# $1 billion donated to restore Notre Dame Cathedral: Good use of money or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721 "2019-04-18T14:14:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/21 "2019-04-18T16:10:51Z")
Personally, I find it more ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars for a ticket to a sporting event to watch millionaire jocks do whatever it is they do, but whatever. Private individuals can spend their money as they wish, whether it’s to restore what they consider to be a national treasure, or buy a mega-yacht, or dig wells for poor villages. Sure, it’d be great if people would donate more to help the less fortunate, but people don’t always do what’s great. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/22 "2019-04-18T16:12:34Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Yes, Jesus called us to feed the poor. However, He also said Tomorrow is Good Friday, and Sunday is Easter. Somehow that seems to fit. > > Regards, > Shodan Well said. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/23 "2019-04-18T16:23:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And this money doesn’t just go down a hole. It’s going to employ a large number of tradespeople and artisans for five or ten years, so it contributes to the economy. > [@Jophiel](#): > > Why would the government be interested in restoring a world famous landmark that helps bring seventeen billion dollars to the city annually? And once it’s on its way the construction site itself can be an attraction. In any case, the pledges can be put into an endowment so that if there’s funds left over from ND itself it can then be used for other historic preservations. > [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m concerned at Macron’s vow to do it in five years. Construction planning & scheduling hasn’t even been looked at yet. There’s only so many tradesman that can work at any given time. Supplies & materials have to arrive in the correct order and at the correct time. Work can only be done in a logical order. Eh, I’d look at it more as in five years work will have visibly started and some part of the sanctuary will be reopened to the public (even if it’s just the West foyer). That’s more realistic. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/24 "2019-04-18T16:23:37Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I think $1 billion is a bit much to spend on a restoration, . IMO, restoration was what was happening before the fire. Now they are trying to recreate what was lost. I understand the desire, but I think it is misguided. It is tragic…but the original is gone. What they are going to have now is an incredibly expensive copy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/25 "2019-04-18T16:24:33Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > A billion dollars is unfortunately a relatively paltry sum in our modern day economy. It’s about the budget of a medium sized university for a year. It wouldn’t surprise me if it doesn’t go nearly far enough to complete a restoration. Who’s this “our,” kemosabe? A billion dollars is nearly the entire _endowment_ of the Sorbonne. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/26 "2019-04-18T16:34:36Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I understand the desire, but I think it is misguided. It is tragic…but the original is gone. What they are going to have now is an incredibly expensive copy. But [much of the original remains](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/04/16/12/Notre-Dame-morning-after.jpg). So should they knock it down? Put a giant tarp over the hole? You need to do something with it and restoring or recreating the lost portions seems as valid as response (and a better one, in my eyes) than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/27 "2019-04-18T16:37:03Z")
I’m as crabby about capitalism and wealth inequality as they come, but even I’m not bothered by this. First off, it’s mostly wealthy French and European people making large donations. Their money was never going to solve the water problem in Flint. I’m much more worried about the US government’s military spending, or the prospect of a $5b wall. That money is “my” money, and that money can help solve the water problem in Flint. Second, lord knows I enjoy plenty of stuff donated by rich people. There’s a 300 acre park land in my city donated by a rich guy. The Cleveland Museum of Art is free thanks to rich people. Cleveland Orchestra performances are well within reach because of rich people. Millions of people have posted this week about their joy in experiencing the Cathedral some time in their lives. I don’t see how rich people paying for its restoration is any different than me enjoying NPR thanks to Annie E. Casey and her fund. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/28 "2019-04-18T16:38:51Z")
1. The cathedral should be repaired. 2. That process is going to cost a lot of money, and that money has to come from somewhere. 3. The more of that money that comes from French billionaires, the less of it that has to come from French taxpayers who aren’t billionaires. Donate away! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/29 "2019-04-18T16:41:05Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Millions of people have posted this week about their joy in experiencing the Cathedral some time in their lives. I don’t see how rich people paying for its restoration is any different than me enjoying NPR thanks to Annie E. Casey and her fund. (Speaking of which, when the NPR announcer mentions the “Annie E Casey Foundation”, I’m sitting there wondering if it’s Ann E Casey, Annie Casey or Annie E Casey.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/30 "2019-04-18T16:44:44Z")
Or N.E.E.K.C. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/31 "2019-04-18T16:44:57Z")
