[color:purple]The 31-year-old Superdome reopens tonight before an international TV audience when the NFL's New Orleans Saints play the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football."<br><br>Billed as a triumphant moment for a devastated city, the game has taken on near-Super Bowl proportions, with performances by U2, Green Day and the Goo Goo Dolls; a kabuki drop — a large curtain dropped from a hanging rod — to honor 150 first responders who participated in relief efforts; and a coin toss by former President George H.W. Bush.</font color=purple> link<br><br>This just seems out of whack. Granted, the Superdome is an important cog in NO's economic works, but with so many people still without basic necessities and homes, this is unbelievable! Screw the 9th Ward. We gotta have our Monday Night Football!<br><br>

When an organisation like the NFL makes up it's mind to get things done - they get done. The government moves at the speed of an arthritic slug!!<br><br><br><br>I used to think it was terrible that life was unfair. Then I thought what if life were fair and all of the terrible things that happen came because we really deserved them? Now I take great comfort in the general unfairness and hostility of the universe.

I agree, a 144 million dollars could have gone a long way toward fixing levees so they could stand a catagory 5 hurricane, getting power to all areas of the city, rebuilding schools, hospitals, etc. What a waste. All that tripe about symboling comeback would work if all the rest of the city had as much restoration. I would imagine you don't have to go too many blocks from the Superdome to find areas that have barely been touched in the last year. A better symbol would have been to make the repair of the Superdome last to remind all the city, state and feds of how much needed to be done. I would not expect the city to be completely done, just show progress in all areas instead of just little pockets.<br><br>

Garish, ghoulish, just a little insensitive ~ and a guaranteed money maker.<br><br>Hmmmmm, wonder how many participants from the last Superdome "event" can afford tickets to this one?<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>[color:blue]Like the devil in the deep blue sea . . .</font color=blue>

Don't you think this is working out quite well for them? <br><br>

Whose pockets? <br><br>

funny then that the rebuilding of the superdome was done with government dollars. <br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Wasn't talking money - the incentive. Private businesses will get things they need done so they can continue to do business. The faster they can get things done the quicker the money flows in. Government doesn't seem to have that impetus.<br><br>How long does it take for Walmart to open a store from the time they get planning permission?<br>Now compare that to a government building!!<br><br><br><br>I used to think it was terrible that life was unfair. Then I thought what if life were fair and all of the terrible things that happen came because we really deserved them? Now I take great comfort in the general unfairness and hostility of the universe.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Llewelyn on 09/25/06 10:22 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Don't you think this is working out quite well for them?<p><hr></blockquote><p>Well of course it did when you look at it peering out from Mrs "she should choke on those neck pearls" Barbie "I poop lavender" Bushs rose colored glasses,<br>old "ain't this a hoot"Trent was a joy for the homeless too...caring and sharing folks.. <br>While on the tour with top administration officials from Washington, including U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao and U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, DeLay stopped to chat with three young boys resting on cots.<br><br>The congressman likened their stay to being at camp and asked, "Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?"<br><br>What the hell is wrong with these people....<br><br>

the gov't isn't really doing much building on their own; they've contracted most work out to private business, fwiw. and some gov't buildings have been rebuilt already, including public schools. not everything is slow.<br><br>walmart has insurance, as any private business that size would naturally do. new orleans, like most cities that size, is self-insured. they are a poor city at that. they have to raise funds to pay for some of the rebuilding . . . because the private businesses being hired to do the labor won't work for an I.O.U. there are federal funds available, but the city of N.O. doesn't decide how to use those funds; rather, they have to hope that their plans are good enough to be awarded some of those funds. thus, they have to plan pretty well right now.<br><br>but, beyond the gov't buildings that have yet to be rebuilt, there are easily hundreds of private businesses that also have yet to be rebuilt. walmart just happens to have the $$$ to work the quickest. walmart knows exactly what their stores should look like; a city might know that a previous building wasn't ideal to meet the needs of the people who used that building -- why build the same building back if you can now improve on it? and, much of the city ended up under water . . . wouldn't it be prudent for them to try and rebuild so they can avoid tragedy as much as possible in the future? walmart doesn't care because they can afford the insurance to have it happen again -- plus, there's money to be made. <br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05