Nagin: Ground Zero just “a hole in the ground”
posted at 12:22 am on August 25, 2006 by Bryan
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On a tour of the decimated Ninth Ward, [New Orleans Mayor Ray] Nagin tells Pitts the city has removed most of the debris from public property and it’s mainly private land that’s still affected – areas that can’t be cleaned without the owners’ permission. But when Pitts points to flood-damaged cars in the street and a house washed partially into the street, the mayor shoots back. “That’s alright. 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.”
A “hole in the ground.” “Fixed.” They were the tallest buildings in the United States, where nearly 3,000 died in a savage attack against our people on our soil. At least he got the length of time right without insulting the dead.
I’m fine with criticizing the politicians for dithering over rebuilding the Twin Towers, and especially fine with criticizing that monstrosity Trump called a “pile of crap” that was supposed to replace them. But calling Ground Zero a “hole in the ground” that’s still not “fixed” is, well, about par for the course for the king of the memorial motor pool.
But you know what? Nagin can be a total failure and run his mouth all he wants. It won’t matter. He still has a constituency that’ll back him no matter how many buses he leaves parked when the next storm hits.
“Should things have happened quicker? Yes. But everyone has their own style of leadership, and right now our political leader, our political father is Ray Nagin,” says Oliver Thomas, New Orleans City Council president.
What follows is the most poorly chosen metaphor in years.
“So for the next four years, we’re going to sink or swim with him,” Thomas tells Pitts.
Well, NOLA already tried the first.
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Ugh, what a mental midget. Thanks, Ray “Schoolbus” Nagin.
tickleddragon on August 25, 2006 at 12:28 AM
Does he know the meaning of: decency, logic, equivalency, excuse/s, reality, meaning…nah, forget it!
Entelechy on August 25, 2006 at 12:57 AM
Just when you think he can’t go any lower.
Anwyn on August 25, 2006 at 1:19 AM
in some degree, he’s kinda right
The city of New Orleans is being rebuilt and coming along and Ny can’t decide wtf to do with the site without affending someone or something. But still he was a putz
Defector01 on August 25, 2006 at 1:44 AM
Once again not only proving what a POS he is, but also proves what idiots must live in NOLA to vote for him.
RightWinged on August 25, 2006 at 1:55 AM
I don’t know. The “hole in the ground” is hallowed ground. Not to say that all the thousands of people and families affected by Katrina in New Orleans weren’t as important as the people in NYC and the WTC were, the WTC site still demands a certain amount of extraordinary consideration in what’s to be finally done.
And truth be known, I’ve been to New Orleans a few times over the years. God Bless the souls of N.O., but that place was a sh**-hole before the WTC was a “hole”. It needed a good scrubbing. It’s just too bad all the human suffering had to come with it.
SilverStar830 on August 25, 2006 at 1:56 AM
I shudder to think what would’ve become of NYC had there been a mayor of Nagin’s ineptitude in the aftermath of 9/11.
Fly_in_Ointment on August 25, 2006 at 2:29 AM
Gotta laugh at that. I guess it was a good thing that Nagin wasn’t questioned about the increase of crime in his city.
I always get a sinking feeling when the topic of New Orleans comes up. Plug the plumbing, and pass the snorkles.
DannoJyd on August 25, 2006 at 3:03 AM
I think NYC has had enough of incompetent mayors, that’s for sure.
I had been thinking about a vacation to NOLA, but I think I’ll pass. Doesn’t sound like it’s likely to clean up (in more ways than one) with the current set of bozos. Maybe in 10 years or so. Good luck with that.
meep on August 25, 2006 at 5:40 AM
What the Moron Mayer doesn’t get, is that in NYC that “hole in the ground” was caused by Islamic Fascist. The despair in NO was caused mostly by his lack of leadership and competence.
The picture of all those empty school buses under water speaks volumes about his lack of leadership!
It amazes me how Chocolate Leaders can get away with such nonsense. Most of the “despair” of the black community is due to the lack of leadership by their own choosing.
Stop blaming whitey and do your job!
Bob Mileti on August 25, 2006 at 6:31 AM
Good points. The major problem with this comparison is that Nawlins’ problems could have been largely avoided if they’d only had competence in the Governor’s and Mayor’s offices.