Art is art, and beautiful and worthy of our embrace. If we treat it as trivial in comparison to our raw utilitarian needs, we reduce ourselves to a utilitarian organic level. I have little patience for people who say “How can you spend money on { gourmet food; orchestral concerts; beautiful works of oil painting; education in the arts; literature; etc } when some people are starving or freezing in the cold or dying from lack of medical treatment?” It isn’t an either/or proposition, and it’s the kind of thinking that would have us burn our books and paintings for whatever duration there remain people who need the warmth and light. I’m not going to address the specifics of Notre Dame Cathedral, not being one of the people who has ever been to it. But as a generic type of argument, it’s wrong-headed. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/32 "2019-04-18T16:45:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > (Speaking of which, when the NPR announcer mentions the “Annie E Casey Foundation”, I’m sitting there wondering if it’s Ann E Casey, Annie Casey or Annie E Casey.) I only know it’s Annie E. Casey because [someone on the SDMB asked](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455968) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![senoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@senoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senoy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/33 "2019-04-18T16:52:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Who’s this “our,” kemosabe? A billion dollars is nearly the entire _endowment_ of the Sorbonne. ‘Our’ is the US and a billion dollar endowment is nothing special in the states. All of the Ivies are way over that. A billion dollar endowment in the US would make you the 90th richest school, roughly on par with Indiana University or the University of Tulsa. US University endowments are up to about 550 billion dollars total. A billion dollars is a drop in the bucket. (Actually, that’s in 2015 as well when I pulled those numbers. Stock market gains likely have even more schools over the billion dollar mark) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/34 "2019-04-18T16:55:24Z")
It’s fine that these French billionaires are contributing such large amounts but [one French schmuck suggested](https://twitter.com/aillagon/status/1117870663891476480) that they should get a ninety-percent tax deduction for doing so, rather than the standard sixty-percent deduction. That ignited a furor in France and at least one of the [billionaires pledged to take no tax deduction](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/world/europe/yellow-vest-notre-dame-fire-donations.html) on his gift. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/35 "2019-04-18T17:15:44Z")
It’s not like the money is going to disappear down a black hole or be burned in a bonfire - that money is going to employ all sorts of people during the repair/reconstruction/rebuilding from tradesmen to security guards to the folks who supply everything from new masonry to the toilet paper in the workers’ porta-poties on site to all sorts of other stuff. Then the folks who earn money from the rebuilding are going to turn around and pay rent/mortgage, buy food, pay the utility bills… I really don’t see a downside here. As for where the money comes from - I think it’s grand that the very very wealthy are chipping in. Otherwise - since the government owns it that would make it the government’s responsibility but with the donations there’s more choice on what, exactly, will be done and how rather than relying on the lowest bidder and doing only bare-bones work. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/36 "2019-04-18T17:23:29Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > ‘Our’ is the US and a billion dollar endowment is nothing special in the states. All of the Ivies are way over that. A billion dollar endowment in the US would make you the 90th richest school, roughly on par with Indiana University or the University of Tulsa. US University endowments are up to about 550 billion dollars total. A billion dollars is a drop in the bucket. (Actually, that’s in 2015 as well when I pulled those numbers. Stock market gains likely have even more schools over the billion dollar mark) Well, yes, that’s kind of my point. A billion dollars is still quite a lot of money in France. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/37 "2019-04-18T17:25:05Z")
There was never a chance of there being any “bare-bones” work. This is France and Notre Dame we’re talking about, not the US and New Orleans’ levees. This restoration is going to be a jobs program like you wouldn’t believe, and the French Government isn’t going to have to pay a _sou_ for it. For once, three cheers for billionaires. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/38 "2019-04-18T17:32:10Z")
Yeah, but before it caught fire they funding for the restoration work was less than half what experts thought would be needed. So… _that_ was barebones, basically, doing just the minimum to get by. It will be ironic if nearly being destroyed is what leads to fully funding a real restoration effort. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/39 "2019-04-18T17:37:45Z")
I don’t plan to donate any money to the repair of Notre Dame. If I was a billionaire I wouldn’t donate any money to the repair of Notre Dame. Whoever owns the building, their insurance company and/or the person responsible for the damage and their insurance company should pay for the repair. But if Joe Schmoe or Joe Billionaire want to kick in a couple (hundred million) bucks I don’t really care either. I think some burned out church in Louisiana would do more good for the world and it would be higher on my list of things to donate to. I think a pretty building is a generally worthless thing to begin with and I wouldn’t donate to rebuild the White House or Big Ben either. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721/40 "2019-04-18T17:59:33Z")
I’d be concerned about the billion dollars not being used for “better” things if someone showed me that it was coming from the charitable donations the billionaires were already making. If it is coming from investments or money dedicated to luxuries - which is my bet - it is a great use of the money. I’m as atheist as they come, but I thought it was a magnificent building. It is a part of our world heritage. How wonderful that so much of it was spared. It’s one fifth the price and a thousand times the value of the stupid wall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-billion-donated-to-restore-notre-dame-cathedral-good-use-of-money-or-not/832721.md?page=3)