So, I agree we need to save the old lady, but we need to put a bullet in the thief.

Now I’ve thought about this many times before as you sorta raise a philosophical question. Here is my take: if 5 different people help a struggling old lady across the street for 5 completely separate reasons, at the end of the day she got the needed help. … The city needs to be rebuilt and the rebuilding needs as much media attention as possible. Sure, it is a drop in the bucket, but these drops are needed.

Let me take it one step further, lets just say that we can PROVE that all the good NBA work done is strictly for PR, business, or political reasons. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if such a culture could be part and parcel of other corporation’s business or politiacal initiatives — even if for selfish reasons? I’ll take it from whichever direction it comes… the situation is so fucked up that we don’t have the luxury of deciphering motivations… and I’ll also take Venezuelan oil while I’m at it…

BTW, i was down in N.O. with youth activists who were very active in the immediate rebuilding of N.O. and they were telling me about some really positive contributions by “the 700 Club”. Now I don’t think that I need to tell you how I feel about Pat Robertson and his ilk… but when people are drowning, I don’t think that it is the time to be checking the credentials of the life guard. Just dive the fuck in and we’ll go back to our differences after all the bodies are brought safely to shore.

Apologies for redundant analogies…

Are you SURE you don’t want to change your mind about this piece? Please tell me this was a momentary lapse induced by the feel goodness of seeing some ballers do the right thing…please.

Cuz I have lots to say on this – and time won’t permit to say it all, but let’s just say that it has something to do with George Shinn, Nawlin’s politics, Charlotte politics, David Stern, the price of oil, the Army Corps of Engineers, George Bush, the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the War in Iraq and media complicity in using tales of woe to drive down prices and undermine negotiating positions. I’d rather not write all of that. I’d rather think you, like the rest of us, had your heart warmed by all the love.

Holla!!

Do you know what the franchises did – separate and apart from the collateral contributions of their contracted employees?

I updated the reference for better accuracy.

But, as a New Orleans resident, I disagree with your assessment that no progress has occurred. I live in New Orleans East, one of the most heavily damaged areas in the city, while progress has been slow, it has occurred there. Nearly everyone on my block is back in their homes, and roughly 75 percent of the people on many of the surrounding streets are back. We finally have gotten one major grocery store to return and smaller businesses are coming back everyday.

The main problem is that the state program to provide homeowners with assistance has been inept and the influx of federal dollars to help revamp city infrastructure has been missing.

We have a long way to go until normal, but progress has been made.