The Run & Hope Marathon

Is it summer yet? No, but its close enough for me. These warm and sunny days are glorious. I've come down with the head cold that's going around and I sniffle all the time. I'm about to take something for it and put up with the feeling of being drugged.

The successful Mardi Gras and nice weather has lifted the zeitgeist of the city. On Sunday I watched the Mardi Gras Marathon. They guys in red dresses had a water station for the runners. Someone was cooking on a big grill and there was music and laughter and high spirits all around. The run seemed to be well attended and you would not have thought it was in city that is so troubled. And troubled we are - the roadblock home program is now so bad its drawing national media attention. That's not the way we want to be known. I think we can wind up OK if only the crime and housing problems can be resolved. There are lots of other issues, like education and health care to name just two. Some of these will improve over time. I don't think crime is one of those that will improve by itself. I'd like to see some fairly dramatic programs in place to reduce crime.

I had expected more leadership from Nagin. I guess I should remember that he started as an accountant and that he's doing a good job of balancing the books at city hall.

Is the New Orleans glass half empty or half full? Or, is the metaphor to simplistic? Maybe the marathon is more apt. We are running as hard as we can but the finish line is nowhere in sight. The route isn't laid out so we just run and hope.