Transcript for Aug. 27

MR. NAGIN: I—Tim, I am very sorry for that because I have seen death in my own city. And New York and New Orleans has a special relationship. After 9/11, we sent trucks, we sent resources, we sent food. We prayed for New York. When we had Katrina, they reciprocated. So I understand what they’ve gone through, and I hope they understand that—what we’ve gone through.  Eighty percent of our city has been damaged and we are struggling with this disaster and it never goes away.

MR. RUSSERT: You wish you had used other words?

MR. NAGIN: Yeah, I wish I would have basically said that it was an undeveloped site, which it is. And you know, I’ve gotten some calls from New York, as I said. You know, no one has really said this and really pointed us to the fact that it’s five years after the fact. So maybe this will help us refocus on this because there needs to be a memorial to make sure that we treat that site with the respect it deserves.

MR. RUSSERT: One year ago, President Bush returned to New Orleans, Jackson Square, and uttered these words, this pledge. Let’s listen.

(Videotape, September 15, 2005):

PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH: Tonight, I also, also offer this pledge of the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will do what it takes. We will do whatever it takes. We will stay as long as it takes to help citizens help rebuild their communities and their lives.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: Has the president kept his pledge?

MR. NAGIN: Well, I think that it’s getting closer. One of the frustrations I have is that since the storm 12 months ago, we’ve been forced to operate on 25 percent of our original pre-Katrina budget. So we’ve had to scrimp and scrape to get things going, and we’ve stood up the city and put it into position. Now, the dollars are flowing from the federal government to the state, but they really haven’t gotten down to the local government and to the people to impact and accelerate this, this rebuild. So he’s moved the money closer, but I would just wish it would come directly so we wouldn’t have to go through another bureaucracy.

MR. RUSSERT: But Mr. Mayor, shouldn’t you have a plan in place? Where is your plan?

MR. NAGIN: Well, we have a plan. We have several plans that we’ve been working on. Right after the event, I commissioned a group to come together, and within 30 days we started working on the plan. You can go see it, you can visit it, it basically talks about everything that needs to be done in this city.

But Tim, I will tell you this: All the criticism we’ve had about not having a plan basically was a debate about whether we should shrink the footprint of New Orleans. I prefer a market-driven solution to this problem, because citizens with, with information will make intelligent decisions, and we’re moving appropriately.

MR. RUSSERT: You keep referring to the “powers that be” want to shrink our city, or that “they’re” using their money to have their way. Who are these “powers to be,” or “they are.” Who, who is this “they”?

MR. NAGIN: Well, there’s been lots of debate and discussion about this, Tim.  People from around the country have, you know, talked about this. Our own local business community has been talking about the shrinking of the debate, the local media. And, you know, I have just rejected that whole notion. I think citizens, once they get their information on the levees, and they understand the risk, they’re already moving to higher ground. They’re asking for permits, and they’re looking to sell their homes. So there has been some strong talk about, you know, redeveloping certain sections of the city and displacing homeowners. And I don’t think that’s appropriate right now.

MR. RUSSERT: But when you say the “powers that be,” or “they” want it this way, who are “they”? And what are they saying, or insisting, that you are resisting?

MR. NAGIN: Well, it’s the whole footprint discussion. You know, New Orleans has people, have people who have deep roots in certain neighborhoods. And there’s some, some talk and discussion about whether we should rebuild the lower Ninth Ward, or New Orleans East. And we have had great discussions about that. And I keep referring people back to these are people’s homes, and we should give them the information to make their decisions, and then the city will move forward, and we can do what we need to do to make it better.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe that New Orleans will ever come back to its old population that it once was, or will it be a smaller city?

MR. NAGIN: Well, that’s another source of great debate, Tim. You know, with the population is right now, based upon experts that I’ve talked to, we’re between 235,000 and 250,000 people. Pre-Katrina we were at 462,000. I think we will get back there, but this is a long-term process. It’s at least a five-year build cycle, where estimates are we’re going to spend $60 billion in the region to rebuild this city, but it’s going to take us some time.

MR. RUSSERT: You addressed the National Association of Black Journalists on—in August 18 of this year, and said some things, again, that raised a lot of eyebrows. Let’s listen to that and come back and talk about it.

(Videotape, August 18, 2006):

MR. NAGIN: The tragedy of Katrina was awful. It exposed the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class, and I, to this day, believe that if that would have happened in Orange County, California, if that would have happened in South Beach, Miami, it would have been a different response.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: Who would have responded differently?

MR. NAGIN: I just think the, the nation would have responded, the federal government would have responded differently, the state would have responded.  I mean let’s be honest, Tim, the images that were on the, on the TV for those 12 days or so were primarily poor people. And for whatever reason, there was a slow response, and I am just trying to put the issue on the table that, regardless of who’s in jeopardy in the United States, it should never happen again that we have a slow response like that. And let’s talk about it, let’s understand the root causes of it, and let’s move on as a nation.

MR. RUSSERT: But if—you’re suggesting if it was white people in Orange County or Hispanic people in Miami, the federal government would’ve moved much more quickly?

MR. NAGIN: No, I’m not talking about race as much. This is more of a class issue, you know, as far as poor people being devastated and not having the resources nor the, the collective will to really move things forward. This is more a class issue to me. Race, obviously, was in play, because primarily most of the individuals that were—the images that you saw, were African-American.

MR. RUSSERT: But you’re suggesting that the president and others in the federal government reacted more slowly because it was poor people and black people?

MR. NAGIN: I think the situation overwhelmed everyone, number one. But I do think that the images of what you saw were necessarily those of individuals who were of a lower demographic class. It definitely had some impact on our ability to get the resources where they, where they needed to be.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me end with a discussion of a real issue confronting your city, and that’s crime. Mary Landrieu, the Democratic senator from Louisiana, said this: “The criminal justice system in Orleans Parish is broken. Violent crime is on a dangerous rise (and it) threatens the very foundation of our rebuilding efforts. It needs immediate attention. We need to do more than just get around a table and talk.” Seventy-two murders this year, 6,000 cases that has a backlog in your court system. How are you going to get control of crime in New Orleans? Otherwise, people simply won’t come to your city.

MR. NAGIN: Well, Tim, you know, that’s one of the main things we’ve been working on since the event. As I will refer you back to, we’ve been operating on about 25 percent of our original pre-Katrina budget with about 10 times the work. But be that as, as it may, we’re finding creative solutions. We are bringing all parties together in the criminal justice system, we’ve asked for the National Guard, which has come in to patrol the uninhabited areas. And we’re starting to have a big impact because it allows the NOPD, the New Orleans Police Department, to focus on the populated areas. In July, our murder rate spiked to 23. This August, we’re probably going to be somewhere around 10, so we’re starting to have a major impact in getting this under control.

MR. RUSSERT: Mayor Ray Nagin, we thank you very much, and if there is another hurricane, we wish you and the people of New Orleans the very, very best.

MR. NAGIN: Well, thank you, Tim.

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