The ongoing saga of the government’s vaulted Integrated Resorts (IR) projects is leaving me COLD.
The latest in the saga: Just show us the money, TODAY article printed 24 Oct 06 (alt link)

“FORGET robotic dolphins, Arctic beluga whales, massive-scale water rides or bold building designs from world-renowned architects Frank Gehry and Michael Graves.

Not even the appeal of culinary maestros such as Alain Ducasse and Nobu Matsuhisa can whip up the average Singaporean’s interest in the ongoing Sentosa integrated resort (IR) bid.”

This made my heart leap a widdle, singapolians got hope, maybe? But no…

“What is probably weighing most on many people’s minds, is the number of jobs that can be milked from these two cash cows. Or, as someone so eloquently put it: “Just pick the winner, build the darned thing and let me get a job there because that’s where the money’s going to be.”

It’s a carrot Kerzner, Genting and Eighth Wonder can readily whip out to dangle: They have pledged the creation of 8,000, 10,000 and 15,000 jobs respectively, if they win.

Now, if only the Government was as easy to win over as the average Singaporean.“

With all due respect, singapolians, the gahmen, and the IR sharks are MISSING the point welfare groups are raising, a point that is the size of a friggin BUS no less, because that’s how large whale sharks are. Follow the schtinking trail:

• Links to news, articles and discussions on WildSingapore
• FiNS Forum
• Blogs here, here, here, here and here
• Whale Sharks in captivity
• Captivity sucks, even before the animals arrive in the tank: the well-documented Taiji dolphin campaigns by seashepherd.org, earthisland.org, www.savetaijidolphins.org. And here’s accounts of the cruel and despicable greed driving the Taiji dolphins snatchers of Japan: One Voice : Taiji, the Dolphin Torture Chamber, The Price Dolphins Pay to Entertain Us
• Is keeping animals captive the way to earn profit$? Surely not! We’re regressing, despite the vaulted futuredness of the IR proposals. Even a former Taiji dolphin killer can turn a new leave, and make money off it! So why can’t Singapore reverse this path – afterall we’re not even down it yet.

Will have to compose self, before composing a repartee. Meantime, FEH!