Posted on 05/26/2006 9:21:17 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
I’ll be brief this time about Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans. Due to stupidity and incompetence, he did not carry out the evacuation plan for his city. As a result, more than a thousand of his constituents died, and tens of thousands suffered personal disaster, and had to be rescued by the Coast Guard and the National Guard.
There was an established evacuation plan for Southern Louisiana, dated 1 January, 2004. Local and national media were incompetent in not reporting this plan and its details. The salient point was that the mandatory evacuation had to be called early, to get the people out. It specifically called for “public buses” to carry to safety those who “did not have access to private transportation.”
It was part of the duties of the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans to know this plan, and carry it out. Both failed miserably. Mayor Nagin evacuated to Baton Rouge, but he left public buses sitting in their parking lots, so both the buses and thousands of citizens were drowned where they were.
What was the result of Mayor Nagin’s deadly incompetence? Well, he was just reelected for a new term. Nagin is a mouthy fool who will fail in his new term as he did in the one just ending. But what does this say about the people and voters of New Orleans?
Consider your average third-world nation. They are mired in grinding poverty. Crime is commonplace. The governments tend to be kleptocracies. The only visible skills of the leaders of these countries are to make semi-literate justifications of their “policies” and to attack their opponents. The only difference between such leaders and Mayor Nagin is that it doesn’t seem that Nagin has been stealing money. Other than that, the match is perfect.
Why in the world did a majority of the voters in the City vote to reelect this incompetent buffoon? Well, it shows that in the view of the people of New Orleans, neither stupidity nor incompetence are disqualifying qualities in a potential civic “leader.”
Unfortunately, that leaves Nagin sitting astride the planning for the rebuilding of the City. Based on his prior, abysmal understanding, he will probably insist that the City be rebuilt as is, and where is, but with “better levees.” That only kicks the can down the road, and guarantees there will be another catastrophic flood there with more thousands killed. Another, inevitable Nagin legacy.
The City can be successfully rebuilt to withstand the worst of storms. See “The Hart-Miller Solution to the New Orleans Problem” I wrote more than a year ago. But understanding that engineering – the same thing that Galveston did privately after its horrendous death rate from a hurricane a century ago – is beyond Nagin’s capacity to understand, much less implement.
Perhaps returning this unintentional clown to the Mayor’s office was an aberration. That will be tested this fall, as Rep. William Jefferson seeks reelection as the Congressman representing primarily New Orleans. Apparently, federal prosecutors have him on tape accepting a $100,000 bribe, and found $90,000 of that in his home freezer, wrapped in tin foil. Jefferson claims he “did nothing wrong.” I’ve been around the barn a few times and never encountered the hiding of C-notes like that, except when the money was “hot” and the result of criminal activity.
Jefferson said the prosecutors were “trying to embarrass him.” No, they are trying to put him in jail, which they should do with all politicians who accept bribes. As an experienced lawyer, I conclude that Jefferson is shortly going to be convicted and sent to prison. That’s the same fate as Rep. Duke Cunningham of California. Perhaps Jefferson thinks he can play the race card and avoid conviction, despite evidence that is more solid on him than on Cunningham.
And old case comes to mind. Then-judge Alcee Hastings, now Congressman, beat the rap for taking a bribe for leniency to major drug dealers even though William Borders, the man who bribed him, was convicted. That’s Jefferson’s situation, now. The man who paid the bribe to him has pleaded guilty, yet he still claims he “did nothing wrong.”
So, what will it mean if the City reelects Rep. Jefferson? It’ll mean corruption is also not a disqualifier for public servants in the Big Easy. It’s not even necessary that candidates talk a good game. Jefferson, like Nagin, demonstrates himself to be a public fool, counting on his voters to share his foolishness and elect him nonetheless.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (who grew up in the corruption of Baltimore City politics) is trying to make “the culture of corruption” an issue against the Republicans in the November. Self-evidently the issue falls apart if the Democrats cannot dump their own corrupt candidates, like Rep. Jefferson.
I expect the Democrats will eighty-six Rep. Jefferson before the election. But, if he remains on the ballot, will the bone-headed voters of New Orleans will reward him with another term in Congress? If so, that’ll confirm the voters of the City are incapable of self-government with even the pretense of intelligence, competence, and honesty.
As H. L. Mencken wrote, “The American people get the government they deserve, good and hard.”
About the Author: John Armor still might be a candidate for Congress in the 11th District of North Carolina. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
John / Billybob
Is that the mayor's new gay porn title?
Don't know who's the more stupid Ray Nagin and Marion Berry or the people that keep voting them in office.
There's something that needs to be noted-- Ray Nagin's opponent was no prize, either. Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu is nothing more than a sleazy hack looking for a political stepping stone. If his name rings a bell, it's because his father was once Mayor of New Orleans and his sister is U.S. Senator.
Ray Nagin won a number of white voters who didn't want the Landrieu family taking over the state.
IF TED KEENEDY CAN GET RE ELECTED ANYONE EVEN BOZO THE CLOWN
It's been said people get the government they deserve. I'd say that was accurate.
""So, what will it mean if the City reelects Rep. Jefferson? It’ll mean corruption is also not a disqualifier for public servants in the Big Easy. It’s not even necessary that candidates talk a good game. Jefferson, like Nagin, demonstrates himself to be a public fool, counting on his voters to share his foolishness and elect him nonetheless.""
The history of New Orleans in a nutshell. Perfect Mencken quote. If you have a ping list, please add me to it.
Quite the understatement. Pelosi's family was up to their elbows in corrupt money from schemes they operated.
""Ray Nagin won a number of white voters who didn't want the Landrieu family taking over the state.""
Hey, that makes perfect sense!
Bump and Ping
No one deserves Ray Nagin. Certainly not the people that voted for someone else. I wondered if my eyesight was failing when I read he was re-elected.
The Alantis project = Rebuild New Orleans..
Tey can't handle the truth.
"No one deserves Ray Nagin. Certainly not the people that voted for someone else."
You have a point there. I used to love New Orleans but now I think it's a lost cause. Most people I know who left aren't going back. Those who are get out-voted by the bus-ins.
What does it say about the quality of mayoral candidates if Nagin is the BEST they can come up with?
Ping!
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