Money is NOT the Answer

Unless you ask the right questions.

 

This is true in life, in business, in government and in politics.

 

The New Orleans rebuilding and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts are about to demonstrate the truth of this.  You,Me, FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army and the US taxpayer continues to throw money at a problem that needs much more.  Short term it is OK.  People are being fed, clothed, housed, and in general welfare ways being placed where they can live, work and create a life.

 

That's all admirable. 

 

I remember an experiment from the late 1970's.  50 different people from all backgrounds, poverty, wealth, color, ethnicity, working class, middle class were all discovered at a time where for one reason or another they had all found themselves flat broke.  Out of money.  Destitute.  Lots of reasons.  Lots of backgrounds.  Over 3 years when these people were discovered they were give an equal financial stipend.

 

Each of them was given unrestrained a significant amount of money.  $200,000 dollars.  This was a grant.   Given to them.  They had to agree to be tracked for the 3 years following the grant.

 

The results were not surprising.  Those who came from poverty returned to poverty after the money ran out.  Those from wealth emerged wealthy.  Those middle class, middle classed, those working class working classed. 

 

So, what does this mean?  It means that to give money without a cultural and sociological change only means you interrupt a cultural dependency mentality which money can't break.  Eventually they will return to what they were. This is not about education.  It's about a cultural expectations.  It's about who they are and what they see themselves becoming.  Low expectation low results.

 

When I saw what happened in New Orleans after Katrina was not color, it was culture.  If the culture of these people doesn't change New Orleans will not be better.  It will end up ultimately like those people of the grant who returned to their former state. 

 

One cultural condition in Southern Louisiana particularly in the metro New Orleans area among leadership and power brokers is a culture of corruption, graft, people on the take and crime.  If we as the American taxpayers and those who contribute money and time are going to really help we must not pour money into a black hole with no accountability.  I implore those who can to be careful and discerning in how you give.  I implore those in positions of authority to not just give money. 

 

Let's do what we can to change the culture with those people who need the change or nothing will change.