Mayor seeks `partners' to rebuild New Orleans

chicagotribune.com ^ | 06/14/06 | Mary Ann Fergus

[Ellesu]

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin visited Chicago on Tuesday as part of a national tour in which he's calling on "partners" to help re-build his hurricane-ravaged city, a project he estimated could take 7 to 10 years

"My white-chocolate friends, come on down," Nagin said. "My medium-chocolate friends, come on down. And my dark-chocolate friends, definitely come on down."

[Ellesu]

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"It exposed poverty, it exposed racism and it exposed a government that was overwhelmed and was not capable--and is still not capable--of dealing with a disaster of that magnitude."

No, Ray, it exposed YOU.

[winston2]

Nagin can kiss the brown area of my bottom.

[Doogle]

[roaddog727]

Gee.

I'm now considered to be "White Chocolate" and not a Cracker?

Just Damn.

[garyhope]

Did he really say again all this "chocolate" comments? He's such a racist. Does he get called on it?

Imagine a white mayor of a town inviting all his "white" friends to "definately come on down". Imagine the so called MSM going nuts about it.

[OXENinFLA]

"My white-chocolate friends, come on down," Nagin said. "My medium-chocolate friends, come on down. And my dark-chocolate friends, definitely come on down."

No way! That's a real quote from him?!?!?!

[D-fendr]

When finding himself in a hole dug by his comments about chocolate, Nagin digs some more.

[Dog Gone]

This is just despicable. Why is there such a double standard for blatantly racist remarks?

Could any politician call for "really white" people to come do something?

Look at what Trent Lott said and how he was punished. It doesn't even begin to compare.

[OXENinFLA]

The hurricane, Nagin said, was an "unimaginable event," one he implied may have been designated by God.

Before Katrina, Nagin said, New Orleans was a city of "haves and have nots," with one of the highest rates of poverty, one of the worst public school systems in the nation and a high percentage of young males involved in crime.

"Then, you know, God looked down on that and said, `You know, I need to change that'," Nagin said. "And then Katrina happened. And in the midst of all that devastation, God is now allowing us to have an opportunity to reset the table, and that was what the election was all about."

---

Wow.....what a nutter....

[prairiebreeze]

your tagline requied ping, maggief

[mhking]

Translation - I want your money.

[prairiebreeze]

requied = required

[jammer]

I'm now considered to be "White Chocolate" and not a Cracker?

Only when he's grovelling for money.

[Quilla]

I have property that was slightly damaged in New Orleans during Katrina. Property managers inform me intermittently on the progress of restoration. The biggest hurdle is the City of New Orleans. I understand it is a "skeleton structure at best". Thousands of employees have left and there are not adequate funds to pay the ones who remained behind. (Where did the billion of allocated dollars go, Mr. Nagin?) For example, the entire Parrish of New Orleans has a five person crew to maintain all green belts and City parks.

The permitting process is slow as molasses, the necessary proposed repair approval takes months to clear the City, and limited infrastructure, qualified contractors, and necessary materials add to the challenges. The City is run by a moron (think school buses) who has no clue how to handle a project of this magnitude.

[CrazyIvan]

"My white-chocolate friends, come on down," Nagin said. "My medium-chocolate friends, come on down. And my dark-chocolate friends, definitely come on down."

Is this a recipe for a city, or a candy bar? Lots of nuts and chocolate.

[ClaireSolt]

That is my dream. Send all the bureaucrats off, riding into the sunset.

[P-40]

I'm now considered to be "White Chocolate" and not a Cracker?

Yes....sad but true. I just had to fire Cracker Jack as my spokesperson. He'll just have to find another caramel coated corn product to represent.

[sweet_diane]

You know...everytime I hear this man speak or read his words I have less and less desire to spend my money in Norlins, which is sad. My earliest childhood memories are PoBoys at Schweggman's.(sp?) My early introduction to human language was listening to the unique dialect of the area at the grocery store and on TV. All the sights, sounds (Al Hirt), smells (from sulpher water to gingerbread).... just not the same anymore.

In my humble opinion, what was exposed is the epidemic of the entitlement mentality. While the rest of the Gulf Coast was bracing for Katrina... Nagin was "letting the good times roll". How could he NOT know Katrina was going to mow thru the area when way over here in Mobile we knew it for 4 days before landfall? Am I the only one who remembers the pre Katrina presser with Nagin and Blanco looking flabbergasted that a hurricane might actually head their under sea level way? DUH! You don't run a city or a state on the Gulf Coast and NOT prepare for a major hurricane. As my Old South breeding would say.."that's just not done". You EXPECT a major hurricane to eventually make it to your area. Again, I say DUH!

ok...rant over.