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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 notoriety in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area.
[edit] Early life and careerNagin was born on June 11, 1956,[1] in New Orleans's Charity Hospital, to a low-income family.[2] His childhood was typical of the urban poor within the city,[2] and his father held three jobs; a janitor at New Orleans City Hall by night, a fabric cutter at the Haspel Brothers clothing factory by day, and a mechanic at Borden's Dairy,[3] to earn sufficient pay to support his family, as well as Nagin's education.[4] His mother was employed at a lunch counter in a Kmart store.[1] The family lived on Allen Street in the 7th Ward, followed by a stay at Treme, and then a move to Cutoff section of Algiers when Nagin was a young teenager.[3] Nagin studied at O. Perry Walker High School in New Orleans, and was proficient at basketball and baseball.[1] He enrolled into Tuskegee University on a baseball scholarship,[4] and graduated in accountancy in 1978.[2] He was the second college graduate from his family.[3] He then went to work for General Motors's purchasing department, afterwards moving to Los Angeles, and then to Dallas in 1981 to take a job with Associates Corp.[3] In 1982, Nagin married Seletha Smith, whom he had met in Algiers.[3] Together, they would have 3 children; Jeremy, Jarin and Tianna.[1] In 1985, Nagin returned to New Orleans, becoming the controller of Cox New Orleans, the city's only cable television franchise,[3] run by the cable organization Cox.[1] The franchise had been affected by customer complaints, low profits, and very little growth,[1][3] and was one of the poorest performing components of Cox.[3] Nagin implemented an upgrade of the system to 750 MHz,[3] spent $500 million on developing its fiber-optic cable,[1][3] and introduced new services, including digital cable television and telephony.[1] In 1989, he was appointed to command Cox New Orleans as vice-president and general manager,[1] and between 1985 and 2002 800 jobs were introduced into the business.[3] By the end of his tenure, 85% of customers reported being happy with the service, compared to less than half in 1989.[3] Cox New Orleans became one of Cox's best performing units.[3] In 1993, Nagin enrolled into the executive MBA program at Tulane University, a course designed for managers.[3] Mark Miester argues that in his role as vice-president and general manager, Nagin gained an introduction to politics, having to lead a business whilst balancing customer and regulator concerns.[3] Nagin also had to lobby politicians and weigh in their viewpoints regarding Cox New Orleans, as it was regulated by the local government which was also behind renewing the business's contract.[1] In 1995, Nagin gained a Young Leadership Council Diversity and Role Model Award, and later sat on the boards of the United Way and Covenant House, as well as becoming the president of 100 Black Men, a national organization of African-American businessmen.[3] His public profile was higher than the average business executive because he hosted a twice-weekly television call-in show for customers.[3] His image in the public eye was further enhanced in 1998 when he became one of a dozen investors behind minor-league hockey team, the New Orleans Brass,[1] becoming the investors' spokesman, and securing a hockey franchise for New Orleans.[3] The initial popularity of the team allowed the group to secure New Orleans Arena as a venue.[3] That year, the local alternative newspaper Gambit Weekly named Nagin as its New Orleanian of the Year.[1] [edit] 2002 mayoral electionMain article: New Orleans mayoral election, 2002 Nagin entered the race for mayor after other candidates better known on the local political scene had announced their candidacy. Nagin's candidacy was at first considered a long shot, and he was not backed by any of the city's established political organizations. Many voters, nonetheless, 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. Then 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. [edit] Nagin's first termShortly 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 (locally known as "brake tag" inspection) certification workers 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 council 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 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 conservative Blue Dog 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. [edit] Hurricane Katrina
 Main article: Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 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 Saturday the 27th before issuing a call for voluntary evacuation that evening. He was hesitant to order a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses.[5] Nagin continued to announce that the city attorney was reviewing the information regarding this issue and once he had reviewed the city attorney's opinion he would make a decision whether to give the order to evacuate the city. With fewer than 24 hours left before the storm's landfall, Nagin declared a mandatory evacuation, the first in the city's history, and the first for a U.S. city of this size since the American Civil War. In a radio interview on WWL, he bluntly criticized the delays in aid to the city, and expressed anger with what he saw as the slow federal and state response.[6] 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.[7] [edit] "Chocolate City"Main article: Chocolate City speech 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,'"[8] 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,[9] although those attending the town hall meeting reportedly applauded — many in the area believed the jobs should instead go to local workers displaced by the hurricane. Elections for Mayor and City Council members had been scheduled for February 2006, 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." He used the phrase "chocolate city" in reference to New Orleans' future demographics, which he was to use in a speech a few days afterwards. The idea reportedly originated with "Chocolate City" by the popular 1970s funk group Parliament.[10] 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." [2] At a Martin Luther King, Jr. 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.