Cost- and Guilt (?)-free hinoki bookcase
千曲市はお金がないから「花いっぱい運動」中止。
国はお金がないから東北復興のために消費税増？
との背景で、最近はあちらこちらから補助金を使ってちょうだいと責められています。
県の100％補助で子育て応援品(おむつ変えテーブルなど）、
喫煙ルーム整備の補助 （ＪＴの匂いするけど…）
東電から春のインバウンドキャンセルの負担金 (それを請求すれば、8月の観光客が東北へ行かずに長野に来て、儲かった分を返すようになる?）
地元の銀行から特別低い金利を使って改善 (改善はするけど借金はまだあるのにまた借りるのはどうか）
行政は花の為のお金さえないのに、何でこんなに補助金がある?
この無駄(?)の中で、子育て応援の一部は長野県産の木材を使った本棚とかにも使える事、県庁の環境部で働いている知り合いに紹介されました。「これは良いな!」と思いました。子育て及び信州の木材、両方の応援になるのだ。申し込んでみます。通れば良いけど…
Chikuma City doesn't have enough money in its coffers for its 'Flowers Everywhere' project, so it's been canceled.
The government of Japan doesn't have enough money for Tohoku reconstruction, so it's talking about raising the consumption tax.
Despite the drastic budget situation, lately there's been a flurry of frivolous subsidies flung our way.
First a 100% financed kid-raising fund for diaper-changing tables from the Prefecture.
Then a similar subsidy for making a smoking room. (Do I smell Japan Tabacco?).
And TEPCO's getting in on the act, offering a refund for cancelations from foreign tourists last spring. (If we apply, do we have to give back the extra money we made in the summer from Japanese travellers skipping Tohoku to come here?)
Even our bank, offering low interest loans for improvements. (We'll make improvements, alright, but out of our running costs instead of borrowing more money on top of what we already owe!)
Of all of these, it turns out the first one has been given a favorable twist. A buddy that works for the Prefecture's Environmental Department got products made of Nagano hinoki wood included. So we can support kid raising as well as our local wood industry! I applied right away. We'll see if the ap is approved.