Corky on August 25, 2006 at 8:10 AM
Not only does he have an automatic electorate, he has a MSM that puts the before and after reaction blame 99.9% on G.W. Bush, exclusively.
Hoodlumman on August 25, 2006 at 9:03 AM
Nagin makes me sick. I have ZERO sympathy for anyone in that town who voted him back into office.
Cary on August 25, 2006 at 9:15 AM
Bryan, keep an eye on this guy, this can’t be the end.
You know he has to do a serial apology.
Just to be in the news-what a clown.
tormod on August 25, 2006 at 9:18 AM
This guy Nagin is just a reflection of his voters. He had and wants chocolate city, and as far as I can tell, bad governance and chocolate cities seem to go hand in hand.
I don’t make up the facts, but I can’t ignore them either. Crime, ignorance, drugs, gangs, un-wed mothers, corruption, filth, and poverty are pervasive aspects of N.O. at a much higher level than any other city except maybe for East St. Louis.
Shmo on August 25, 2006 at 9:56 AM
Dude…that’s “Chocolate City” Nagin…you can’t criticize him or you’re a racist…don’t you know anything.
What a chocolate covered dolt.
BirdEye on August 25, 2006 at 10:38 AM
He shows his true ‘colors’ by dissin’ NY and he will continue to do the same for anyone not chocolate. He has contempt for all other cities and uses the ‘poor me’ approach in so many different ways itsastonishing. If he showed half the effort with the disaster that he does blaming others, who knows how much would have been accomplished last year. He has to be the dumbest mayor in the entire country.
And I do not use that term lightly.
shooter on August 25, 2006 at 11:20 AM
Round two?
pullingmyhairout on August 25, 2006 at 1:02 PM
it didn’t link. I’ll try again.
Round Two?
pullingmyhairout on August 25, 2006 at 1:03 PM
again.
Round Two?
pullingmyhairout on August 25, 2006 at 1:04 PM
Nagin’s a fool, alert the media. He makes a valid (if poorly stated) point. I can see Ground Zero when I go to my NYC office and it boggles the mind that it’s still just there, a gaping wound.
honora on August 25, 2006 at 1:07 PM
What kind of leadership do you expect from the big easy? I’m telling you that the N.O. voters haven’t got what it takes to elect any worthwhile mayor. It has been that way for many years and will continue to be that way. All you have to do is go back and watch some of the citizen interviews from the Super Dome. Words are the tools of thought. If you can’t talk, you can’t think. That is the root problem with the big easy. It is a vote farming welfare round robin that pays the citizens to be useless so the politicians can line their pockets. What do you think happened to the money allocated to maintain the levees over the years?
Shmo on August 25, 2006 at 2:32 PM
That, coming from the mayor of a city full of “Holes in the Wall”.
Consider the source and ignore it.
Blaise on August 25, 2006 at 2:43 PM
NYC hasn’t put anything into the ‘hole in the ground,’ but it certainly did get the mess cleaned up. Remember how the crews worked until they were exhausted, day after day, as a matter of honor and principle, to get it done so fast?
kate q on August 25, 2006 at 3:01 PM
I dare say that were it not NOLA the city would have been cleaned up months ago. If every pissant in the city didn’t want to wet their beak on every job something might have been accomplished by now. It did not take San Francisco this long to rebuild after the last earthquake. And if half the “citizens” of the city had returned to do the work maybe more would have been done.
thegreatbeast on August 25, 2006 at 3:41 PM
Anyone who says New Orleans is nearly back up and running hasn’t been to the ER. I have a friend who is a nurse at a hospital there and she says they lose patients every night because they don’t have the staff to get to all of them.
spacemonkey on August 25, 2006 at 4:16 PM
ask mark Steyn what the problem with NOLA is.
Shmo on August 25, 2006 at 4:19 PM
thegreatbeast, but then they wouldn’t have had this in their 2006 campaign portfolio.
But Mayor Nagin will now pull the rabbit out from under that fancy hat and, abracadabra, all will be well again.
Entelechy on August 25, 2006 at 5:48 PM
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