Nagin Sorry For WTC Comments

Mayor Criticized New York 'Hole In The Ground' On '60 Minutes'

(CBS/AP)  New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says he's sorry he used the term "hole in the ground" to describe the World Trade Center site.

"I wish I would have basically said that it was an undeveloped site, which it is," he said Sunday on "Meet the Press."

Nagin had criticized efforts to redevelop the World Trade Center site following the Sept. 11 attacks when confronted about delays in rebuilding his city after Hurricane Katrina.

During a 60 minutes interview, CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts pointed out flood-damaged cars still on the streets of New Orleans' devastated Ninth Ward. Nagin replied, "You guys in New York can't get a hole in the ground fixed, and it's five years later. So let's be fair."

The 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday night.

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Read the full 60 Minutes story.
Watch a clip of Nagin's comments.

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Nagin told NBC he didn't mean to offend anyone.

"I meant no disrespect for anyone," he said.

"I have seen death, I have the destruction, and I was just using it as a comparison to show how difficult it is for people to rebuild after a major disaster."

He said he was sorry to the families of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and believe the World Trade Center site is sacred ground.

[pegster14]

Ray Nagin's comment about the hole in the ground was completely uncalled for, that would be like compairing apples and oranges. The WTC was caused by terrorists and New Orleans was devasted by a natural disaster.....Mr. Nagin needs to pull his head out!!!!!

[lindaraby]

My husband and I watched the show last night and we were both shocked and dumbfounded when the picture of the debutantes flashed across the screen. We sat there, waiting for "60 Minutes" to comment on the picture. Nothing. Just flash the picture, and no comment. Amazing. This is 2006 not 1966. I am saddened that a show such as 60 Minutes would NOT comment on the contents of that particular picture. I'm even more saddedend that people today would choose to wear costumes obviously designed in the fashion of the KKK, and that the debutantes would pose proudly with them. Sad.

[ronniehm]

It's kind of funny that Nagin didn't note the difference between a hole in the ground and the entire Gulf coast when he was complaining about the rescue operations. A year ago he seemed to think the response times should have been about the same.

[creole127]

As a native of New Orleans: If you think race isn't a big issue in New Orleans, you're sadly mistaken & likely insulated from harsh reality. New Orleans is a 3rd World City in the US. The economy thrives on tourism. There isn't enough non-hospitality big business to support the city's development. To anyone thinking this isn't a racial affair, recognize that many of the effected people were those living in low lying/dredged areas further from the city &thus more affordable. In Orleans parish (Nagin%u2019s area), many of these were black. In St. Bernard &elsewhere, they weren't. I digress%u2026while there are a number of people who abuse federal systems &look to handouts, there are greater numbers of people who don%u2019t have the resources to do repair work w/o aid. Many ignorant comments have been made in response to Nagin's 'hole in the ground' remark. In context: NYC-buildings were destroyed, many lives lost, etc... NOLA-the whole city was decimated. In other words, there are a lot less people available to do the necessary clean up work. Even worse is that there hasn't been a centrally coordinated effort to rebuild the city b/c of the proclivity to prideful humanitarianism. Before anyone offers an opinion, you should have a greater knowledge base from which to draw upon so that your thoughts are credible. Besides, the press is blowing Nagin's comments out of proportion to compensate for the lack of big news.

[creole127]

As a native of New Orleans: If you think race isn't a big issue in New Orleans, you're sadly mistaken & likely insulated from harsh reality. New Orleans is a 3rd World City in the US. The economy thrives on tourism. There isn't enough non-hospitality big business to support the city's development. To anyone thinking this isn't a racial affair, recognize that many of the effected people were those living in low lying/dredged areas further from the city &thus more affordable. In Orleans parish (Nagin%u2019s area), many of these were black. In St. Bernard &elsewhere, they weren't. I digress%u2026while there are a number of people who abuse federal systems &look to handouts, there are greater numbers of people who don%u2019t have the resources to do repair work w/o aid. Many ignorant comments have been made in response to Nagin's 'hole in the ground' remark. In context: NYC-buildings were destroyed, many lives lost, etc... NOLA-the whole city was decimated. In other words, there are a lot less people available to do the necessary clean up work. Even worse is that there hasn't been a centrally coordinated effort to rebuild the city b/c of the proclivity to prideful humanitarianism. Before anyone offers an opinion, you should have a greater knowledge base from which to draw upon so that your thoughts are credible. Besides, the press is blowing Nagin's comments out of proportion to compensate for the lack of big news.

