Ray Nagin
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Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is the mayor of New Orleans. He was first elected on March 2, 2002, to succeed his fellow Democrat, Marc Morial. Nagin gained international attention in 2005 for his handling of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area. He was reelected to a second term on May 20, 2006.
Nagin (pronounced NAY-ghin) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to a Creole family. He spent his early years in the Seventh Ward, until his family moved to the New Aurora section of Algiers in the early 1970s. He graduated from O. Perry Walker High School[link] and received a BS in accounting from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1978 and an MBA from Tulane University in 1994. He and his wife, Seletha Smith Nagin, have three children—Jeremy, Jarin, and Tianna.
Before his election in 2002, Nagin had never held public office; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a cable company and subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Nagin is a lifelong Democrat, although he did give contributions periodically to candidates of both parties, including Republican President George W. Bush [WSJ] and Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as Democratic Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. earlier in the decade.
2002 mayoral election
Nagin entered the race for mayor after other candidates better known on the local political scene. Nagin's candidacy was at first considered a long shot, and he was not backed by any of the city's established political organizations. However, many voters favored Nagin's expressions of disgust with traditional Louisiana politics, including promises to fight political corruption and run the city in a more businesslike manner. Shortly before the primary mayoral election, Gambit Weekly endorsed Nagin as a reformer, giving him crucial momentum that would carry through the primary and subsequent runoff.
In the first round of the crowded mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin received first place with 29 percent of the vote, against opponents such as Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, City Councilman Troy Carter and others. In the runoff with Pennington in March 2002, Nagin won with 59 percent of the vote. His campaign was largely self-financed. Nagin received 85% of the white vote and 40% of the black vote.
Nagin as mayor
Shortly after taking office, Nagin launched an anti-corruption campaign within city government, including crackdowns on the city's Taxicab Bureau and Utilities Department. Media scenes of corrupt officials being led out of City Hall in handcuffs were received with surprised enthusiasm by much of the public. When an investigation into corruption among city vehicle inspection certification workers (locally known as "brake tag inspection") suggested that corruption was systemic, Nagin fired the entire department workforce. He declared a month-long hiatus on inspections and a moratorium on ticketing for expired tags while an entirely new force of employees were hired and trained for the city's brake tag inspection stations. Nagin's actions were viewed with surprise, given the state's history of preferential political treatment for people with social or family connections. Indeed, when Nagin was asked what should be done about his cousin, who was implicated in the taxi cab bureau scandals, Nagin said "if he's guilty, arrest him." Nagin's cousin was later arrested.Nagin often clashed with the New Orleans City Council, and as a result failed to get their support for proposed legislation he favored. He was criticized for often publicly announcing new programs or proposed policies without having them vetted by other city leaders.
As Hurricane Ivan threatened the Gulf of Mexico in September of 2004, Nagin urged New Orleanians to be ready for the storm, preferably to evacuate with some "Benjamins" ($100 bills) handy, and urged any who planned to stay to not only stock up on food and water but also to make sure they had "an axe in the attic", a reference to the many people trapped in their attics by rising floodwaters when Hurricane Betsy hit the city in 1965. Nagin issued a call for a voluntary evacuation of the city at 6 p.m. on September 13. Some 600,000 New Orleanians left. Thousands were stuck in highway traffic for 12 or even 24 hours. The hurricane missed the city.
Nagin controversially endorsed conservative Republican Bobby Jindal over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco in the 2003 runoff for governor. He only reluctantly endorsed the Democratic candidate, U.S. Senator John Kerry, in the 2004 presidential race.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 26, 2005, the National Hurricane Center predicted for the first time that Hurricane Katrina would become a Category 4 storm, and thus exceed the design limits of the New Orleans levees. [National Weather Service], National Hurricane Center, discussion 15, August 26, 2005 That same day, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency. [Hurricane KATRINA Advisory Archive] - National Weather Service
On August 26 Mayor Nagin advised New Orleanians to keep a close eye on the storm and prepare for evacuation. He made various statements encouraging people to leave without officially calling for an evacuation throughout the 27th, and issued a voluntary evacuation request late in the day. He stressed the potential danger posed by Katrina by saying "This is not a test. This is the real deal." He was hesitant to order a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses. [Katrina Takes Aim] - Bruce Nolan, New Orleans Times Picayune, August 28, 2005
On Sunday August 28, Katrina became a Category 4 hurricane [Hurricane Tracking Archive] - wunderground.com, and Nagin declared a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, the first in the city's history, and the first for a U.S. city of this size since the American Civil War. From dawn Sunday morning on New Orleans radio and television repeatedly broadcasts Nagin's calls for everybody to leave town as quickly and safely possible, with the thought that they may never be able to return. He declared the Superdome as a shelter of last resort to those who couldn't leave. State governor-controlled National Guard troops were stationed inside the Superdome to screen refugees for weapons and feed the citizens gathered there [The poor and frail flock to Superdome for safety from Katrina], Mary Foster, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 28, 2005 [From The Archives] - New Orleans Times Picayune, August 2005 yet the situation within the Superdome became very difficult for evacuees. [Exclusive: Brits' Hell Inside The Terror Dome] - Ryan Parry, Mirror.co.uk, September 2, 2005
