[StBernard] choices

[Westley Annis]

Let's see. If it was put to a vote, which would you choose as the best
choice for our parish's recovery
 
1) Depend on government to buy property and sell it through a federally
subsidized program for some well-intentioned government purpose that moves
painfully slow, gets mired in red tape, has its funding run out, ends up
with indictments against the unscrupulous who take advantage of the program,
and provides very few homes, if any.  Let's call that the big government
plan.
 
OR
 
2)Let private entrepreneurs take the financial risk, invest in purchasing
property that they anticipate will have a market demand because of its
location or quality construction, rebuild or repair it, and then sell it for
a profit so they can repeat the formula, thus providing quality homes in
demand locations without government assistance or interference for those for
whom the task of contracting out repairs is overwhelming or too much risk.
 
For #1 think of the New Orleans Housing Authority, various HUD programs, and
the recovery money for homeowners that everyone is still waiting for
Congress to approve. For #2 think of Warren Campagna and the like.
 
If there was a #3, it would be to just keep the way we are with rebuilding
an option exclusive for those with the money, the stomach for risk, and the
physical and mental stamina to find contractors in a post Katrina world
where you have to beg people to work for you and pay top dollar, and wait
weeks and  months for Lowes and Home Depot to deliver items that used to be
next day delivery.
 
So I just don't see why anyone is against private enterprise, aka THE
AMERICAN WAY.
 
Anonymous