New Orleans Mayor Faces Tough Questions

Washington Post ^ | 09/10/05 | Robert E. Pierre

[Pikamax]

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 9 -- Mayor C. Ray Nagin created many new friends and probably as many enemies for his decision to pointedly chastise both Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) and the Bush administration for talking too much and working too little. Now, however, difficult questions are being directed at the mayor.

Until Nagin spoke out, Yancy Brown, a native of the Big Easy, had little respect for the mayor, whom he considered too corporate and too disconnected from the black community. "He wasn't acting like a brother," said Brown, 60, a former member of the Black Panther organization. But after Nagin defiantly told the feds -- and indirectly President Bush -- to get off their "asses" and do some work, Brown became a fan.

"That's what he's supposed to do," said Brown, who is still doing maintenance work at the Best Western at Poydras and St. Charles, where journalists covering the event have set up residence. "This place was in trouble, Lord have mercy."

[GloriaJane]

I figure Mayor C. Ray Nagin is just as guilty as Gov Blanco. He should have used every bus in his city to get his people out no matter what! He has NO excuse for letting people die in his city.

Think about your own cities Mayor's. I don't like Mayor Michael Coleman's politics (dem) but I know he would have moved heaven and earth to protect the people of Columbus. There sure wouldn't have been any buss setting around in the water here.

And would your Mayor stand still while your Gov starved you? Would your Mayor be blaming the President while your Gov turned back the Red Cross, The Salvation Army and anyone else who tried to help save you?

I don't think so. I know ours wouldn't. I know ours would have screaming to every media outlet that he could if our Gov wouldn't let his people be helped.

So, the way I see it, Mayor Nagin is just as guilty as Gov Blanco.

[MNJohnnie]

Where are we going to send them?" [new Nagin supporter] Brown asked. To all the shelters established by the State's Emergency Operation plan! There were loads of inland Red Cross certified shelters provisioned and ready to go. All they ended up lacking was refugees from the mayor.

THANK YOU! That is the piece we needed. Got a source for this by any chance so I can add it to my armory of facts I am emailing every damn "professional journalists" I can get my hands on?

[BurbankKarl]

[PilloryHillary]

WaPo made excuses for him.
If he forced the evacuation, where would he have put the people?
Read it........It's still Bush's fault!

What you said! I don't think this is an article defending President Bush or the feds.

[edsheppa]

Two officers committed suicide since the hurricane hit, and at least a couple hundred remain unaccounted for. Capt. Marlon Defillo of the New Orleans Police Department said some have had trouble getting through, and some -- like other residents -- were trapped in their homes. Others, he said, may have died.

Just when you think you've heard it all. This is criminal negligence on the part of the city administration. Every single fire fighter, police officer, paramedic etc. in the city should have been summoned to duty before the storm hit.

[ncountylee]

"They were destroyed. So were most of the other municipal assets, fire trucks, police cars, .............."

Some cop cars made to Houston, probably loaded with looted goods.

[Hilltop]

"He wasn't acting like a brother."

I'm sick of blacks claiming primacy over poverty. That's quite a goal to continue to exclaim.

Look to West Virginia, the mobile home parks in Florida, tenements in Philadelphia, twenty legal Americans from Mexico living in a two bedroom apartment.

Cuban Americans that sacrificed all, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, that assimilated into American life and prosper and some struggle.

Screw this politically correct crap. Don't blame me, don't expect me to fund your bad choices, and most of all, don't blame me because an act of God affected you the same as it affected other races.

Ban me, flame me. I don't really care.

What I do care about is ending this self-pity, this thuggish behaviour, this self righteousness rooted in greed, and the lack of responsibility for the choices one makes.

Just damn.

"He wasn't acting like a brother,"

What a crock of $hit.

[edsheppa]

But Hogan said it would be unwise for any of them, especially Nagin, to keep the fight going. "The Bush administration has the upper hand because they have the apparatus in place to come up with fingers to point," he said. "They have surrogates. They have a huge network that can help them through talk radio and national radio. They have talking points. State and local governments in Louisiana aren't in the propaganda mode. They don't have the ability to fight back. They are in the rescue and rebuilding mode."

LOL

[drpix]

"Nagin, 49, is a 1978 graduate of Tuskegee University. He was a cable television executive at Cox Communications with no previous political experience when he was elected in 2002."

Finally an answer for all who've those who wondered why Ragin Nagin was missing immediately before and after the hurricane and flood:

HE WAS "THE CABLE GUY"

[JohnD9207]

He wasn't acting like a brother," said Brown, 60, a former member of the Black Panther organization. But after Nagin defiantly told the feds -- and indirectly President Bush -- to get off their "asses" and do some work, Brown became a fan.

With all respect due to your opinion, you are just another stupid son of a racist bastard! Also you are easily fooled again. Didn't O.J. discover his black side when his butt was in trouble for MURDERING his wife. Before that the only black folks he knew were former players, and the guy who caddied for him when he played golf.

Now that Hagin's butt is in a crack he has discovered his roots and is screaming like an oppressed victim. Now you like his butt, because he is now acting like a brother. Fooled again Mr. Brown, if he gets out of trouble, which I doubt, he will piss you off once again. Who is the fool????

[lonestar]

Why did it take 12 hours to have the Astrodome ready to receive the evacuees? Oh! I forgot. They had a plan and actually put it to work!

[DeeOhGee]

Good for the NRA!

[Redbob]

"Obviously haven't heard Mary Landeru recently."

That's because she's deathly afraid someone's going to bring up the gross negligence of FORMER New Orleans mayors- like "Moon" Landrieu...

[spunkets]

nagin and blanco, the ditzy twits.

[Redbob]

DAllas!

Know-Nothing Nagin is in DALLAS!

PLEASE take him back!

[Pittsburg Phil]

What can you expect from New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin?

New Orleans is a welfare city. If the people there can't earn a living themselves how can you expect them to be able to select a compentent mayor. The fact is they can't and they didn't and this Negin is the result.

As for Negin, he himself has a welfare mentality himself - always looking for someone else to do things for you.

[BurbankKarl]

They are in Dallas divvying up the FEMA money...the top 40 families in New Orleans, drawing up which poor neighborhoods to redline and not rebuild.

[Shermy]

"This can't be downplayed forever."

Well, what did he do wrong except call for an evacuation a day earlier? He's to blame for police leaving?

Nagin is the target of the Dems. It's about controlling the reconstruction money and protecting Blanco's involvement.

She immediately curried the Clintonites protection by hiring Witt. "Conservatives" unwitting partners in the Nagin/Bush blame game.

[gitmo]

"The Bush administration has the upper hand because they have the apparatus in place to come up with fingers to point," he said. "They have surrogates. They have a huge network that can help them through talk radio and national radio. They have talking points. State and local governments in Louisiana aren't in the propaganda mode. They don't have the ability to fight back. They are in the rescue and rebuilding mode."

Unbelievable. Major hallucinations.