Katrina shifted eastward approximately 15 miles from its expected landfall point, which was to be a direct hit on the city of New Orleans, only a couple of hours prior to making landfall, minimizing the anticipated wind damage to the city. Several levees and flood walls were breached a few hours after landfall, and within 24 hours up to 80% of the city was flooded. An estimated 90,000 were still in the city when the hurricane made landfall on August 29, causing severe damage to most of New Orleans. See: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
Criticism of relief efforts
As part of what was apparently a larger effort to fix responsibility for inadequate response, Michael Chertoff, secretary of Homeland Security, explained on September 4 that "The way that emergency operations act under the law is, the responsibility and the power, the authority, to order an evacuation rests with state and local officials. The federal government comes in and supports those officials." [White House Enacts a Plan to Ease Political Damage], Adam Nagourney and Anne E. Kornblut, The New York Times, September 5, 2005
On September 4, President Bush responded to Nagin's criticism by focusing on the failings of state and local authorities, stating that the disaster's magnitude "created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable." [Many evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting] - Manuel Roig-Franzia and Spencer Hsu, Washington Post, September 4, 2005 [President Addresses Nation, Discusses Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts] - transcript, provided by The White House, September 3, 2005
Controversy
Some newspaper editorial writers have criticized Nagin for not handling evacuation procedures properly and, in particular, for allowing hundreds of New Orleans' buses — which might have been used for evacuating poor or elderly people — to sit idle in parking lots that were part of the first sections of the city flooded. [Comedy of deadly errors] - Ralph R. Reiland, Pittsburgh Live, September 19, 2005 In the September 1 interview, he said driving school buses had been proposed, and that he wanted every Greyhound bus line moving to New Orleans. On a September 11 appearance on Meet the Press, Nagin said the buses sat unused because there was no one to drive them. [Transcript for September 11] - MSNBC transcript of interview on September 11, 2005 with Ray Nagin, Arlen Specter, John Barry, and Ivor van HeerdenAfter Katrina: Continued controversy
At a town hall meeting in October 2005, Nagin said: "I can see in your eyes, you want to know, 'How do I take advantage of this incredible opportunity? How do I make sure New Orleans is not overrun with Mexican workers?'" [Baltimore Sun], referring to the influx of Mexican laborers coming to New Orleans to help rebuild the city. Hispanic groups, including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, criticized Nagin's statement as prejudiced [USHCC Deplores Remarks by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Regarding Mexican Workers and the Rebuilding of New Orleans] - Hispanic PR Wire, October 19, 2005, although those attending the town hall meeting reportedly applauded — many in the area believe the jobs should instead go to local workers displaced by the hurricane.Elections for Mayor and City Council members had been scheduled for November 2005, but these were postponed due to the devastation after Katrina and the many New Orleanians still living out of the city.
In an interview with Public Radio International's Tavis Smiley originally broadcast on January 13, 2006, Nagin said that he has never been a Republican and is a "life-long Democrat." Also in that interview, Nagin used the phrase "chocolate city" in reference to New Orleans' future demographics, a term that would become troublesome for him just a few days later. The idea for a "Chocolate City" originated with the popular 1970s-era musical band Parliament.
A book by historian Douglas Brinkley titled The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast assails Nagin for his response to Hurricane Katrina. The book relies on people closely involved in the disaster relief effort to provide insight into Nagin's behavior the days and weeks following the catastrophic event. For example, Kathleen Blanco is quoted describing Nagin as "a total void" and "falling apart". For his part, Nagin has questioned the timing of the book's release, coming less than 2 weeks prior to the Mayor's runoff election, and has called the book "a political hit." [link]
The Martin Luther King Day / \"Chocolate City\" speech
At a Martin Luther King Day celebration in New Orleans on January 16, 2006, the mayor gave a speech that created new controversy, with comments that many observers felt increased racial divides and neighborhood antagonisms within the city. There was also a feeling that these comments presumed to speak for the will of God.Nagin repeated the "Chocolate City" metaphor and proclaimed that New Orleans will be "chocolate again." This was seized upon and parodied by many commentators, cartoons, and even novelty merchandise. Widespread satirical depictions of Nagin as Willy Wonka appeared in print and on the internet.
Other parts of the speech were much more disturbing to many New Orleanians than the "chocolate" reference. Nagin had also proclaimed, "I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are." Many people took "Uptown" as a coded reference to wealthy whites, such as those who live in the old mansions on Saint Charles Avenue or around Audubon Park. However Uptown New Orleans actually is one of the most ethnically and economically diverse sections of the Metro area. Many of Nagin's original supporters live Uptown. [In Big Easy cleanup, 'us' vs. 'them'] - Saunddra Amrhein, St. Petersburg Times, October 23, 2005
As Uptown contains the largest section of unflooded high ground in the city's East Bank, at the time of the speech Uptown had the city's largest concentration of locals back in their homes, businesses back open, and displaced New Orleanians from other more severely damaged parts of town living there. Locals protested the Mayor's comment about not caring about an important section of his city.
