Ray Nagin

File:Orleans ray nagin.jpg

Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, LA

Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. (born June 11, 1956 in New Orleans) is properly the Mayor of Orleans Parish but is more commonly referred to as the Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana. Orleans Parish is coextensive with the City of New Orleans. He was elected in May 2002, succeeding Marc Morial. Nagin gained international prominence in 2005 as the mayor of New Orleans during and immediately following Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city.

Biography

Before his election, Nagin was a member of the Republican Party and had little political experience; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a cable communications company and subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Nagin did give donations periodically to candidates, namely President George W. Bush and former Republican U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as to Democratic U.S. Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston earlier in the decade.

Days before filing for the New Orleans Mayoral race in February 2002, Nagin switched his party registration to the Democratic Party. Shortly before the primary election, an endorsement praising Nagin as a reformer by Gambit Magazine gave him crucial momentum that would carry through for the primary election and runoff. In the first round of the crowded mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin received first place with 29% of the vote, against such opponents as Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, City Councilman Troy Carter and others. In the runoff with Pennington in May 2002, Nagin won with 59% of the vote. His campaign was largely self-financed.

Shortly after taking office, Nagin launched an anti-corruption campaign within city government, which included crackdowns on the city's Taxicab Bureau and Utilities Department. Nagin also made a controversial endorsement of current Republican U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal in the 2003 Louisiana Gubernatorial Runoff over current Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco, and only reluctantly endorsed U.S. Senator John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race.

Nagin received a B.S. degree in accounting from Tuskegee University in 1978 and an M.B.A. degree from Tulane University in 1994. He and his wife, Seletha Smith Nagin, have three children: Jeremy, Jarin, and Tianna.

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 [1]. That same day, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency [2].

On August 27, 2005, Governor Blanco sent a request for federal assistance to President Bush, which stated, "...I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal." Also in the requesting letter, the governor stated: "In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan."[3]

Online articles published by the Times-Picayune and Bayoubuzz.com further evidence this request for federal assistance as coming from the governor on August 27. [4] [5]

However, in contradiction of the three sources cited above, a document which also appears to be a copy of the governor's request [6] is dated August 28.

FEMA, in a press release dated August 27, stated that President Bush authorized the allocation of federal resources, "following a review of FEMA's analysis of the state's request for federal assistance." [7] A White House press release of the same date also acknowledges this authorization of aid by President Bush. [8]

Mayor Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation request late in the day on August 27. He was hesitant to order a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses. [9]

On Sunday August 28, Katrina became a Category 4 hurricane [10]. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared a mandatory evacuation of the city, and opened the Superdome to those who couldn't leave the city. State Governor controlled National Guard troops were stationed inside the Superdome to screen refugees for weapons [11], yet the situation within the Superdome was very difficult for evacuees and city government could not cope with the problems.[12] Louisiana Governor Blanco requested President Bush declare Louisiana an "expedited disaster zone"[13] ahead of the storm's impact without requesting specific help as required under the Posse Comitatus Act. President Bush had already complied the day before the request came from the governor in having federal agencies prepare ahead of the storm.[14] and [15]

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. The resultant floods arrived many hours after the worst of the hurricane had passed, breeching and undercutting the levees in numerous locations and quickly inundating a wide area of New Orleans. 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.

On September 1, 2005 Louisiana Governor Blanco declared a state of emergency authorizing local law enforcement and state assigned National Guard special powers in putting down looters four days after Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour had declared martial law in his state and well after lawlessness had set into the city of New Orleans. The Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary McHale explained the Department's inability to take over in quelling the civil disturbance without a request from Governor Blanco this way[16]:

"For the past 125 years, approximately, it has been the public policy of our nation, reflected in numerous statutes, but most particularly the posse comitatus statute, that our active duty military forces ordinarily do not engage in law enforcement activity. We've decided, as a matter of public policy, that our police officers will normally protect us. Our law enforcement officials will provide the security that we reasonably expect. And so, in this circumstance, and all circumstances, we turn, first and foremost, to civilian law enforcement to protect the American people.

The Department of Defense does have statutory authority to provide assistance, military support to civilian law enforcement authorities, and that often involves training and equipment and other forms of assistance that enable police officers to better do their jobs.

And under truly extraordinary circumstances, occurring once in a generation typically, when there's a civil disturbance, the President does have the legal authority to make certain declarations and use the active duty military to restore civil order. And so there are things that we in the Department of Defense can do to contribute to that climate of safety and security."

On September 2, 2005 Governor Blanco requested help from President Bush in a meeting along with Mayor Nagin aboard Air Force One at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana and gave permission to the President to allow federal troops to enter Louisiana on a law and order mission. Blanco, however, retained control as her as yet ineffective state National Guard troops offering President Bush control only of elements of the state National Guard he pulled out of Iraq.[17] and [18], [19], [20] and [21]. The lawlessness was essentially ended the next day, September 3, 2005, by the federal National Guard responders under the control of President George W. Bush Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff and Joint Task Force Katrina Commander Lt. General Russel Honore (National Guard ).

