Mayor Nagin speaks out (highlights)

Times-Picayune ^ | 10 September 2005 | Gordon Russell, Staff Writer

[Colonial Warrior]

In a stark reminder of how drastically Hurricane Katrina has impacted the lives of New Orleanians, Mayor Ray Nagin has purchased a home for his family in Dallas and enrolled his young daughter in school there. Nagin, who spoke with The Times-Picayune by telephone from Dallas, where he has been since Wednesday, said he planned to return to New Orleans on Saturday. He said he will remain in the Crescent City while his family lives for the next six months in Dallas, making occasional visits to his family when possible. It’s not clear where Nagin will be living: His home along Bayou St. John suffered massive flooding, the mayor said, although he has not inspected it. In a brief but wide-ranging interview, the mayor reflected on the tragedies of the past two weeks, acknowledging that he may have made some mistakes but said that he hopes others in positions of authority – including President George W. Bush and Gov. Kathleen Blanco -- are scrutinized as closely as he and his staff have been. “I’m not pointing any fingers at anyone,” Nagin said. “But I was in the fire. I was down there. Where were they? I’m confident the truth is gonna come out. But I want everybody’s record analyzed just as hard as mine. “Listen, this was unprecedented. Nothing has ever happened like this. For people to sit back and say, ‘You should have done this, you should have done that’ … it’s Monday morning quarterbacking. They can shoot if they want, but I was there, and I will have the facts.”

[dc-zoo]

I think he wants out and wants no part of being re-elected.

[macbee]

What a piece of work this guy is. Tech Central Station has an excellent article detailing all the needless deaths and misery which Nagin allowed through inaction:

The Machine Stops

By Thomas Lipscomb Published 09/08/2005

As Lake Ponchatrain's waters began to drown his city, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin had the colossal nerve to shout indignantly "Get off your asses, and let's do something" -- and then continued doing nothing himself, but add to the deluge by bursting into tears.

Having been prodded on Saturday into ordering an evacuation by President Bush and the head of the Hurricane Center and then delaying it for seventeen crucial hours until well into Sunday, Mayor Nagin is directly responsible for the AP picture of over 200 unused New Orleans buses marooned in four feet of water that might have evacuated more than 15,000 in one trip alone. Those were the buses that in the Mayor's own plan were to be used to evacuate 100,000 poor the city has long understood had no other means of transportation.

Nagin is also responsible for failing to pre-position generators, food and water, a medical presence and portable toilets for the two sites at the Superdome and Convention Center that he had proclaimed "emergency centers" for tens of thousands of the more than 30% of New Orleanians that lived below the poverty line. And then the Mayor failed to police them...

Follow the link to read the rest.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

He is gonna burn Blanco hard core. As I see it, he is a keeper till Blanco is burnt toast.

[flada]

I was down there. Where were they?

Hello... Mr. Nagin... anyone home in there? You're the MAYOR OF THE CITY! Governor Blanco is not the mayor. One hopes she was in Baton Rouge where she belongs (until she's kicked out of office for her incompetence, that is). President Bush is the President of the United States of America--he has a whole country to run.

You, sir, are the mayor of NO... you're supposed to be there.

[dufekin]

What? Who has the keys to the buses that already exist? That's right, Nagin, you do. So perhaps the feds and the state were miffed that you couldn't find a way to "get a few thousand people" on buses that they already gave you. Such a poor use of resources.

Then again, I can imagine his legal department objecting to my suggestion. "School buses can be used only for transportation to and from schools within this parish, and may not travel more than three miles outside the parish as per state law." "Sorry, what happens if the school bus has an accident? We'll get sued!" Lawyers...making lives miserable since the beginning of time!

[Colonial Warrior]

This may be a strategic plot....he has moved his voters to Texas...he has set up a residence in Dallas....Hmmmmm.

THE IDIOT is gonna run for Govenor of TEXAS!! NOT!

[Bommer]

“I’m not pointing any fingers at anyone,” Nagin said. “But I was in the fire. I was down there. Where were they? I’m confident the truth is gonna come out. But I want everybody’s record analyzed just as hard as mine. “Listen, this was unprecedented. Nothing has ever happened like this. For people to sit back and say, ‘You should have done this, you should have done that’ … it’s Monday morning quarterbacking. They can shoot if they want, but I was there, and I will have the facts.”

