Nagin Slugs Homerun In New Orleans State of Union

Last night, during his State of the City address, Mayor C. Ray Nagin smashed a homerun. His presentation as usual was humorous, upbeat and very informative. He once again proved that he is a great advocate for the City of New Orleans.

I admit not everyone there agrees with my total assessment of his speech or his attributes as Mayor of New Orleans. Some present at the Port of New Orleans complex where the event was held do not concur with either my praise of his delivery or the substance of his address. Some do not see any forward movement and blame him for everything including the Katrina itself.

They look to the spiraling crime, the lack of building cranes in the air, and the perceived slow pace of the recovery.

They also blame Nagin for making too many erratic statements during the past two years and they feel the buck stops with him. I, likewise, have criticized him for shedding bad light on the City for comments and actions which have been clearly inappropriate.

Nagin will have his detractors but he will also have his supporters who see an imperfect man on a quixotic quest to remake the city. However, after the speech I spoke to a number of people in attendance and obtained their off-the-record comments. The vast majority thought he gave the speech of his political life and saw many improvements in the International City.

Nagin gave plenty of credit to others and refrained from flattering himself for the recovery although the implication of his silence was obvious. While the storms and aftermath occurred on his watch, so is the recovery.

He specifically cited the new city construction projects to the flow of money with the help of two individuals—Paul Rainwater, the new Executive Director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and Governor Bobby Jindal. He did not mention Governor Blanco by name or even members of her administration for their efforts. Previously, he had stated that the money flow began to occur in 2007, prior to Rainwater and Jindal taking office. Still, his praise for Rainwater and Jindal was apparent and it demonstrates the degree that the City’s future is tethered to outside forces such as state government, the feds and insurance proceeds.

Nagin praised the City Council, and most importantly, the people of New Orleans who battled forward when the safety net of government and insurance was non-existent.

His overriding theme was the Mississippi River changes courses and so does New Orleans.

He recalled the days following Katrina when he first viewed the City, saw over 80 percent under water yet witnessed Jackson Square which he said was beautiful. With much of the French Quarter and surrounding areas still standing, he said he knew the City would be coming back. He mentioned that within thirty days after Katrina he commissioned the Bring New Orleans Back Commission which started to create a blueprint for recovery.

Nagin took the audience on a journey into the future to the year 2018. He described a bustling center of culture and science and a totally revitalized downtown area.

But, his speech was not just about the past or the future. He spoke of the present. He acknowledged the slow process in obtaining the crime video cameras to be posted on the electrical poles but said the police had the state-of-the-art cameras in their vehicles. Nagin bragged about the tax collection which he said was only a few percentages away from the pre-Katrina levels. He noted the many major cultural and sporting events that New Orleans has hosted this year which would make any city proud, especially one that was slugged so hard by the elements.

The Mayor discussed the millions of dollars of construction projects currently in process in rebuilding city properties such as schools, streets and other government assets.

Defending the 3-1-1 Hurricane evacuation process, he urged the public who might be in need to call and register. Nagin discussed how citizens could go to the New Orleans web site and actually obtain information about the neighborhood projects so citizens and investors would know what was occurring within those zones. The Mayor cited a survey that he claims that New Orleans citizens have more confidence in the future of the City. Nagin touted that the downtown area is more vital than at any time since the early eighties. Mayor Nagin emphasized that much growth could come from the Port and the construction industry and felt that the incoming flow of money would be in the tens of billions over the next decade.

With the Road Home kicking in, with federal money beginning to flow, with a Governor with whom Nagin is openly praising, C. Ray Nagin is enthusiastic about the City. Part of that optimism might be helping to build his own legacy but part is also knowing how far New Orleans has travelled since it was literally under water and on the verge of bankruptcy.

Despite his inspiring rhetoric and his citing specific facts to support the forward movement, there are other future considerations—weather and politics. We are days away from Hurricane season. We really don’t know what could happen should a major storm smack New Orleans again. We also do not know how the US Senate race and the Presidential race will impact with what appears to be a good relationship between Governor Jindal and Mayor Nagin. Either event turning sour could hinder growth and if the current levees and coastal system proves insufficient, we could be back where we started--although many are optimistic that the future will be bright and that we can and will sustain the forces of nature. Yet, only the foolish would believe we are totally safe. The New Orleans area still needs better protection from the storms.

But on this one late spring evening, Nagin poured out his heart, praised many and looked towards the future with real pride in his eyes and in his voice. Without using those words, he knows that together, the entire area has gone through “hell”. Whether Mayor Nagin can pull off a miracle in reshaping a city is uncertain, and without doubt he must get a better handle on reducing crime, but even the ignorant or the “Nagin haters” must admit that much of the future of New Orleans is controlled by events and people outside of the direct reach of the Mayor and the City Council. And they must admit New Orleans is heavens better than we were days after those horrible storms.

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