[creole127]

As a native of New Orleans: If you think race isn't a big issue in New Orleans, you're sadly mistaken & likely insulated from harsh reality. New Orleans is a 3rd World City in the US. The economy thrives on tourism. There isn't enough non-hospitality big business to support the city's development. To anyone thinking this isn't a racial affair, recognize that many of the effected people were those living in low lying/dredged areas further from the city &thus more affordable. In Orleans parish (Nagin%u2019s area), many of these were black. In St. Bernard &elsewhere, they weren't. I digress%u2026while there are a number of people who abuse federal systems &look to handouts, there are greater numbers of people who don%u2019t have the resources to do repair work w/o aid. Many ignorant comments have been made in response to Nagin's 'hole in the ground' remark. In context: NYC-buildings were destroyed, many lives lost, etc... NOLA-the whole city was decimated. In other words, there are a lot less people available to do the necessary clean up work. Even worse is that there hasn't been a centrally coordinated effort to rebuild the city b/c of the proclivity to prideful humanitarianism. Before anyone offers an opinion, you should have a greater knowledge base from which to draw upon so that your thoughts are credible. Besides, the press is blowing Nagin's comments out of proportion to compensate for the lack of big news.

[tonnie45]

I do not believe that this storm had anything to do with "black or white". I also don't think that the clean up efforts have anything to do with "black or white". Everyone saying the only reason N.O. has not been cleaned up is due to the fact of race, has a problem within themselves. Get a grip people. You are all fussing about the clean up effort, instead of blaming "THE WHITE PEOPLE", GET UP OFF YOUR RACIST A** AND CLEAN UP YOUR SELF. Stop waiting for hand outs. At some point you have to stop depending on the Gov't to save you, and take the gumption to do it your self. If you have a car that needs towed, the do it. If your house is a wreck and your yard. Get up and clean it, Stop waiting for a hand out. If the "chocolate city" would pull together instead of apart they could get something accomplished.

[weatherwitch]

This guy is one of the biggest clowns on the planet; the people of New Orleans deserve him. I cannot believe they voted him in again. All he does is point fingers at everyone else when he is just as guilty of failing to do his job as the rest of the politicians he talks about. Calling the WTC site a %u201Chole in the ground%u201D is absurd what those volunteers did at the site was nothing short of miraculous. They had it to a %u201Chole in the ground in a year%u201D, maybe if Nagin and the rest of the loser politicians got out of the way the people and volunteers could get New Orleans back on its feet.

[laczarina]

Oh, please don't get the wrong idea about the Mardi Gras balls!! People are NOT dressed in KKK attire. They are wearing traditional Mardi Gras costumes that often have hoods and masks, but have been around far longer than the KKK and are in no way connected to or representative of the KKK. The costumes come from medieval Italian and French costumes and are designed to parody nobility. There is no racist message behind any of this. Please don't jump to conclusions without knowing the whole story.

[murbyjo]

I was on this site last night and there were NUMEROUS comments regarding the men in white hoods behind the debutantes at the ball they showed in New Orleans. I saw at least 12 comments or so yet they seem to have disappeared. Obviously, lots of people want an explanation for why you would show a fleeting image of one of the most racist icons of all time at a debutante ball without even addressing it. Since you are a respected news program, not addressing it definitely begged the question as to whether it was deliberately ignored or not. Now it seems all the comments regarding the KKK attire, and there were plenty, have been removed. What is going on?!?!?