Be a Saint.
 

This is keeping me up, and indigestion isn't fun so I'm going to get this out before trying for the third time tonight to retire.

For the last 6 months, there's been nothing but "the City of New Orleans" is devastated and there's so much suffering and work to be done whenever the Saints are presented to the national media.

Before anyone flames me for making light of anything, I'm not ignoring or dismissing the plight of countless families and individuals who have or continue to suffer after the storm. However.

The Dome is back. The Convention Center is fully operational. All but one hotel is fully capable of being 100% occupied. Most, if not all significant restaurants are back serving food. The river boats, the historical architectural centerpieces are repaired and many of the other attractions the city boasts are better than before the storm.

Unfortunately, all that is said about the city is that there's so much suffering and work to do. Da Mayah gets on tv begging for people to come spend money in New Orleans like he's a bum standing outside the subway shaking a tin cup.

The only way to get the primary engine running is to show success. Show a reason for people to shed their cares, and revel in what joy is ever present in the City. With the current "marketing scheme", we're about as attractive as swollen bellied drought orphans in Bangladesh swarming with flies.

It won't get better until people stop thinking that the City is a toxic void of depression and devastation whose population's only hope is watching the Saints in the middle of a stick shell lean-to with a black and white tv and foil rabbit ears. Because of this misperception, the City is almost always empty, barely getting 10-20% of Pre-Katrina inflows of tourists and conventioniers.

I hope that those of you who have the opportunity to influence friends or business associates make an effort to counteract the continual onslaught of negativity that will ultimately marginalize our Great City. We need more ambassadors than football. Be more. Be a Saint.

No Flame, I am from DC and have never been to NO. My impressions from The Media are exactly what you described.

You are 100% correct. I honestly believe that big business will bring the people back to New Orleans, not telling everyone how desperate the city IS(or is not.)

you are right about most of the businesses and all but what about the homes... thats the major part of the city that is still destroyed... neighborhoods are still messed up and trashy and the city still isnt halfway populated to what it once was...