Brad Pitt Weighs in on Rebuildng New Orleans, Iraq, and the '08 Race

I spoke with Brad Pitt on Friday. The actor-turned-activist has been spearheading an effort to build affordable, sustainable homes for the residents of New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Pitt feels that the aftermath of Katrina "should be one of the major issues" of the '08 race. We talked about which of the presidential candidates have offered to help out -- and discussed the possibility of their campaigns adopting one of the homes in his project. It costs $150,000 to adopt a home. So when you consider the tens of millions raised by each campaign, it would be a great signal to have candidates putting a little of their campaign's money where their mouths are -- an idea I first raised in 1999 in a column on "Reinventing Charity.")

Pitt also spoke about the lack of government funding for the victims of Katrina and the $70 billion in war funding approved this week. "Give us just a fraction of that," he said, concisely summing up the tragic opportunity cost of the war in Iraq.

To find out more about Brad Pitt's efforts to help rebuild New Orleans -- and to see how you can help -- go to MakeItRightNOLA.org. You don't have to adopt a whole house; you can adopt a door, a window, an awning.

By coincidence, when I was talking to Pitt, I received an email from Naomi Klein, along with a terrific post about yesterday's housing protests in New Orleans, and what they reveal about the federal government's ongoing attempts to use the devastated city as a Petri dish for the "solutions" advocated by President Bush and his free-marketeer cronies. Read it here.

Update:
Blogger Karen Dalton-Beninato sent me this beautiful picture of the project Brad Pitt is working on:

Comments

[TuffPosh]

Wow, just $150k to adopt a home. I'll take two.

If Pitt wants to actually make a difference, he might consider exposing this:

http://katrinacoverage.com/2005/10/08/new-orleans-jobs-and-federal-funding-scandal.html

Of course, because of the fact that both the GOP and the Dems were involved in that scam, it's very difficult to find anyone to speak out against what actually happened in NO. In fact, the easiest way to silence "liberals" who whine about NO is to point out Dem complicity in the scheme. It's so hard to find people who aren't partisan hacks nowadays.

[dhelsten]

Rather than pay 30% of my income to the government and then begging them to help in New Orleans. How about shrinking the size of government, lowering my taxes to 5% and let me decide to help out those in New Orleans. Vote Ron Paul.

"There is no limit to the amount of good you can do with other people's money"

[Gordon Soderberg]

Ho yeah here is the link to the video I mentioned.

http://www.bioliberty.net

[Gordon Soderberg]

It is great to finally get some real help in the Lower Ninth Ward. I've gutted houses, setting up internet access for grassroots groups like Common Ground Relief, United Peace Relief, New Orleans Voices For Peace, Emergency Communities as well as clearing lots and mowing the weeds for the folks down their as a volunteer for the passed two years with the bio diesel powered John Deer tractor. I made a video that I think might help you readers understand what it is to think and act green.

Brad's efforts are what we need to inspire the next stage in the recovery of New Orleans. He is only building 150 homes. There are 5000 more families that are still waiting to have a home to move back to. The job is long from finished. I'm just happy that we who have been doing the most with the least are getting help from people who can actually make a dent in the problems.

Just think what we could have done if it wasn't for the fact that we are at war with a country that did nothing to us. We are wasting our time, money, lives in Iraq while Americans can't get a decent place to live.

Thanks Brad.... You made an excellent visual statement with the little pink houses!

Now, can you get them out of our way. I can't get anything down on my biodiesel powered tractor with all the car traffic on Tennessee St.

[lastams]

Well, it would be nice to see such priorities being debated by the Candidates. However of the five currently in the Senate, not one thought it important enough to return to DC to vote on the omnibus spending bill.
Not One.
A half trillion dollars has already been divided up for such things as a missle defense system and new Virginia Class submarines.
Do you expect these candidates to seriously worry about the homeless in New Orleans?

[realwoman]

More money to New Orleans? Are you serious? We (the taxpayers) HAVE sent billions to N.O.
already. Why are people who have been living free of charge in trailers, apartments, hotel rooms, etc., again, courtesy of the American taxpayer, for 2 years now. Receiving all kinds of gov't. help, not been able to get their acts together? With all the rebuilding going on, they can't find a job, save some money and find a permanent home for themselves and their families? It all comes down to personal responsibility. We have helped, we have donated time, money, supplies, goodwill. Time to pull yourself up, get yourself together, bust your ass (like I have been doing since I've been 15 years old) and make a life for yourself. Don't expect others to do the job for you. P.S. A million dollar bet that someone is going to use the recent decision (on a unanimous vote, black and white)to tear down those crime ridden, drug den housing projects as somehow stopping people from making a better life for themselves. Betcha. Watch and see.

[Janus]

This story about Brad Pitt is clearly to be remembered when the Neoconic Fascists of the ultra-right start hammering away on Hollywood "librul celebrities" whose opinions they attack and about whom they snarl should stay with acting, suggesting that they are political incompetents and as such not entitled to political advocacy and active participation.

Of course, the reaction of these crackpots never will apply to the likes of right-wingers Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Tom Sellick, Bo Derek, Charlton Heston (king of the gun nuts), Chuck Norris and Kiefer Sutherland, to name only a few.

[TomR]

Thank you Brad and Arianna for your decency and keeping this travesty of justice in the public eye.

