Why is the city of San Antonio so tolerant of poverty and neglect? (Houston: houses, construction)

[River City Rocky]

Compared to the other Texas cities, why is San Antonio and it's people so tolerant of poverty, neglect and dilapidation? It's really frustrating that people seem ok to settle for less in San Antonio and nobody really cares enough to do anything about it. Dallas, Austin and Houston certainly don't put up with it the way San Antonio does.

I'm talking about strictly for an urban city not rural; don't San Antonians and Texans find this unacceptable?

[resonator]

I've been all over the four mentioned TX cities.
Nothing nearly as bad as compared to the Eastern or Mid-West cities or rural TN and GA and AL.

What gets me is any electrical or mechanical work at home in San Antonio has to be 'brought up to code' but other residences can be allowed to collapse from 50 years of neglect.

[rynetwo]

Your post really makes it appear your are not well traveled.

Now if you want to ask why we are so economically segregated then you have a thread.

[River City Rocky]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

Your post really makes it appear your are not well traveled.

Now if you want to ask why we are so economically segregated then you have a thread.

I'm talking about compared to the other TX cities, I've never seen the things I see tolerated in San Antonio in Austin, Dallas or Houston.

[huckster]

How old are you and how well traveled? I could answer this but you might not understand it completely. In all likelihood. If you really and truly want elaboration just ask about entry level immigrants and the economic systems of Border Cities.
You like everything explained. Like others here of limited understanding. So. I will simplify.

Hell Houston is a pig sty. Worst polluted spot in Texas. Atmosphere stinks the last time I was there, smelled like crude, so many refineries, overcrowded. The country's refiner. San Antonio is clean in comparison.
We are very short of water here is our only real shortcoming and the downriver residents of our River know it is but San Antonio's sewer. So locals describe it.
Dallas is the oil money without the mess of the refineries.

With one sentence.. I can answer such a profound, profound rhetorical question as this one, thoughtfully posted here for our perusal;
"The defining aspect San Antonio's entire economic system , Delapidation, disrepair and despair. Plundering,pillory and plight."

"You can't make a Ruby out of a road apple. "

You should have seen us before. Kid.

Originally Posted by River City Rocky

Compared to the other Texas cities, why is San Antonio and it's people so tolerant of poverty, neglect and dilapidation? It's really frustrating that people seem ok to settle for less in San Antonio and nobody really cares enough to do anything about it. Dallas, Austin and Houston certainly don't put up with it the way San Antonio does.

I'm talking about strictly for an urban city not rural; don't San Antonians and Texans find this unacceptable?

[River City Rocky]

Originally Posted by huckster

How old are you and how well traveled? I could answer this but you might not understand it completely. In all likelihood. If you really and truly want elaboration just ask about entry level immigrants and the economic systems of Border Cities.
You like everything explained. Like others here of limited understanding. So. I will simplify.

Hell Houston is a pig sty. Worst polluted spot in Texas. Atmosphere stinks the last time I was there, smelled like crude, so many refineries, overcrowded. The country's refiner. San Antonio is clean in comparison.
We are very short of water here is our only real shortcoming and the downriver residents of our River know it is but San Antonio's sewer. So locals describe it.
Dallas is the oil money without the mess of the refineries.

With one sentence.. I can answer such a profound, profound rhetorical question as this one, thoughtfully posted here for our perusal;
"The defining aspect San Antonio's entire economic system , Delapidation, disrepair and despair. Plundering,pillory and plight."

"You can't make a Ruby out of a road apple. "

You should have seen us before. Kid.

San Antonio has the least amount of immigrants of the 4 Texas metros and has the lowest foreign born population of the 4 large metros in Texas.

You say that it was a lot worse before but I feel like these are just excuses.

[rynetwo]

Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio all some very run down areas. As another poster alluded to, it is not like the rust belt cities.

Austin is a different animal. Austin is the state capital and the most wealthy large Texas city in general by income. It has never had a large economically challenged population.

Can you be more specific about what we have here that you do not see in other cities?

[Irishtom29]

Many people in San Antonio don’t make much money. A result of that is an amount of dilapidation and apathy.

[Bob Buford]

Originally Posted by River City Rocky

Compared to the other Texas cities, why is San Antonio and it's people so tolerant of poverty, neglect and dilapidation?

I'm talking about strictly for an urban city not rural; don't San Antonians and Texans find this unacceptable?

My family has frequented downtown SAT, Austin, FW-D and Houston.

Out of those, we won't be visiting Austin anymore. On our last visit downtown, our family witnessed 5 people seriously drugged out either causing a major disruption or sprawled out on the sidewalk/street and this was in the 'nice' part of the city. In passing on the sidewalk, a drunk or stoned lady yelled, screamed and shoved me when I replied that I didn't have a light for her cigarette.

We've enjoyed our trips to other cities. Not sure what experience your question is based on, but it sounds like total BS.