Here's some stuff for the Prosecution!

NAGIN: I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. We ain't talking about -- you know, one of the briefings we had, they were talking about getting public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out here.

I'm like, "You got to be kidding me. This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."

That's -- they're thinking small, man. And this is a major, major, major deal. And I can't emphasize it enough, man. This is crazy.

Louisiana disaster plan, pg 13, para 5 , dated 01/00

'The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating'...

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

And now I'm in Dallas! Hows the bus service here?

[citizencon]

>But I was in the fire. I was down there. Where were they?<

You lived there, idiot.

[Miss Marple]

I agree. I think the family has been moved to Dallas for safety.

Nagin is on Meet the Press tomorrow. I am interested in whether Tim is sympathetic or goes after him, and how Nagin responds.

It could be that Nagin has a lot of inteesting information on Blanco. One can hope, anyway.

[1066AD]

Bought, not just rented ? LOL.
Such faith in his city's future (or maybe his own career's future prospects). Still, he'd a few find kindred spirits on the Dallas City Council.

Why was there a breakdown at the federal and state level only in Louisiana? This didn’t happen in Mississippi. That’s the question. That’s the question of the day.”

Maybe because while Blanco needs 24hrs to decide the really urgent matters, giving consideration to political concerns, others just act.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Sued, maybe. But the school busses were not good enough to use for evacuation. School busses do not have bathroom facilities. Mayor Nagin DEMANDED that 'every Go###amned Greyhound Bus in the country get to NO...' Remember? Katrina I guess was going wait til air conditioned, potty perfect transit arrived. And IT IS George Bush's fault, of course, that the Greyhounds never came.

[Bogey78O]

It would have been even better had he rented in Louisiana

He's still the best mayor NEw Orleans had in a while.

[gpapa]

“This is ridiculous,” he said. “I mean, this is America. How can we have a state with an $18 billion budget and a federal government with an I don’t know how many trillion dollar budget, and they can’t get a few thousand people onto buses? I don’t get that.

He just don't get it.

All I saw was a huge two-step

He still doesn't get it.

"Analyze my ass, analyze everyone’s ass, man. Let’s put the facts on the table and talk turkey. Why was there a breakdown at the federal and state level only in Louisiana? This didn’t happen in Mississippi. That’s the question. That’s the question of the day.”

He hints at an answer, but.........

“Our plan was always to use the buses to evacuate to the Dome as a shelter of last resort, and from there, rely on state and federal resources.”

Back to the I don't get it club.

Purchased a home for his family in Dallas; relocates his family. Aha. Now its clear. I wonder what really happened to those NO police cars that wound up in Texas. And he didn't even think of renting a home.

Get it?

[W Fan in Cali]

He's saying he has/had no control over the school buses? I thought he did!

[cajungirl]

Two interesting things nobody on this thread appears to know.

mary Landrieu's aunt is on the orleans parish school board, powerful and supposedly in charge of the use of school buses for emergency evacs.

The Mayor can declare a mandatory evac but according to La Disaster plan, THE GOVERNOR IMPLEMENTS IT.

The Lt Gov, Landrieu, is said to be in charge of the emergency disaster plans in La.

mary landrieu/Blanko both hate Nagin.

Think about it.

[Smartass]

Mayor Nagin is basically washed up. He won't be able to run for a dog catchers position. People like him and Blanco don;t belong in government, annnny government!

[PROTESTBYPROXY]

Rats never resign.

[Dad yer funny]

yup , many of Hizzoner Brass Balls' constituents are in TX,but,this fool is gettin' bad advise

[W Fan in Cali]

Seems like this should have been part of your EVAUCATION PLAN DUMBASS!


“But we didn’t have enough buses. I don’t control the school buses, and the RTA (Regional Transit Authority) buses as far as I know were positioned high and dry. But 80 percent of the city was not high and dry. Where would we have staged them? And who was going to drive them even if we commandeered them?

[Colonial Warrior]

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