Record on government - any government - rebuilding New Orleans’ firehouses: 0 - 22
Politics as usual
New Orleans has yet to rebuild a single fire station more than two years after Katrina destroyed or damaged 22 of the city’s 33 firehouses. Appalled by the city’s lack of action, an actor is leading the way in reconstruction of the fire stations.
Without city help, firefighters have resorted to repairing their stations along with volunteer carpenters.
“I gave up on ever hoping that politicians in this country — local, state or federal — would step in to help these guys,” actor Denis Leary told CNN.
Leary, who stars as a firefighter on a TV show called “Rescue Me,” is using his charitable foundation to bring together volunteers from a New York carpenter’s union and the New Orleans Fire Department to rebuild the stations. So far, they’ve rebuilt five, with two more slated to be finished in a couple months.
Leary says it’s a sad commentary on society when actors and musicians become the key players in helping a city rebound.
How many politicians have to be tossed out of office to get the allocated funds to where they’re needed?
This isn’t a cops vs. firemen issue. Every part of the infrastructure, every part of the New Orleans community seems to be stuck in a corner this country forgot about.
Posted: Fri - January 25, 2008 at 01:43 PM