Last night on Monday Night Football, the New Orleans Saints played the Atlanta Falcons. The Goo Goo Dolls, U2 and Green Day entertained and former President Bush performed the coin toss.
The site is the Superdome which is 27 stories high and covers 52 acres, and cost $143 million in federal, state and private funds to refurbish.
Excuse me. Does anyone but me think this is obscene? In an affluent country where we can't feed all our people or protect the citizens, in a city where some are still without adequate shelter, the thing in ravaged New Orleans that gets the money is a football stadium. $143 million.
Maybe it will bring attention and tourists to the area, but the money the stadium itself generates will go to the owners and players. There is no better known city or tourist Mecca than New Orleans at its best. I can't speak for private dollars, but the public money should have gone to rebuild and improve the city. That will bring more tourist dollars and life back to the city that ten stadiums.
Is it the symbol of New Orleans' rebirth? Why not have the real thing instead of a symbol?
$143 million. Even in today's dollars, that's real money.
Comments