[citation needed] Nagin's statements of knowing the will of God was objected to by some.[11] Nagin repeated the "Chocolate City" metaphor and proclaimed that New Orleans will be "chocolate again." This was seized upon and parodied by some commentators, cartoons, and merchandising. Various designs of T-shirts with satirical depictions of Nagin as Willy Wonka were sold in the city and on the Internet.[12][13] Nagin also stated that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."[14] As most New Orleanians knew the city had been majority African American for decades before Katrina, certain people found the implication of Nagin claiming to know God's will more troubling than the suggested return of pre-Katrina demographics.[11] He asserted that God sent us hurricane after "hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country", suggesting God's disapproval of US invasion of Iraq under false pretenses.[15] The speech generated an intense reaction, most of it negative.[13] A Times-Picayune commentator suggested that Nagin had just ruined his own chances at re-election.[16] Nagin later apologized for his remarks.[17] 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, and asked for forgiveness. He particularly stated regret for the statements about God. Nagin concluded he needed "to be more aware and sensitive of what I'm saying."[18] [edit] 2006 mayoral electionMain article: New Orleans mayoral election, 2006 In the election of April 22, Nagin was 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 20, 2006. Final results showed that Nagin defeated Landrieu 52% to 48% (59,000/55,000 votes). Nagin also won with a dramatic shift in the racial breakdown of his voter base; in this election he received the support of about 80% of black voters and 20% of white voters, a reversal of his support base in the 2002 election.[19] [edit] Nagin's second term[edit] 2006Nagin's second term began on June 1, 2006. Nagin has made few public appearances in New Orleans since the May election. He campaigned on a promise to develop a "100 day plan" to rebuild New Orleans, but as of the end of the 100 days no concrete plan had been released. After the end of the 100 days, some commentators criticized Nagin for what they perceived as a lack of explanation of the details of this plan and a lack of activity in putting this plan forward.[20] Nagin administration spokesperson Rob Couhig backed away from the promise, stating that it was not meant as a "time period," but as a short-range campaign to improve quality-of-life issues.[21] In 2006, Nagin was also criticized for devoting time to an extensive national speaking tour while being rarely seen in New Orleans.[22] Nagin's administration countered this criticism by stating that the speaking tour is necessary in order to correct an inaccurate perception of the situation in New Orleans. There was disquiet following his an interview with Byron Pitts on CBS's 60 Minutes (aired August 27, 2006), in which Nagin made a reference to New York City's World Trade Center site, saying "That’s all right. 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."[23] [edit] 2007Since January 2007, public perception of a drastic increase in the city’s violent crime rate has led to many criticisms of Nagin’s leadership. A year after his election, Nagin continued to be criticized for a perceived lack of vision and decisiveness, and an inability to communicate his plans and policies.[24] Nagin reignited complaints about his leadership when he said news of two killings, while sad, "keeps the New Orleans brand out there."[25] [edit] 2008 During 2008 Nagin continued to preside over a city recovering from Hurricane Katrina. His "recovery czar" was Dr Ed Blakely. Late in the year Nagin's endorsement of U.S. representative William J. Jefferson failed to rescue the indicted and embattled Democrat who had represented Louisiana's 2nd congressional district since 1991; in a stunning upset, Jefferson was defeated by Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao. Nagin and Cao were, however, to form a working relationship.[26] Following the illegal seizure of firearms in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Nagin settled a lawsuit and had a permanent injunction issued prohibiting Nagin or any New Orleans employee from confiscating any lawfully possessed firearm and ordering the return of hundreds of illegally confiscated firearms. (They had been confiscated at Nagin's order.).[27] [edit] 2009In October of 2009, Nagin traveled to Cuba as part of a delegation for a six-day trip to study the island's hurricane disaster-response system. The mayor along with 15 city and state officials, including police, fire and port agencies, met with Cuban civil defense authorities and saw presentations on how the island's military and CDR's mobilize during disasters. Nagin also met with the head of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce and spoke out against the 47-year-old trade embargo while lobbying for U.S. and Cuban authorities to allow special charter flights between New Orleans and Havana.[28] [edit] Conflicts of interestOn April 7, 2009, the Times-Picayune alleged a conflict of interest with regard to a trip Nagin took to Hawaii in 2004. The Hawaiian vacation Mayor Ray Nagin, then-chief technology officer Greg Meffert and their families took in 2004 was paid for by a contractor.[29] David Hammer of the Times-Picayune reported on April 23, 2009, that Nagin had taken "plenty of other trips" at the expense of NetMethods, a company owned by city vendor Mark St. Pierre.[30] In a subsequent (June 7) article Hammer described potential technicalities wherein the benefits received by Meffert may be legal depending on whether he received them inside or outside New Orleans and whether the source was NetMethods or merely someone associated with the company.[31] In April 2009, Nagin was obliged "to sit for a deposition as part of a civil lawsuit over the city's controversial crime camera program."[32] Times-Picayune had obtained information that Mark St. Pierre, who allegedly paid for the holiday, had made substantial donations to Nagin's 2006 re-election campaign.[33] [edit] AffiliationsHe is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[34] a bi-partisan anti-gun group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. [edit] References
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