet are never done unanimously. They always go 
very very slowly.

Why is it?

2004/5/22
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(372):

NHK、a peace-addicted public broadcasting corporation

Prime Minister Koizumi visited North Korea last Saturday and brought
back five children of Mr. & Mrs. Chimura and Hasuike. Nihon TV, 
a commercial TV station was making live telecast on the return of
Koizumi and five children from North Korea as well as on interviews
with families of abducted people. No other commercial TV stations
were not providing any news shows during that time. They were  
broadcasting regular programs.  

I was surprised to find that NHK was broadcasting the night game
between Tigers and Giants at Koshien Ball Stadium all through 
beginning to the end. I had no special interest on the live scene
how those children arrived at Haneda Air Port. But I had a bid
interest in the reaction of  families of abducted people  except 
Chimira and Hasuike, whose children are still missing. The evaluation
on the outcome of Koizumi visit to North Korea at this time both from 
inside of Japan and outside countries is also another big concern.
Many Japanese people wanted to get the same information. 

Nevertheless, NHK、the public broadcasting corporation, that has no
commitment for any kind for sponsors just continued to broadcast the
ball game during those key hours. Hanshin vs. Giants is no more than
just a ball game. The abduction case is a serious political issue for
this country. NHK should report this issue during that key hours.
 
I was quite surprised with the stance of NHK at first. And my surprise
turned into an anger later on to see the fact that they just kept 
broadcasting the ball game until the end. 

I expected some critism would come up against NHK from other mass
media or audiences of NHK. But so far I have not seen any criticism since
then. 

I am quite disappointed with it.

2004/5/29
Tadashi HAYASE