The late writer Kuniko Mukoda never simply pocketed money she happened to come across. As money that had fallen down to her from the heavens, she would accept it with gratitude.
“Even though the action of putting the money into your pocket is the same, this difference in attitude will later affect the strength or weakness of a person’s integrity,” writer Teruhiko Kuze said in “Furemosede” (Without Even a Touch), a collection of essays to mourn Mukoda’s death. (The book is published as part of the Kodansha pocketbook series.)
Kuze, who was Mukoda’s close friend, has also died.
This passage from Kuze’s essay came to mind when I read an article quoting Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto as saying, “I want talented people from outside–people who are tightfisted with other people’s money.” Hashimoto, who will soon celebrate his first anniversary in office, made the remarks during a joint interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun and other media organizations.
Interpreting Hashimoto’s expression, “tightfisted with other people’s money,” I would say it probably means he is seeking people who will not squander the money of others–taxpayers’ money–as if spending money they had just come across. Hashimoto is probably seeking people who see even 1 yen as a gift from the heavens not to be wasted.
The second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 was approved by the Diet yesterday.
Did the government allocate the “gift” of taxpayers money to policies seen as sufficiently effective in stimulating the economy? Wasn’t there any notion of money being lavishly thrown at voters?
To borrow Kuze’s words, I am still unable to make out the strength or weakness of the integrity of the man who stuck to this widely unpopular flat-sum cash handout plan–Prime Minister Taro Aso.
The Yomiuri Shimbun. Musings.The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun.
「他人の金にせこい」天からの頂き物として１円たりとも無駄にしない・・・ 編集手帳 八葉蓮華
作家の故・向田邦子さんは、お金を〈拾わなかった〉。天から降ってくるお金を感謝して〈いただいた〉
「同じお金を懐へ入れるにしても、この姿勢の違いはあとあと心の高さ低さに関(かか)わってくる」と、親交のあった作家、やはりいまは亡き久世光彦(くぜてるひこ)さんが追悼の随筆集「触れもせで」（講談社文庫）に書いている
まもなく就任１年を迎える橋下徹大阪府知事が本紙などとの共同インタビューで「外部から人材が欲しい。他人の金にせこい人を」と語っているのを読み、久世さんの一文を思い浮かべた
「他人の金＝税金」を拾い物として濫費(らんぴ)することなく、天からの頂き物として１円たりとも無駄にしない人を。「他人の金にせこい」という橋下流の表現を訳せば、そういうことだろう
きのう、第２次補正予算が国会で成立した。税金という頂き物を、景気浮揚効果の十分見込める施策に振り向けたか。拾い物として、選挙民に気前よくばらまく心理は働いていなかったか。久世さんの言葉を借りれば、世評の芳しくない定額給付金に固執した麻生首相の「心の高さ低さ」がいまだに見極められないでいる。
