News Roundup

Nagin Leadership Needed Now in N.O.

July 14, 2006
City Business
By CityBusiness EDITORIAL

NEW ORLEANS — Nearly halfway through Mayor C. Ray Nagin’s first 100 days in office since being re-elected, most New Orleanians have not heard word one from him about his “100-day plan.”

Nagin won a second four-year term in the May 20 runoff against Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and was inaugurated June 1. He then promised to gather expert input and release a 100-day recovery plan with heavy emphasis on verifiable progress.

“Thank you, thank you for the gift of leadership,” Nagin said at the time. “It’s a gift. It’s a gift I do not take lightly.”

He then embarked on a tour to carry the message of our plight nationally, which left many grumbling he should take care of business at home.

Nagin said at his inauguration that New Orleans will overcome Hurricane Katrina as it has other major disasters, including the Battle of New Orleans, mosquitoes and yellow fever, a 1927 flood and Hurricane Betsy in 1965.

“We are overcoming Hurricane Katrina right now,” Nagin said, reiterating his oft-made claims the city is ahead of schedule in regaining displaced residents and improving financially.

But the hard reality is not so encouraging.

As detailed in the CityBusiness “City on a Shoestring” series over the last two months, New Orleans is not ahead of most measurable timetables.

Health care is on life support, garbage pickup is pitiful, city streets are collapsing, many city services have been shelved, the judicial system is in shambles and crime is viciously picking up the pace. This recovery is lagging despite the Herculean efforts of many city employees and residents to resuscitate the Crescent City.

Now, the mayor claims he will release his plan at the end of the 100 days, which would be the day of the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The temptation is to say it’s about time. But now is not the time to quibble with whether the mayor should have formulated such a plan much sooner. Now is the time for us to follow the mayor’s lead — if only he would provide it.

Thousands of New Orleanians want to follow our leader’s plan of action and make this recovery happen. CityBusiness does, too.

What do you want us to do, Mr. Mayor? Please exercise your “gift” of leadership here at home. Here and now.