Nagin also stated that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be." [Nagin apologizes for 'chocolate' city comments] - CNN, January 18, 2006 As most New Orleanians knew the city had been majority African American for decades before Katrina, some found the implication of Nagin feigning to know God's will more troubling than the suggested return of pre-Katrina demographics.
In the same speech, Nagin further stirred controversy by claiming that "God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country....Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves." Nagin then went on to relate an imagined conversation with the deceased Rev. Martin Luther King regarding both the response to Katrina and the modern problems of black America which he believes offended God. [Storms Payback From God, Nagin Says] - Brett Martel, Washington Post, January 17, 2006
The speech generated an intense reaction, most of it negative[[Citing sources citation needed]]. Not a few suggested Nagin was showing signs of mental illness[[Citing sources citation needed]], and a Times-Picayune commentator suggested that Nagin had just ruined his own chances at re-election. [We've survived crazy politicians before] - James Gill, New Orleans Times Picayune, January 18, 2006
Political commentators point out that this speech may just have been another example of Nagin's speaking off the cuff. Some think that some of the remarks will likely hurt his standing among white voters who currently may be (depending on the estimate) a slim majority in New Orleans.
Nagin later apologized for his remarks. Nagin offered a more racially inclusive sounding explanation of his "chocolate city" metaphor, saying "How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk and it becomes a delicious drink. That's the chocolate I'm talking about." [The never-ending replay] - Marsha Mercer, Scripps Howard News Service, January 22, 2006 Nagin said that his remarks were meant to be a call for African Americans to once again return to New Orleans despite the supposed belief that many of the people Uptown did not want them back. [Senators tour New Orleans while mayor apologizes for "misinterpreted" comments] - WIS NBC affiliate, January 17, 2006 In this metaphorical recipe, Nagin implies the African-American people are represented by cocoa solids, and the milk represents caucasian people.
The Mayor apologized for the suggestion that people Uptown (a mixed neighborhood) were racist, noting the importance of that section of town in the city's recovery. He particularly stated regret for the statements about God. "I don't know what happened there," he said. "I don't know how that got jumbled up. That whole God thing, I don't know how that got mixed up in there." Nagin concluded "I need to be more aware and sensitive of what I'm saying [...] Anyone I've offended, I hope you forgive me." [Nagin backpedals, apologizes] - James Varney, New Orleans Times Picayune, January 18, 2006
2006 mayoral election
The elections for mayor and city council scheduled for late 2005 were postponed by the State due to the disruption in the aftermath of Katrina, and were rescheduled for 22 April, 2006. Campaigning began to heat up in February 2006. In the April 2006 New Orleans mayoral election, Nagin faced a record 23 challengers, most prominently sitting Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and Audubon Institute head Ron Forman, along with other candidates including former city council members, a local pastor, lawyers, and local NPR affilliate WWNO announcer James Arey. While campaigning in Houston at an NAACP gathering of members of the New Orleans diaspora who were forced to flee in the wake of Katrina, Nagin further inflamed tempers when he said, "There was all this talk about this being an opportunity to change New Orleans forever and maybe everybody shouldn’t come back, and maybe this is an opportunity to kind of change New Orleans and go back to what it used to be. I have 23 candidates running for mayor and very few of them look like us." Some have perceived these comments to be a divisive follow-up to his "Chocolate City" remarks, while others point out that the fact the majority of candidates in a field of 23 were caucasian, and a possible sign of the demographic shift in a city that was over two-thirds black before Katrina to a city of half its former size with about 60% black population afterwards. Many of Nagin's supporters say that it is his "sharp" tongue that allows him to be such a great politician. J.C. Ferguson, commissioner of electrics for many of Mississippi's hardest hit areas and political supporter of Nagin commented, "Ray Nagin says things that most political figures think, but dare to say. His record as mayor, and immense leadership shown during Hurricane Katrina will prove him successful in this election."
In the election of 22 April, preliminary results showed Nagin as the front runner with 38% of the vote. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu came in second with 29%. Nagin and Landrieu faced each other in a run off election on May 20th, 2006. Ray Nagin was re-elected by the voters of New Orleans, with unofficial results showing him with 53% of the vote. Final results showed that Nagin defeated Landrieu 52 (about 59 thousand votes) to 48 (about 55 thousand) percent. Nagin's second term began on June 1, 2006.
External links and references
- [Nagin calls for rebuilding 'chocolate' New Orleans], CNN 1/17/2006
- [The City of New Orleans]
- [Campaign contributions made by Ray Nagin]
- [Louisiana Emergency Operations Plan]
- [Mayor to feds: 'Get off your asses'], CNN transcript and the [audio] of WWL-AM radio interview.
- [Profile on CityMayors.com]
- [Southeast Louisiana Evacuation Plan Supplement]
- [New Orleans “overrun” by Mexicans]
- [Profile of Ray Nagin in Tulane University Magazine]
- [Nagin Works Both Sides of Aisle for Aid] The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2006
- [The Tavis Smiley Show - interview with Ray Nagin], January 13, 2006
- [Ray Nagin's Redemption], by William Robinson, Washington Post, May 23, 2006
Notes
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