In Reply to: Losing Bali posted by BaliBlues on Friday, 24. June 2011 at 11:57 Bali Time:
local authorities who have failed to apply any control over the rampant over development that goes on.
As long as people in authority are prepared to compromise themselves to the tune of a backhander, this will get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Skilled craftsmen are abandoning their craft to work on building sites as the money is better.
The authorities are complaining that cultural tourism is being replaced by "touristic culture" (Bali News 23rd June) whereby true cultural attractions are being usurped by Karaoki bars and masage parlours even in Denpasar, where permits for such activities have been stopped (or perhaps subject to larger on the side payments than before??!)
Who is to blame??....well it's Indonesians that are allowing it to happen, and Indonesians plus non Indonesians who are cashing in on the slackness and "flexibility" of the system.
Only when the Authorities get real about the preservation of what is left will the snowball stop or at least slow down a bit.