Published on January 27, 2020. This article introduces an essay by Sōki Watanabe, a researcher of modern and contemporary Japanese-American history, published in the Sankei Shimbun’s “Sound Argument” column, criticizing California’s new restrictions on individual water use. Through Glendale, where a comfort women statue was installed, radical Democratic liberal forces, the rising cost of living caused by regulatory administration, population outflow, and political effects on Texas, Arizona, and other states, it discusses the possibility of President Trump’s reelection.

January 27, 2020
The difference in investigative ability between his work and, for example, the people at the Asahi Shimbun or NHK who call themselves journalists, is like heaven and earth.
The following is from an essay by Sōki Watanabe, a researcher of modern and contemporary Japanese-American history, published in today’s Sankei Shimbun’s “Sound Argument” under the title, “Radical Environmental Administration That Even Drives Residents Away.”
Surely, a person who has graduated from the University of Tokyo should, before anything else, examine facts thoroughly, clarify the essence of things, and contribute to the national interest and the development of humanity.
In his case, he has chosen life as a researcher of modern Japanese-American history.
The difference in investigative ability between his work and, for example, the people at the Asahi Shimbun or NHK who call themselves journalists, is like heaven and earth.
NHK’s reporting on President Trump, for example, not only follows American media biased against Trump, but the occasional on-site reporting it broadcasts is a kind of childish play.
Masayuki Takayama once explained in detail to me the content of a dialogue between Tetsuya Chikushi and Yoshibumi Wakamiya in the Asahi Shimbun’s internal bulletin, where they claimed that the age of television politics had arrived.
Ignorant, or foolish, people are good enough.
Give them the Asahi Shimbun before they appear on television, and have them comment in accordance with the Asahi’s editorials.
On NHK’s Watch 9, Kuwako plays that commentator role, and Arima explains as though her biased comments were correct.
The other day was especially terrible.
The situation in the American Congress was something even an amateur viewer who is not a journalist at all could understand.
The Democratic Party, which is at a disadvantage in the presidential election, is attacking President Trump without regard for appearances.
It is no different from the Morikake uproar, the attack on Prime Minister Abe led by the Asahi Shimbun and followed by NHK.
Even such a thing Kuwako does not understand.
To begin with, soon after she appeared, she was given a long slot and, with delight, as if that were entirely the right attitude, interviewed Jakuchō Setouchi.
That alone makes it clear that she possesses an intellect that is beyond discussion.
Speaking of President Trump, whenever I encounter NHK’s anti-Trump reporting, I recall the comment by a senior Chinese government official when he was elected.
“What I think is admirable about Trump is that most politicians try to make money after becoming politicians. But he became a great millionaire and yet is trying to become a politician…”
According to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks, the amount of water used by one Tokyo resident per day is about 220 liters.
Since this is an average, individual daily life sometimes exceeds this amount.
California’s Water Regulations
Starting this year, the U.S. state of California will begin regulations limiting individual water use.
The daily water use of state residents, excluding outdoor use such as lawns, will be capped at 55 gallons, about 208 liters, from January 1.
This figure will be reduced to 52.5 gallons in 2025 and to 50 gallons in 2030.
The regulatory bill, AB1668, was passed by the California State Legislature in May 2018.
The bill’s sponsor was Laura Friedman, a Democratic member of the State Assembly.
She served as mayor of Glendale from 2011 to 2012, and was a city council member there until she was elected to the State Assembly in 2016.
Glendale is a suburban city of 190,000 people located north of Los Angeles.
Many Japanese people know the name of this city because, despite Japan’s opposition, it allowed a comfort women statue to be installed in a park in 2013.
It is a town where Democratic radical liberal forces are strong.
When AB1668 was passed, Assemblywoman Friedman immediately conveyed a message of “victory” to her supporters through her own website.
“Today, May 17, the bill introduced by Laura Friedman, AB1668, was passed. This will introduce water-use standards in many industries and determine future operating guidelines for regulations and administration in the water-resources management sector. Our state will become strongly resilient against drought and water shortages.”
The specific method of implementing the regulation has not been made clear, but what is certain is that by November 2023, fines will be imposed if the limits shown above are exceeded.
I have no idea how per-person usage will be measured or what kind of fine-collection system it will be, but it has been reported that reporting usage will be mandatory, and that if the limit is exceeded, a fine of 1,000 dollars per day will be imposed, and 10,000 dollars per day during drought periods.
The Proper Work of Politicians
Taking a shower requires two gallons of water per minute.
Running a washing machine requires 40 gallons, and taking a bath requires 45 gallons.
The implementation of the regulation will create a new bureaucratic organization.
From now on, California residents will live each day in fear of surveillance by “Big Brother.”
California’s water resources are not in as much crisis as the state’s liberal politicians fear.
In 2019, the snowpack and ice fields of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the source of California’s water, had a thickness of 500 inches, about 12.7 meters.
That was an 88 percent increase compared with an ordinary year.
There is no imminent fear of water shortage in California.
In 2014, to be sure, California suffered from a water shortage.
On the other hand, because of deterioration in aging water-supply pipes, 228 billion gallons were being lost annually.
This figure is equivalent to the amount used by the city of Los Angeles in one year, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
The proper work of politicians in that state is to allocate a budget for repairing water-supply infrastructure, and suppressing usage is putting the cart before the horse.
If regulations enter daily life, life becomes harder and the cost of living rises.
According to the Los Angeles Times, dated November 4, 2019, 40 percent of Republican supporters were thinking of leaving California and moving to Texas or Arizona, compared with 14 percent of Democratic supporters.
Advantageous for Trump’s Reelection
Already, the number of residents leaving the state is increasing.
This is reflected in truck rental fees.
For example, at the end of this January, if one rents a 20-foot truck from the truck-rental company U-Haul and tries to move from Los Angeles to Yuma, Arizona, the rental cost is 800 dollars, for two days and 320 miles.
Conversely, in the case of moving from Yuma to Los Angeles, the cost is only 164 dollars.
Because there are few people moving to California, one can see that trucks are staying in Arizona.
This year is a presidential election year.
California, a major vote-rich state with as many as 55 electors, continues to be dominated by the Democratic Party.
It is unthinkable that President Trump will win this state, but on the other hand, in Texas and Arizona, where support for the Democratic and Republican parties is closely balanced, states called swing states, the number of Republican supporters is increasing.
Oregon and Nevada, which border California, are also Democratic strongholds, but signs are emerging that they may shift toward swing states.
There is no longer any medicine for California’s love of regulation, but as a result, it is becoming advantageous for the reelection of President Trump, who promotes deregulation.
I believe that President Trump’s reelection is certain.
The implementation of AB1668 described here is one of the grounds for that prediction.
Sōki Watanabe