American Singapore(s): Taking Inventory of Competent City Governance

1. Inner city roads are absolutely terrible, full of potholes, confusing traffic design, and hostility to non automotive users with random, dangerous, hidden obstacles in the middle of the road

2. Loss of local community and cultural sites replaced with ugly, gentrified skyscrapers and corporate garbage

3. Unaddressed unhoused problem

4. Skyrocketing housing prices

5. Out-of-control property crime and APD short 300+ officers

6. Slap-shod new construction

The water districts of neighboring small cities are lately less impressed:

> Two North San Diego County water districts are filing suit against the city of San Diego over the state of the Lake Hodges dam, which the districts allege resulted in the loss of a local water supply. The Santa Fe Irrigation District announced the lawsuit, to be jointly filed with the San Dieguito Water District, on July 25.

> In the statement, the district alleged that: A lack of proper Lake Hodges dam maintenance led to an unsatisfactory rating by the state’s Division of Safety of Dams, which mandated a restricted lower lake level. ...

https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/coastline/2024/08/water-di...

I lived there for 10 years, and in that time I saw SG degrade from being a great place to live to being a place where living was practically impossible. This wasn't just my experience: I saw the same in highly paid academics, middle income taxi drivers, Indian laborers etc etc.

- Though it was introduced in good faith, the 'change shift' system of taxi management meant that it was almost impossible to get a cab at certain hours unless your destination was close to where the driver was going. For this reason I was routinely refused service, despite it being illegal to do so. This is one of the factors influencing the rise of Grab and suchlike. This was a real pity as taxi driving is a protected profession that only native SGs are allowed to do. Many late middle aged SGs become taxi drivers after having lost their jobs as engineers, craftsman and suchlike in SG's relentless drive towards an exclusive white color economy.

- For years, car ownership was kept expensive, to ensure that the roads did not become crowded. After the last recession, the barriers were lifted, leading to a notable decline of use of public transport and increase of mad traffic jams. This was done to 'boost the economy', but was clearly a massive failure.

- It is impossible to buy alcohol after 9pm. This was a knee jerk reaction to the so-called riots in Little India a few years ago. SG is terrified of racial tensions, having had a dodgy racial history in its early days. However, this was a complete over-reaction. For similarly fatuous reasons, they also banned Hookah (hubbly-bubblies).

- Rent is now at insane levels. It is also impossible to get a lease longer than one year. The largest part of one's income is now swallowed up by rent, and even the so-called highly paid academics are now struggling to get by.

- SG has a reputation of having very low corruption, however the corruption is still there. The former Dean of Research of a local university had one of the largest citation counts in S E Asia. This is mostly down to the fact they insisted that they be counted as an author on all papers coming out of his program. I could fill a book with such examples of quality suffering at the hands of avarice.

- With little in the way of wage control, the controlling class are encouraged to bring in low-paid workers from China and fire their experienced staff. I saw many of my favorite food stalls go under as a result of this insane drive for profit.

The outcome is a place where people are struggling to get by, where the quality of life seems always under attack from well-meaning but short-sighted bureaucrats.

On the plus side, their trains (MRT) are well-designed, well-maintained, popular and effective. The people are cool and honest.