San Diego going downhill
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10/30/2007
San Diego will probably always look good to the casual tourist. The weather is beautiful -- as are the beaches, Balboa Park, and the newly revitalized downtown. But look more closely, and you will find that many of the pretty neighborhoods you are passing through are full of litter and graffiti. Drivers are not just inconsiderate, they are insane. I've dragged more dead animals off the roads; but then, why not aim that SUV at the poor cat or dog crossing the road? Animals don't matter. Have to get there on time! You will notice that San Diegans do not look American -- because, basically, they are not. There are almost one million Mexicans (with probably a quarter of them here illegally), not to mention a slew of Third World immigrants from perhaps one hundred countries. Don't count on people being able to converse with you in anything other than pidgin English. The white American part of San Diego mainly consists of country folk (some call them rednecks) living in East County and -- well -- that's it. Rich areas like La Jolla, Coronado and Rancho Santa Fe are home to wealthy Third World immigrants as much as they are home to wealthy whites. For example, all those Mexican billionaires who fail to invest in Mexico and duck paying taxes there, thus causing even more poor Mexicans to come to this country. Immigration is a wonderful thing, I suppose, but the kind of immigration we have going on now means gangs, drug trafficking, crime and failed public schools. Busing spreads the pain around, so don't think that public schools will be significantly better in wealthy suburbs. Outside of Poway, they won't be. If you want a decent education (and safe campus) for your kids, get ready to pay for private school. The "conservative" Union Tribune welcomes all the illegal immigration, and accuses anyone who questions our government's failure to enforce the law of being "racist". San Diego's infrastructure (outside of downtown) has fallen apart. The money that was supposed to pay for it was given to city employee unions who, along with developers, basically run the show down at city hall. San Diego's streets are full of potholes, sewer and water lines are on the verge of collapse. And our political leaders' "solution" to these problems is to tear down the few charming and historic older neighborhoods and fill them with highrises, thus destroying the quality of life of existing residents while enriching developers. San Diego's pattern of development pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the way this city is run. Suburban sprawl everywhere, with huge houses on tiny lots so that people have no privacy and no backyard for enjoying the great outdoors (no wonder so many people are fat). Housing built in wildfire zones. Development continuing apace even though we have no water (90% of our water is imported from unreliable sources.) People here have absolutely no appreciation for the environment; growth is their religion. Now, just add the "We are one big happy family and don't want to hear anything negative, ever" attitude so prevalent here, and you will see that San Diego will never amount to anything more than a place to see pandas and Shamu the Whale. Sad. It could be so much better.
Andrew | San Diego, CA