Posted on 10/11/2005 7:45:34 AM PDT by Crackingham
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said on Monday he plans to ask President George W. Bush for help in supporting the city, which is quickly running out of money, over the next three months. Bush, on his eighth trip to Gulf Coast since it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, was to meet the mayor for dinner in New Orleans on Monday.
"I'm going to talk to him about what it's going to take to keep this city going over the next three months and ask him to support us in the short term," Nagin told reporters after meeting with his 17-member "Bring Back New Orleans" commission at the city's Sheraton Hotel.
When asked if he would be asking Bush for financial support, Nagin did not answer. Last week, Nagin said New Orleans would lay off about 40 percent of its city workers and warned of further belt-tightening if it did not receive additional funding in the next couple of months.
Bush arrived in New Orleans on Monday for a two-day visit to the region and will meet with local officials to show support for efforts to rebuild the devastated area. The death toll from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana has now reached 1,021, according to state officials.
Bush will be joined at dinner by members of Nagin's commission. During a nearly four-hour meeting on Monday, the commission discussed efforts to help residents return to New Orleans and received updates on everything from garbage removal to electricity and the water supply.
The mayor also defended his plan to build a casino zone near the historic French Quarter, a move he later told reporters had received mixed reactions from the public.
"We got better organized, we allowed people to kind of get some of the issues on the table," Nagin said of the meeting, during which seven subcommittees were formed to address issues such as education, urban planning, and economic development.
He wants more of our money...amazing.
Ray's going to find out why he should have kept his words short and sweet in the past.
'Cause now he's going to have to eat them.
First Nagin hates Bush, now he's approaching him with his hand out...again.
This guy reminds me of Marion Barry. Mr. Nagin has no shame either.
BTW, Mr. Barry, now a DC City Council member, is trying to cut a deal with the IRS to avoid jail time. Reportedly, Mr. Barry has not paid taxes since 1998. Gee, what a guy.
Yeah, police thugs don't pummel sixty year old men for free.
Bush should tell Nagin to kiss a$$.
Yep. Good luck with that one, Ray!
...then Bush will write a check for $800 billion with no accountability!
Does this surprise you? Just think... Nagin is only one of many who think like this.
No more insults??
"Bush should tell Nagin to kiss a$$."
He shouldn't have too.
All he has to tell the Mayor is "go see Mary Landrieu and ask her for some of the $62 BILLION I already gave."
Mayor Nagin continues to have one bad idea after another. He is desperately searching for a plan, and continue to come up empty. The people of NO need to demand a 'no confidence' vote and get themselves a new Mayor immediately.
This is a state issue.
What people of New Orleans? It would have to be done with absentee ballots with no one knowing where to send them.
Unless the democrats can pull off some NJ style shenanigans, there should be a republican mayor in NO come February!
With someone else in charge of it!
Let's rebuild N.O. - Bush's way!
Oh, cripes - is he gonna cry again? Where's a strategic lightening strike when you need one?
Nagin sure has got a lot of nerve asking the president to bankroll his rich lifestyle he has become accustomed too after insulting him and getting caught in one lie after another.
I like what Bigh4u2 said about Bush:
"All he has to tell the Mayor is go see Mary Landrieu and ask her for some of the $62 BILLION I already gave."
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