New Orleans Mayor Says Racism Hampering Recovery

CBS2CHICAGO ^ | 18 AUGUST 2006 | AP

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

(AP) INDIANAPOLIS -- The mayor of New Orleans blames racism and government bureaucracy for hampering the city's ability to both weather Hurricane Katrina and recover from it.

Ray Nagin is convinced things would've been different had the storm hit Orange County, California, or Miami Beach. And he's telling the National Association of Black Journalists that the storm exposed what he calls "the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class."

In his speech, Nagin also suggested that state and federal officials would prefer New Orleans remain a smaller city. It now has just over half its pre-storm population.

He's also complaining that his city isn't getting enough state and federal aid -- and that what it does get comes with too many rules. Nagin says too much cash is going to developers and contractors.

[tflabo]

He's also complaining that his city isn't getting enough state and federal aid

Excuse me? How many BILLIONS $$ have we poured already into this sinking cesspool of a city?

[EveningStar]

Psst. I did it this week myself. ;)

[Recon Dad]

He's the female version of McKinney.

[Caramelgal]

I tend to think that Mayor Ray (Chocolate) Nagin really doesn’t really hate white people per se.

Being a politician, like most of them, he is just pandering to whatever demographic gives him the best chance of staying on office, getting a paycheck, payoffs and juicy perks and mass media face time that come with the job.

If the majority of citizens in NO were Jewish, he’d join B'nai Brith; white anglos - The Masons; white Catholics - Knights of Columbus; Asian - Japanese American Citizens League or Republican? Wasn’t he supposedly a Republican at one time?

I guess I’m just very cynical.

[ffusco]

I agree, Nagrin is a racist and he is hampering recovery.

[demkicker]

It now has just over half its pre-storm population.

If this is true, I'm surprised. I can't imagine anyone who got wiped out wanting to return to that sin city.

[river rat]

Exactly the sort of complaint and excuse for his and "his peoples" incompetence I would expect..

I still believe it is wrong to rebuild New Orleans..
All the levees should be blown and allow the water level to reach it's intended levels...

You simply can NOT make a silk purse from a sow's ear, with an incompetent racist dumbass like Nagin at the sewing machine..

There are far too many more worthy and potentially successful locations along the Gulf to invest in that make much more sense than New Orleans..

Semper Fi

[stuckinloozeeana]

Folks, don't let this fool upset you. We can only hope that New Orleans comes back as a mere shell of what it was before. I don't WANT it to come back. It is the biggest drag on this state. You hear nothing of the people in the lower part of the state who were ravaged worse than New Orleans. It's all about the slime! There is no tax base there, as there was none before the storm.

[eyespysomething]

[ladyjane]

I think one of New Orleans's biggest problems is that there's a loose nut in the mayor's chair.

Not even close to being its biggest problem.

[SuziQ]

I guess all the white, church volunteers oughta stay home. They're just holding everything up.

*snicker*

Maybe he should make volunteering a certain amount of time the currency for being able to move back into town. No racism there; anyone who wants to work to re-build the city gets to come back and live there.

[Paladin2]

Nagin know how to anything other than "blame whitey"?

[kempo]

Thats right. The best way to avoid responsibility is to play the race card.

Fewer and fewer people listen to that crap anymore.

[afnamvet]

He's the female version of McKinney.

LOL

[varyouga]

[dangerfield]

note (and there's a previous thread)

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Oh man...I need help after that picture...oh...oh...ROFL!!!

[pissant]

It is racism, Nagin. Your anti-white racism, you foul little POS.