Nagin: Katrina Aid Slowed By Racism

New Orleans Mayor Also Blames Red Tape For City's Sluggish Recovery

(AP)  New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Friday blamed racism and government bureaucracy for hamstringing his city's ability to weather Hurricane Katrina and recover from the disaster that struck the Gulf Coast nearly a year ago.

In remarks to the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists, Nagin said the hurricane “exposed the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class.”

“And I, to this day, believe that if that would have happened in Orange County, California, if that would have happened in South Beach, Miami, it would have been a different response,” Nagin said.

New Orleans was 60 percent black before Katrina struck Aug. 29. Early this year the mayor called on fellow blacks to again make New Orleans a “chocolate” city, but he later apologized.

On Friday, Nagin condemned federal regulations that discourage rebuilding in the largely black and low-lying Ninth Ward.

While tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have flowed to Louisiana and other states devastated by Katrina, much of it has gone to developers and contractors, Nagin said.

“Very little of those dollars have gotten to the local governments or to the people themselves,” Nagin said.

Katrina dispersed three-quarters of New Orleans' pre-hurricane population of about 460,000 people, and today it's a city of about 250,000. Nagin suggested that Louisiana and federal officials would prefer the city remain smaller.

He said the city is struggling to deliver services and rebuild with a quarter of its former municipal budget. The federal and state aid the city has received is inadequate and comes with too many rules, he said.

“We are being strangled, and they're using the money to set local policies to try to take control of the city to do things that they had in mind all along, and that's to shrink the footprint, get a bunch of developers in the city, and try to do things in a different way,” Nagin said.

“We're not going to let that happen. They're going to give us our money, and we're going to rebuild this city.”

[powellj06]

It is inconceivable that Ray Nagin would even show his face in public after his blatant dereliction of duty before, during, and after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. His actions (or lack of) clearly define him as an imcompetent, selfish and cowardly individual whose public authority should be limited to that of sanitation (garbage truck) worker. Even in that capacity, he needs to be monitored closely.

Ray Nagin is a disgrace to the people of New Orleans, the Republican Party and the United States of America!

[recon17]

It doesn't surprise me that Mayor Nagin would use the race card before a black audience. I believe that is the way they can count on support and favor in those situations. I wonder, however, how loud the outcries would have been if the mayor of New Orleans(sorry I mean Chocolate City)would have been white? I suspect it would be thundering with riots in the streets.

[limonator]

I went to NO to help and support the effort - and left, due to Nagin, what an idiot. I was shocked that he was re-elected. The main reason "support" is falling off, is his daily use of the race card. Everyone I knew who went (and left) because "people" needed help. Get rid of Nagin and his total lack of leadership, and things will improve in NO a whole lot faster. The support of the NO rebuild effort would have been a whole lot less - if America could have listened to the local radio stations there, they supported and broadast all the stupid stuff Nagin says and does. Stupid is as stupid does..

[Ruby38]

Mr. Nagin sounds upset because the money has not landed in his pocket yet! If I had a devastating storm in my yard, I could not expect the government to rescue me right away, in this world the only one we can depend on is ourselves to protect our children, that is why people need to heed the warnings!!

[frankbowers]

not racism it is the corruption both by the federal government and your state the money has been thrown away so as to speak. To many rich cats getting very rich at the tax payers expense and you and the governor just stood and watched the multiple layer contractors where it was sold back and forth and the men and women down there was left with nothing but a bloody mess. gw bush and *** cheney sat on their hands ( i WONDER WHERE THEIR FINGERS WERE) while this was going on and said nothing I wonder how much they scalped out of the billions. In the catholic church tonight they were taking up another collection and i let it pass as I have did enough while you policticians stood there and laughed in you suits of blue with the red necktie. THE VERY BEST OF GOOD BYES TO THE LACK OF ALL OF YOU FRANK BOWERS HERE IN AUSTIN, TX

[mochapman522]

Is it suprising that there remains a mentality of entitlement in New Orleans. As Ray Nagin says in the last statement in this article - "they're going to give us our money". There has already over 1 billion dollars wasted through fraud and abuse. How much more can we stand?