T: I have no idea.
M: They just don't want to help?
T: They just aren't very helpful.
M: What about the State of Louisiana?
T: No, the State? Not too much either. What we are standing in the middle of, this Brad Pitt project, is private money and private work being done. And yes, there has been some cooperation on the part of the city to come back and put in infrastructure, but they should be putting back infrastructure anyhow.
M: So this part of the Brad Pitt project in front of me? I thought they were all going to be pink houses, but was that just a rumor?
T: That was just the art exhibit.
M: Well, yeah, they're looking pretty good. How much money is he pumping in here?
T: I think he's raised about $25,000,000.
M: Wow! That's terrific! So, it's private individuals who are helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward?
T; That and volunteers, volunteer groups that have gotten together with residents to go ahead and make sure that moneys they're entitled to, and moneys that their real estate taxes pay for, that they get distributed for what they need.
M: How much is the Brad Pitt project encompassing right now?
T: Well it's a 150 homeowners that we're dealing with that are in the initial target area, so right now, after these first six houses that are being built, they're going to be breaking ground, probably over the next couple of weeks, on another twelve to fifteen, so it's a long process, eight to ten years to build all this. And we also put in a park across the way.
M: So it's kind of like a five-year project, or ten-year project?
T: Yeah
M: So, it's going to take time. And what's the overall outlook for the Lower Ninth Ward being repopulated and really becoming a community again?
