With the BCS National Championship Game kicking off in New Orleans tonight, I read some articles on espn.com covering the event. One particular article on the Katrina recovery was pretty good, but this excerpt near the end really said something: Today, the help continues. There is no more hopeful sight in New Orleans than the large boxes covered by pink tarps that now dot the moonscape of the Lower Ninth Ward. Each represents a house that will be built on that spot, thanks to the philanthropy of actor Brad Pitt and the Make It Right Foundation.
The group has raised millions of dollars, with a goal of building 150 houses. Pitt and his family now live in New Orleans, and Meeks said he has been a regular presence at the site.
Not far away is Musician's Village, an area funded by Habitat For Humanity to provide affordable housing for musicians and artists -- a demographic that is part of New Orleans' lifeblood. Dozens of brightly colored houses have sprung up there.
In both cases, the private sector is moving much more quickly than the public sector. Individuals and charitable groups are accomplishing what the bureaucracy is not.
"The people have clearly led the recovery over the government," Meeks said.
I think this first-hand knowledge of the situation down there really says something. Maybe the government should get out of there altogether if the private sector is actually going to get things done.
And on a side note, is anybody else disgusted with FOX's horrible coverage of the BCS games?
2 comments:
i am
I blame Thom Brennaman for the crappy BCS coverage. He's a better sleep aid than a Valium and a half-bottle of scotch.
Here's a great post about Thom's coverage of D-Day: Thom Brennaman Covers D-Day
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