September 25, 2006 7:11 AM

When a game is more than a game...$185 million later

New Orleans Hopes to Make Superdome a Home Again

On Aug. 29, 2005, when hurricane winds peeled off part of the Superdome roof and took out most of the power, this stadium was seen around the world as a dim and frightful place. One man apparently committed suicide by jumping off a catwalk. One National Guardsman was shot in a locker room. Bodies were stored in a refrigerator.

We all saw the pictures and heard the stories of the hell that was the Louisiana Superdome in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Death, disease, murder, and mayhem ruled the roost in a place that had previously been the playground of quarterbacks and linebackers. Human waste, dead bodies, holes in the roof…the Superdome took a pounding, and there were those who felt it best and appropriate to demolish what had become renowned as a place that displayed the worst qualities of the human race.

There were also those determind to rebuild the Superdome, to make it better than what it previously was. $185 million later, it appears that they may have been successful…but at what cost? I’m not necessarily talking about the $185 million,of course. I’m wondering about what sort of message is sent when so much money can be spent on renovating a glittering jock palace when so many in New Orleans are wondering whether or if they’re going to be able to rebuild. There is a diaspora of thousands of New Orleans resident spread all over the country (and thousands are still here in Houston), wondering when (or if) they will ever be able to go home. Many thousands have simply given up on the idea of returning to New Orleans. We lack the money or the will to tackle this issue, but there’s $185 million available to rebuild a football stadium?

Here’s another question: where did the $185 million come from? Surely you’re not going to tell me that tax dollars went into rebuilding the Superdome when so many other needs remain unmet? The Times article never mentions where the money came from, and that’s certainly no idle question. Were tax dollars used to rebuild the Superdome? If so, why? When so many other needs have yet to be met, why would public money be used to rebuild a playground for spoiled millionaires?

If tax dollars weren’t used, then where did the money come from? And why is rebuilding the Superdome more important than rebuilding neighborhoods and helping find ways for people to rebuild their homes and lives? Am I the only one who thinks this is a disturbing case of massively misplaced priorities??

I’m all for rebuilding New Orleans…ALL of New Orleans, not just the playgrounds of the wealthy, the White, and the well-connected. This story just leaves me feeling as if New Orleans has its’ priorities horribly out of whack. With so much suffering and uncertainly still remaining in so much of the city, $185 million dollars has been spent renovating a stadium? What’s wrong with this picture?

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on September 25, 2006 7:11 AM.

Coincidence? Uh...not likely.... was the previous entry in this blog.

You'll fit right in at the Air Force Academy is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.12