Dueling Criticism

On September 1, 2005, Nagin expressed his frustration, anger and fury at the response of other government officials and the lack of aid to the city of New Orleans in an emotional interview on radio station WWL:

I don't want to see anybody do anymore goddamn press conferences. Put a moratorium on press conferences. Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city. And then come down to this city and stand with us when there are military trucks and troops that we can't even count.

Don't tell me 40,000 people are coming here. They're not here. It's too doggone late. Now get off your asses and do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country.

Nagin's demand was interpreted by the media as a request for federal assistance. Prior to a formal request from the Governor such a request from the mayor to deploy federal troops runs counter to requirements under the Posse Comitatus Act.

On September 5 Nagin seemed to reverse himself praising President Bush's performance and blaming Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco for delays [22]:

"[Mayor] NAGIN: Look, I've gotten promises to -- I can't stand anymore promises. I don't want to hear anymore promises. I want to see stuff done. And that's why I'm so happy that the president came down here, because I think they were feeding him a line of bull also. And they were telling him things weren't as bad as it was.

He came down and saw it, and [President Bush] put a general on the field. His name is General Honore. And when he hit the field, we started to see action.

And what the state was doing, I don't frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn't adequate.

[...]

He called me in that office after that. And he said, "Mr. Mayor, I offered two options to the governor." I said -- and I don't remember exactly what. There were two options. I was ready to move today. The governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision."'

The is no firm indication Mayor Nagin's apparent flip-flop was due to knowledge of a CNN/Gallup poll result where only a minor fringe element of 13% blame President Bush for problems associated with Hurricane Katrina while twice as many blame state and local officials.[23]

The American Red Cross confirms that Governor Blanco compounded Mayor Nagin's problems by her refusal to allow the organization to provide aid within the city of New Orleans through her state's Homeland Security Department (not to be confused with the federal department with the same name) after the Hurricane even though the Red Cross was standing-by at ready to deliver the aid.[24] The statement by the Red Cross is confirmed in news accounts.

September 7, Mayor Nagin ordered police removal of the remaining 10,000 or so New Orleanian residents who had thus far refused to leave their homes. The mayor ordered this due to the growing threat of tetanus and other flood-borne diseases and chemical hazards. Governor Blanco publicly shot down the Mayor announcing to the media, "The mayor certainly has ordered that but the governor, and that would be me, would have to enforce it or implement it. We are trying to determine whether there is an absolute justification for that."[25]

Criticism of Nagin's Response

Just as Mayor Nagin has criticized others, Nagin's performance in the Hurricane Katrina crisis has been criticized as well. Nagin was criticized for not calling a mandatory evacuation until Sunday morning. Even Mayor Nagin's fellow Democrat, Louisiana's Governor Blanco, has blamed him for the poor evacuation according to an ABC News Report.[26] He claimed his reason for not doing so sooner was that he had to consult with city attorneys to see if he had the legal authority to do so on Saturday. As mayor of Orleans Parish, according to the Louisiana State Evacuation Plan (section D7, Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities, p11), Nagin was responsible for establishing evacuation centers[27], controlling first responders and keeping local order. Yet apparently there were no meals ready to eat (MRE's) stored at his designated evacuation center - the Superdome. There was no water or water purification equipment on site, no chemical toilets, anti-biotics or anti-diarrheals stored for a crisis.[28] The mayor had not designated any medical staff to work the evacuation center. The city had not established a secure sick bay within the Superdome. [29]

President Bush returned Nagin's criticism by saying, "{the magnitude of the crisis} has 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." [30]. In a Washington briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said one reason federal assets were not used more quickly was "because our constitutional system really places the primary authority in each state with the governor." - ibid

Nagin himself admitted "The convention center is unsanitary and unsafe, and we are running out of supplies for the 15,000 to 20,000 people." [31] The city had not sent police or other vehicles through the poorest neighborhoods with evacuation announcements prior to the storm. There were no functioning backup emergency communications radios available for police or fire-rescue. Additionally, the city stored the school buses on low ground where they were flooded and then not available for evacuation. [32]. City-Journal summarized their criticism this way, "Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco lost whatever fragile authority they ever had over New Orleans early Monday {August 29, 2005}, as the waters still rose."[33]

Nagin defended himself against the harsh criticism in a CNN interview by saying, "Look, I'll take whatever responsibility that I have to take. But let me ask you this question: When you have a city of 500,000 people, and you have a category 5 storm bearing down on you, and you have the best you've ever done is evacuate 60 percent of the people out of the city, and you have never issued a mandatory evacuation in the city's history, a city that is a couple of hundred years old, I did that. I elevated the level of distress to the citizens."[34]

External links

• The City of New Orleans
• Campaign contributions made by Ray Nagin
• 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