Can We Build It? Yes We Can!

Bob the Builder's at work in Haiti, it seems.

“Haitians don’t want a gift,” Mr. Martelly said. “They want work.”

Funny. That slogan worked so well for President Obama too, but then amounted to nothing really.

I hope for Haiti, but I won't hold my breath...

The Port Au-Prince Marriott Hotel will give elite vacationers some place to hole up in -- presumably one of those all-exclusive hotels where you never have to leave the grounds to spend a dime -- like those that dot Jamaican beaches too. Where plenty of relocated Haitians try to sell their products on the beach (like fresh-squeezed juice -- not dope; you're stereotyping if you immediately went there).

Of course, it takes a bit of adventure to trust in the simple blessings of the locals. To trustfully drink the juice, leave the hotel grounds, or stay in a simpler, locally owned "native" hotel.

Something tells me, like elsewhere, the financial benefits post-building won't necessarily trickle down to the local economies, even if some lucky Haitians are hired as hotel staff, or provide goods served inside. Pretty much, that money will be channelled back to Marriott -- that's what the all-inclusive is all-about (that, and the much trumpeted "safety" factor...)

To make a difference, private businesses, too, will have to hire and empower Haitians — not just as low-wage workers but as managers, and at all levels in between.

C'mon. Clearly, the top management positions will go to someone -- probably white -- already within Mariott who wants to transfer to someplace warmer and already knows Mariott policy by the book.