When Good Deeds Aren’t Really All That Good

Ken McCracken • December 4, 2007

I came across a headline today about Brad Pitt wanting to build 150 new homes in New Orleans for people displaced by Katrina. That news made me think of another home-building initiative that has been on my mind a lot lately.
Do any of you ever watch that show Extreme Home Makeover? The one with the really obnoxious guy who surprises a family, sends them away for a week or so, and when they come back has a new house all ready to go for them? I’ve wondered how much good those new homes actually do those people.
For instance, I saw one episode about a family of a dozen or so people living in what was essentially a shack outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. During the course of the show the crew essentially built these people an entire new house. Nay, a new mansion complete with something like 10 bedrooms, and a football field in the backyard (complete with artificial turf). But my question is this: How can people who could previously afford to live in no more than a shack suddenly afford to live in a mansion?
The new home is going to have a big property tax bill, not to mention big utility bills as well. So what happens when these people can’t afford the home any more? You know it has to happen. Will the television show continue to send them checks forever?
Who knows, but I think it illustrates a good point. Simply giving people things, whether it be a new home or a new car or even some new government entitlement, rarely makes them better. It may improve their situation a bit while whatever you’ve given them lasts, but the key to true success is self-sufficiency. If these people can’t provide for themselves, no amount of help in the form of giving them things is going to change that.
So someone like Brad Pitt may think he’s doing the people of New Orleans a favor by building all these new homes, but what good are the really going to be to people who apparently haven’t managed to put themselves back on their feet almost two and a half years after the original hurricane.
If they haven’t helped themselves already, chances are they won’t help themselves after others have helped them either.

Tags: Cultural Marxism, Domestic Issues, Nanny State, Politics

DianneM

I don't think they are hungry enough.
robert108

They're still waiting for a handout.
Kenny

Most gifts come with property tax. Both the feds and the state are willing to set up payment plans. And the producers set up the new family with a nice check to off set the costs.

Even if they can't afford it, they sell the home and make off like bandits. The show is good for all.
http://Array carrick

At least for the homes Brad Pitt is building, I doubt that the combined utilty bills + property tax is going to equal anywhere close to what they pay for rent.

Also New Orleans post Katrina is an unusual situation.

I'm not sure you can judge adequately the difficulty fo the situation for people who are in the lower income class if you haven't been down there to see yourself. Low income housing is something that is missing there right now, rented or otherwise. I've been there twice in the last six months and I wouldn't say that I understand it well enough to be passing judgement on whether a given individual is incapable of taking care of himself.

I'm just saying….
http://www.wethepeopleforum.com/forum/forums.asp golfmann

Well I believe in the TEACH a man to fish theory…

On the other hand, there's SO much money in this country evidently, people can try anything they want as far as I'm concerned, IF they use their OWN money!

The Alaskan football field could have built/repaired a lot of housing in N.O., but I'm not the traffic cop in this game.

God is…
Pilgrim

I can't read Pitt's mind but I think his motivation may be good (and I think he's a clown so giving him credit doesn't come easy). It's just another of those things that hasn't been thought through.

A point was made above about selling the house and making out like a bandit. Heh. Years ago John Mellencamp held a drawing to give away a "Little Pink House" and after much hullablloo it was awarded to a single mother, who promptly sold it, pocketed the money, and left.

I like the idea of Pitt building those houses but without controls – rigid controls – it will flop like a landed fish.
http://ewebsmith.com/ ews48

It would be interesting to put all of you tough guys in the same position and see how well you do.

Walk a mile in their shoes before you judge them.
http://www.icallbs.net/ iAMbs

As long as it's private funds being used I say go for it. They can live in those houses, rent them, sell them…if worse comes to worse they walk away having lost nothing but gained a place to live at least for awhile. And the morale of the entire city likewise might be raised at least for awhile. If these were tax dollars I'd say hold your horses and CAREFULLY consider how the law of unintended consequences might apply, but that's not the case.
Pilgrim

Walk a mile in their shoes before you judge them.

Interesting comment. How do you know some of us haven't done just that?
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Walk a mile in their shoes before you judge them.

Yes! Walk a mile in their shoes! And when you're finished, you're a mile away from them…and you have their shoes!
2Hotel9

All I have to compare this with is my experience after Katrina, and several other hurricanes. Drive from Pascagula across to St Bernard Parrish and see how people have rebuilt. Then go into NO proper and it is like stepping through the looking glass. Just no comparison.

As for Pitt's idea, if there is no controlling authority it will quickly turn into a boondoggle.

ews, Pil lives across the lake from NO, Carrick has worked in the region after Katrina, and I spent a month and a half and $4000 of my own money helping family and friends in Mississippi. I think we have sufficient experience of the situation to look at people not helping themselves and point that small fact out.
2Hotel9

Here is the BBC article on Pitt's house building plan, well the plan he is speaking for. The houses, if they would actually workout as designed, aren't a bad idea. NO gets beuacoup sunshine, and catching rain water for use is something that used to be very common throughout the south. Hope it works.

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