Posted on 09/02/2005 11:14:43 AM PDT by Millee
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin blasted the slow pace of federal and state relief efforts in an expletive-laced interview with local radio station WWL-AM.
The following is a transcript of WWL correspondent Garland Robinette's interview with Nagin on Thursday night. Robinette asked the mayor about his conversation with President Bush:
NAGIN: I told him we had an incredible crisis here and that his flying over in Air Force One does not do it justice. And that I have been all around this city, and I am very frustrated because we are not able to marshal resources and we're outmanned in just about every respect. (Listen to the mayor express his frustration in this video -- 12:09)
You know the reason why the looters got out of control? Because we had most of our resources saving people, thousands of people that were stuck in attics, man, old ladies. ... You pull off the doggone ventilator vent and you look down there and they're standing in there in water up to their freaking necks.
And they don't have a clue what's going on down here. They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn -- excuse my French everybody in America, but I am pissed.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
And point taken....glad that the President and First Lady are doing the job that the Mayor and Governor aren't doing! Someone HAS to!
Cuss'n & cry'n, blame'n & bawl'n. The way they go at it you'd think they had nothing more important to do.
HEY mayor, YOU SHOULD HAVE ORDERED A MANDITORY EVACUATION!!!
This is more YOUR FAULT than the FedGov's.
JERK...
I saw at least two Samaritan's Purse semis headed south on I-85 on Wednesday between Auburn and Montgomery, AL. We can surmise they have the ability to move quickly and, hopefully, effectively.
Hedgecock also reminded me of a great story that came out of the North Ridge earthquake in 1993. Pete Wilson was told that I-10, the major east-west highway through Los Angeles, was critically damaged and that it would take as long as 4 years to get through all the environmental assessments, competitive bidding, and getting the necessary federal funding to repair the highway. Wilson said, screw that, we have state money, we don't have to go through this federal bureaucratic crap, I am signing a contract for this and getting the money from the Feds later. The state found a contractor that ended up winning a $1 million bonus for finishing the work ahead of schedule, in SIX MONTHS. THAT is leadership!
Nice words from a mayor without a city.
He's doing all he can to cover himself.
Yup. The blame game is not doing anything to help the current situation. Point of fact is that something around 80% of the population did evacuate and a good percentage of those who didn't are probably drunks, drug addicts or criminal opportunists who stayed behind to exploit the situation. This is smelling so political that I think Blanco must be getting 'advice' from the DNC.
I may be a Texas A&M Aggie Former Student, but I'm "smart" enough to figure out that NO was not an if, but when disaster in the making.
That's my soapbox rant... please drive through.
What I'd give if just one newsreporter would show him this photo and ask him why he didn't offer these buses to get people out before the hurricane!
Mr. Mayor, YOU needed to get off your a-- last Friday and Saturday!!! Reasonable people knew as of Friday morning that this scenario was a strong possibility, and with every hour that passed on Fri. and Sat.
Even though I live 1500 miles away, know nobody in LA, etc. I have been following the threat of this hurricane almost hourly since mid-day on Friday because I could tell it posed a threat of a potentially historic natural disaster with possibly hundreds or thousands of deaths, etc. If that much could be obvious to people like me, in distant places and with no particular involvement or connection to LA, then how pathetic is it that the Mayor of NOLA and the Governor of LA could screw up so badly?????
I expected that on Sat. and Sun. they would be evacuating all of the people who most needed the help from NOLA.... instead, they did virtually nothing.
YOU, Mr. Mayor, failed in your most basic duties to your constituents. Oh, and tell your "Emergency Director" to start looking for a new job.... not to mention LA's worthless Governor.
It has a good ring to it . . no ?
Hmmmmm????
Are you f-ing kidding me???? This is what that nincompoop actually said to stranded tourists? Who the heck does he thinks pay the bills in his stinking city? Or did, until now. He can sure kiss those tourist revenues goodbye now. Maybe he should have thought of that before he gave the high sign to the looters.
Today is the tipping point.
The rebuilding is something different. But the panic and mayhem is over today. And the President and First Lady are there comforting people, listening to people hugging people and looking for results.
The local/state government is still running around whining and complaining and blaming. Despite the frustration, one of these approaches is going to mean something in a few weeks.
Really? I didn't hear anything about that in the press coverage. If I didn't hear that on TV it couldn't possible be true, </sarc>
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