Posted on 09/08/2005 8:46:29 AM PDT by InvisibleChurch
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 11:38 a.m. EDT Ray Nagin: School Buses Not Good Enough
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin garnered a ton of publicity with a profanity-laced interview he gave to WWL radio last Thursday, where he blasted President Bush and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco for not coming to rescue his city in time.
However, Nagin's most newsworthy comments - where he explained why he didn't used hundreds of city school buses to evacuate his city's flood victims - went almost unnoticed.
Turns out, Nagin turned his nose up at the yellow buses, demanding more comfortable Greyhound coaches instead. "I need 500 buses, man," he told WWL. "One of the briefings we had they were talking about getting, you know, public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out of here."
Nagin described his response:
"I'm like - you've got to be kidding me. This is a natural disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."
While Nagin was waiting for his Greyhound fleet, Katrina's floodwaters swamped his school buses, rendering them unusable.
When I was growing up, children in the midwest rode school buses through snowdrifts in subfreezing weather.
My school had one bus, which made 3 trips before school and three trips after school.
Nagin "misunderestimates" the patience of others.
The 15 year old boy who drove the school bus full of people to Houston was DEFINITELY smarter than this turd of a mayor.
This kid should be the very first one called to testify in the upcoming hearings, and brought in as a hero.
I bet every competent mayor across the country knows what a doof this guy is. I wonder if Nagin even realizes that he looks sooooo ridiculous and stupid right now.
Right you are........an MBA is nuttin' but a waste of money and time if you don't have good old common sense.
This comment may get pulled but in NADA-gins case, MBA stands for Mighty Big AH.
My USMC son is now getting asked by buddies "Are you sure you're from down there?"(he's from Slidell & New Orleans) thanks to this idiot's raving in the media AND his total lack of leadership.
"The 15 year old boy who drove the school bus full of people to Houston was DEFINITELY smarter than this turd of a mayor."
He's actually 20 years old but did have enough sense to get the hell out of Dodge. Just as important, the passengers pooled their money to purchase gas and necessary supplies (diapers and water as stated in his interview on Fox).
Well, it appears buses were optional, and the option was declined.
(steely)
Don't judge the rest of us by your lacking standards, please. Foul mouths are in no way admirable.
My apologies for the error, but the point still stands.
Those were a bus full of people who were more interested in saving their own lives, rather than wait to have someone save it for them. Kudos to those people for taking responsibility and coming together to meet each other's needs.
I wonder if Oprah will invite them on her show?
What is the source?
LOL!
While Nagin was waiting for his Greyhound fleet, Katrina's floodwaters swamped his school buses, rendering them unusable.
Let me get this straight (In my best gravelly Columbo voice)... Greyhound is a corporate entity that may require motivation (like the lease and payment of fares... Or not!) before "donating" their buses to drive from wherever they are to Louisiana. Then into New Orleans to pick up survivors.
While prefectly serviceable school buses (One of which made the trip from near the Superdome to Houston loaded with passengers!) bought and paid for with Louisiana and New Orleans Tax Dollars flooded due to the Mayor's vain stupidity????
Oh yeah.... Sound political thinkin' there, Ray!
Jack.
Wager those buses were good enough on election days for getting those poor Blacks to the polls.
Can help but compare and contrast how a leader such as Guilianni managed vs. how Nagin has mismanaged and failed to demonstrate leadership. Especially given that Nagin had advance warning approaching disaster.
They had advanced warning. Either the families should have been taken out immediately so the drivers could report for duty, or the families could have been on the first buses out. It's called planning.
Or swimming.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.