I just made a donation.

- Tom

[Beatitudes]

In Cajun Country there is a saying that we use to thank someone who has done great work or who acts selflessly in the interests of others - that is called a beatitudes (see The Beatitudes Network Rebuilding the Public Libraries of New Orleans at www.beatituesinneworleans.blogspot.com.) So to you Brad Pitt, Arianna, and Sean with Global Green and everyone else who is helping NOLA - and the world- rebuild, sustain, bring back wonder, and infuse joy, "Que le bon Dieu vous benit." May the good God bless you.

[TankerRat]

What Mr. Pitt is doing is admirable of course. Now if someone would just try to help those of us on fixed incomes from becoming homeless from ever increasing taxes I'd be grateful as all hell as well.

[GayGrandpa]

Part 1

I am very pleased that many actors are good citizens and great human beings.

Sadly our government style has grown obsolete, our President has way too much power, too much control for any one man or woman. Senators from small-populated states also have way too much control and it screws up democracy. That is why nothing can get done in the Senate, Montana has 2 Senators and our state California only has 2 but it has 70 times the population. We need a new constitution. We really do!

One human being should not have the power that we give to a President. One man now can stop almost all legislation - the President. Our system has grown way out of whack! Until Americans come out of their commercialism cocoon and realize that they are no longer are being served by commerce and that capitalism has become a threat to democracy then there will be these kinds of troubles and many more on their heels. We bail out banks who make ridiculous investments and who pays?

There was a time when capitalism was built to serve both the democracy and the customer. Today it is all product driven, sales driven and has little about actual need. Today the consumer has become the child and the child has become the target.

[GayGrandpa]

Part 2

There was a time when democracy served the people and it was thought of as our country. Sadly that is no longer true, but we must remember this is our government and we must and can take it back. Why are we letting the government have an additional 70 billion dollars for war when just a couple of weeks ago we were told that the Army would be OK until March and the Marines would be OK until mid-March? Why? Because we have given one man too much power!

We live in an age where those who need cannot buy and those who can buy do not need but are sold things anyway; things they do not need because capitalism is turned on itself and lost its way. In the process many Americans too have lost their way. Oh it is not that we do not have needs¦we desperately need to be free from the need of oil and have alternative energy sources¦but instead we are being sold toys with too much lead. Today doctors tell us that the lead levels that the government sets are too high. I think it is 600 parts per million is the law, but doctors are saying 40 parts per million are too high, but its not about us anymore and it doesn't matter if our children and grand children lose points on their IQs or become violent or sick.

Capitalism doesn"t serve us. Our government doesn"t serve us. Our kids and grandkids and we are being screwed. Now isn't this a beautiful Christmas message? Should I put a cross in it¦would that make anyone feel any better?

Thank you Brad Pitt¦now teach us how to get angry and to change our ways and to change the ways of our government.

[drolleen]

Just sent money. I wrote this in 2005:

Train Wreck Called the City of New Orleans
Rhytm of "City of New Orleans"

Riding on the city of New Orleans
Energy prices "till Monday morning storm
Miles of levees waiting for a break down
In a systems that"s rotten down to the core
All along our southward odyssey
We guzzle gas voraciously
Spraying poisons over houses farms and fields
Companies that change their names,
Treating nature like monopoly game
Carving wetlands up for pipes and automobiles.

Good morning America, where are you?
Oh, don"t you know me? I am your native soul
I was "wakened by the city of New Orleans
They were gone 500 dead when the day was done

Feeling cocky, with our H-bombs, and no Commies
With a buck a gallon, ain"t no one giving a @!#$*
Pass the Coors-lite, press the pedal to the metal
Don"t listen to no scientists, they"re not "it"
And the faithless sons of presidents
And the math-less sons of engineers
Can"t help us when we do not have the will
Like mothers nursing in the dome
Rocked by explosions close to home
The heat that keeps on rising is all that we"ll feel

Good morning America, where are you?
Oh, don"t you know me? I am your native soul
I was "wakened by the city of New Orleans
Will the "Saints" come marching in? will we hit our goals?

Night time on the city, and our country
Six days for aid from Memphis, Tennessee?
Condi in New-York, enjoying Broadway
Toxic waste(and)our futures, washing out to the sea
Our historic towns and people seem
To fade into a bad dream
And the country still ain't heard the news:
The investors singing in dull voice:
"The rich and powerful rejoice
No meek, just tricks, it"s the golden calf or you lose"

Good night, America, where are you?
Oh, don"t you know me? I am your native soul
I was "wakened by the city of New Orleans
Let"s be the change we wish to see in the world
(Gandi)

[fightinwords]

Okay, Brad Pitt, wow, great, super fantastic. I am sure he will save the day because he doesn't know what to do with himself now that... Let's get real for God's sake. Another rich celebrity has adopted a cause so that he/she feels better about the absurdity of their situation in reference to people who are truly at the bottom of life's random and often ill-fated possibilities. I am sure he will save the day because he's rich and famous and he cares so much it makes me want to cry. Where are all the real heroes? And How would we all survive without Brad and Angelina and Oprah. Just fine!

[godlessclif]

A charity gave tents to the homeless. The St. Petersburg, Florida police cut them up with electric scissors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrPdZmPB36U

If real homeless move into Pitt's 150 houses those houses will be bulldozed.