[huckster]

Once again I would not believe the numbers you have read because,
Guess what many are here Illegally. The Govt. or otherwise polling is very inaccurate with estimates.
I can personally attest the the amount of immigrants that are here is much more than you might
believe. Much,much more than may be imagined by the Govt. or think tanks. We might have one of the largest population of entry level, compared to the entire population of the city.
I would not believe every stat that you read. I have seen proof of what I read.
If you don't believe this, it is your matter. TO begin with San Antonio grows the fastest and has lesser
populations than the tree biggest cities. I have been on a construction site here, a large one, where upon
glancing up to look around where there were fifty or sixty people representing all trades from brick layers
to electricians to carpenters.
In my naivete I was shocked, everyone has disappeared! Within seconds I was alone. Every man to the last
did not have any papeles with him. You've no idea , really. I used to believe in stats. conerning immigration numbers. I stopped long ago. Displaced workers? OMG Where fifty or sixty guys went I don't know. Hiding
inside the immense project buildings.
Dad had two houses built lately.
Every last worker in both instances was here illegally. To the last. Dad used to talk to them. I rarely work
in San Antonio but years ago before I retired I had a place in the conversion of the cement plant \ limestone quarry into the golf course there called the quarry for another example. That was a complete mess.
There was a private military school for boys there which my Dad threatened me with when I was twelve and my grades in school precipitously dropped. We demolished it to build the quarry.
One morning, the project manager said to me "Go an speak to the guys in charge of land balancing,( the excavating contractor). This place was strange and full of water, very very, dangerous, with precipitous
cliffs all over which had to be changed to make room for the mall and other details, the minutia of which I can not recall anymore. Imagine my surprise when the excavation had hired hourly very some talented heavy equipment operators, guys from H.B. the largest contractor of any in the city, which has contract work; internationally. A huge concern it is, in the very sense of that word.
There was a glitch in the fundamental operations of the erection of this giant tribute to the spending of money that is, The Quarry. Not only was it partly built with illegal labor, who knows the true percentage
of whom did have a legal status, perhaps a majority. I have seen it.

The guys that Zachry had sent over to assist in the insanely dangerous work at the Quarry did not speak one single word of English.
I had been voluteered and so sent over to assist with the " breaking in " of these guys. It was insane
and although these guys were experts at what they did , they could not even read engineering stakes which
project engineering depends so completely upon. I had not an idea, because these guys were so not even legally supposed to be here, that I was not told by anyone what had to be done that morning.
I had to take them all off their machinery and explain what the -flat wooden three foot stakes- indicated in engineering abbreviations of what needed to be done- what the surveyors had written in permanent marker upon as instructions. I was so astonished.
Complete green horns in terms of what to do, not how to do it, but what to do as indicated by engineering. These are but very tiny examples of the entire picture. There is no way to keep track
of this number, it is silly to believe mostly innacurate estimates . We are very close to the border. There is a building boom on here so it is far worse a problem than Trumpus thinks even. Or. Even you.
Build that wall!!!
These guys many times have familia here, and I think, nay know; that many contractors
have a direct mainline into Mexico, into- a labor pool of talent and there so there is steady influx of people to the City. This goes on everywhere but moreso here than any place I have ever witnessed. It is atonishing how many people do the actual work here in south Texas. Not east Texas , not North Texas, here. When someone is needed the message is sent south and a man is sent.

Just like Indeed.com. it is.
I perhaps may have revealed too much, the primary excavating contractor at the golf course was
I believe Longfellow out of Chicago, they work world wide installing only golf courses.
So you see, kid, you are posting misinformational statistics on a message board, essentially.
This city has always had a far larger percentage of Hispanic people , indeed we are famed for
this, notoriety. Guess what? The entry level immigrants- keep their presence secret.
Stat. Numbers are only an inaccurate estimate. At best.
The underworld of labor talent and immigrant traffic always has existed here. From time immemorial.
Because of the springs at San Pedro, people have always come.
Build it and they will come- from the old Kevin Kostner film. A city was built at the site.

So with a large immigrant population, Sanitary Sewer River City Rocky, there will always be the accompanying "Shanty Town" that goes along with it. Thus it has always been. Have you any idea about the River Walk Water downtown yet, Rocky? Figure it out.
The Irish used to differentiate between Shanty Town Irish and Lace Curtain Irish. Lace curtain Irish
wait til' after noon to take the first nip off the bottle.

Exactly like in the northeast where the Irish, Italian, etc. intake occurred long ago. Here it is a permanent condition. A lower income area. IT is not discriminitory, it is basic fundamental economic truth. You don't get it.
You should have seen us before. Kid. We may never catch Dallas or Houston. That is alright with me.
It is crowded enough already.

Need more? More information can be had upon request.
However go on ahead and believe as you like. It is best that way. Keep on, keeping on Rocky.
Are you surely, a newcomer to the Alamo City?

Originally Posted by River City Rocky

San Antonio has the least amount of immigrants of the 4 Texas metros and has the lowest foreign born population of the 4 large metros in Texas.

You say that it was a lot worse before but I feel like these are just excuses.