Mayor Nagin has released a press release that is meant to refute claims that the Mayor has not been active during Katrina.At particular issue was a WWL news story which prompted Mayor Nagin to become very upset during his regular Channel 4 morning talk show.
Below is the statement by Mayor Nagin. in reference to his schedule and the WWL program:
A recent news report that promised to “shed light” on what the Mayor of the City of New Orleans “actually does,” instead offered but a mere bird’s-eye view of Mayor Nagin's dedicated, consistent efforts on behalf of this recovering city. Thus, we find it necessary to set straight what we found to be a misleading and inaccurate example of community journalism. Mayor Nagin’s 2007 calendar shows him to be anything but “disengaged,” as the news report purports.
Last year, during the time period that WWL requested to review, and that other media organizations now seek to review, Mayor Nagin held more than:
¨63 Recovery meetings, not including those with the Army Corps of Engineers and the director of Sewerage and Water Board (SW&B);
¨60 legislative meetings that includes City Council members (conference calls, individual and group meetings); State and Federal officials (Republicans and Democrats, such as Senator Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, and Senator Thad Cochran );
¨23 meetings in the community, which included going to classes with students at John McDonough High School and hosting district meetings in cooperation with City Councilmembers; and
¨25 meetings on the subject of crime and the criminal justice system, not including more than 20, 7:30 a.m. biweekly meetings with Superintendent Warren Riley and top NOPD Deputy Chiefs.
The more than 190 meetings above does not include Congressional testimonies, press conferences, speeches, meetings with officials at conferences, weekend community/church visits or Hurricane Katrina anniversary events. Nor does it include the Mayor’s open door policy that accommodates many impromptu meetings and conference calls that go unrecorded. Further, these meetings do not include the Mayor’s bi-weekly media rotation, which has included a rotation on WWL-TV for more than five years.
Now let’s put this in perspective: The same week this story was being worked on, the City announced 35 recovery projects, such as parks, firehouses and other critical projects that would immediately begin rebuilding and restoring. Last week, we introduced 26 more projects, including a myriad of facilities for recreational purposes and for our seniors. These projects are moving forward because we have finally gained access to enough resources to bring our city closer to full recovery after years of dedicated and tireless work. How was it done? By our leader, Mayor Nagin, keeping his priorities and schedule focused on recovery. It’s a schedule we’re not at all embarrassed by.
