HOOSIERS TRIBUNE　on 9/5

フージャーズの皆様へ

*************今週の出欠確認******************

今週例会の出欠確認です。
参加できない場合も9/3 PM 9：00までに返信してください。
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氏名：（　　　　　　　）は参加します。※集合時間が18時45分に変更になっています。ご注意ください。
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※※皆さんにお願い※※

最近、同姓のメンバーが増えています。出欠欄の記入は必ずフルネームで
お願いします。特に田中さん、渡辺さん、山下さん、中村さん、岡田さん、岡本さん、
山田さん、山本さん、山口さんはフルネームで！


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こんばんは、デモらです。

皆さん、衆議院選挙には行かれましたか？

事前に予想された通り民主党が圧勝し、政権交代が確実となりました。
政権担当能力に不安は感じるものの、これから日本がどう変わっていくのか
楽しみです。

さて、今回のトピックは少子化についてです。民主党は中学生以下の子ども
１人当たり月２万６０００円を支給する「子ども手当」の創設をマニフェストに
掲げていましたが、実際、少子化に歯止めをかける効果はあるのでしょうか？

久しぶりに？若干難しいテーマです。何も考えが浮かんでこない場合は、ネットで
検索してみてください。受け売りでも構いません。「そもそも子供なんて増え
なくてもいい」という考え方もありだと思います。

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□■土曜会ブログ更新中■□

http://ameblo.jp/doyoukai/theme-10010279272.html

皆さん、どしどしコメントをお願いします！！

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☆★☆　今回初めて参加される方へ　☆★☆

集合場所については、まずこちらを御覧ください。

http://www.h-sanbangai.com/floor/b1f_s.html

上記地図の18番の店舗（三井住友銀行）の下側と19番の店舗（Intiful）の左側に囲まれた
コーナー部分のスペースに、今週土曜日の夜6時45分にお越しください。阪急梅田駅ビッグマン
正面の階段・エスカレーターを1フロア降りると、地図上の「阪急電車のりば→」と記された
辺りに着きます。

集合後、会場の喫茶店に移動する予定です。

万が一、集合場所がお分かりにならない場合は、私の携帯090−8829−6516までお電話
頂けますか？

できれば、以下のトピックを印刷してお持ちください。

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

Parties must grapple with declining birthrate

A report compiled by a government advisory panel on social security issues states, "The declining birthrate is the biggest challenge
confronting Japan."

However, another report released by a different government advisory panel studying strategies to realize a "secure" society notes,
"The continuously declining birthrate is 'a quietly advancing emergency.'"

The ruling parties and, by the same token, the opposition parties would be foolish to challenge these views.

The nation's total fertility rate--the estimated number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime--has improved slightly to
1.37. However, this is still a very low figure, and the number of children in the country continues to decrease each year.

===

Financial incentives

It was inevitable that the political parties would put expanded support measures for child-rearing families at the heart of their
policy pledges for the upcoming House of Representatives election.

In particular, the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan has proposed the creation of a child allowance scheme that would
provide 26,000 yen per month for each child up to middle school age.

We recognize the value of the party's proposing such a bold plan. However, it is crucially important to find fiscal resources to
fund this idea. Under the envisaged plan, the child allowance would be provided across-the-board, regardless of family income
levels, and could end up totaling about 5.3 trillion yen.

The DPJ intends to raise part of the funds through such measures as scrapping tax deductions for the spouse. However, this would
still leave a shortfall of about 3 trillion yen, which the party insists could be covered mainly by reviewing the state budget,
among other measures.

With the abolition of the spouse deduction, tax burdens would be heavier for some households, such as those without children or
those that contain women who already have raised children. Conversely, households with children--even high-income homes--would be
entitled to the child allowance.

The DPJ argues that child-rearing should be supported by society as a whole and that the financial burden should be shared. Not a
few of people, however, have voiced objections to the proposed measures.

In an apparent bid to counter the DPJ's proposals, the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner, New Komeito, have
posited that preschool education be free.

The parties have yet to work out the details of the plan, such as whether unauthorized day care centers should fall within the remit
of the scheme. Even if only kindergartens and authorized day care centers were covered, it would still cost about 800 billion yen.
As the consumption tax rate is unlikely to be raised anytime soon, no permanent revenue source has been identified to fund this
plan.

===

Additional measures

The child allowance scheme and the provision of free preschool education--moves apparently aimed at wooing voters--should not be
relied upon too heavily as the main measures for coping with the declining birthrate.

In addition to financial support, improved administrative services, such as more day care centers, also should be considered as
priorities for families raising children.

Regardless of which party takes up the reins of government following the general election, the new administration will have to focus
on fulfilling the vote-garnering financial support measures pledged during the election battle. We think the ruling and opposition
parties should first and foremost strive during the election campaign to offer grander visions for tackling the declining birthrate.

Voters, for their part, must carefully consider which party has the clearest concept for expanding the support measures, and
sourcing and allocating the necessary financial resources.


Q1. What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting Japan?

日本が直面している最大の課題はなんだと思いますか？

Q2. Do you like a child? Do you want to have (more) children? How many children? How do you want to bring them up?

子供が好きですか？子供が（もっと）ほしいですか？何人ですか？どんな風に育てたいですか？

Q3. The Democratic Party of Japan has proposed the creation of a child allowance scheme that would provide 26,000 yen per month for
each child up to middle school age. Do you think it will boost the birthrate?

民主党は、中学生以下の子ども１人当たり月２万６０００円を支給する、「子ども手当」の創設を掲げています。出生率を上げる効果はあると思いますか？

Q4. What should we do to increase the birthrate in addition to it?

出生率を上げるために、他にどうすればよいでしょう？

Q5. The Democratic Party of Japan won more than 300 seats in Sunday's House of Representatives election. What do you want the DPJ to
do?

民主党が、日曜日に行われた衆議院選挙で、300議席以上を獲得しました。民主党に何を望みますか？