by GOPMOM

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Well, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has done it again. He has come up with yet another way to stick it to the Feds (and the American public). I tell ya', this guy is so good at shifting blame, he should be working for the Clinton's.

In case you haven't heard, Mayor Nagin is asking the Army Corps of Engineers for $77 billion in compensation, as their negligence and their faulty design of the levees caused the flooding of 80% of the city following Hurricane Katrina. Apparently $1 billion is for infrastructure damage and the rest is for loss of various revenues.

Excuse me? $76 billion? Let's observe a moment of silence as Mr. Nagin has obviously put to rest what was left of his dignity.

This yahoo, who deserted his constituency during the storm and then proceeded to lay blame far and wide for his failures, has, on the "advice of some attorneys", decided to place a random value on the lost tourism and tax revenues, file a law suit, and see what the opposing side offers. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the American legal system.

Actually, his strategy is pretty good and he'll probably make out very well. Of course it will be cheaper for the Corp to settle rather than fight this ludicrous suit. And as the Army is part of the Federal government, you can guess who will be picking up yet another tab for America's most notorious mayor.

Like most, I watched the coverage coming out of New Orleans in the days after the hurricane and as tragic and disturbing as it all was, I admit I felt little sympathy, except for the children and the pets. In fact, I was livid. I could not fathom how so many people could simply ignore the warnings and decide that they would take their chances. Of course, they all assumed that if things got too dodgy, someone would come rescue them. Well, surprise. Their mayor never shows. He was holed up in a storm shelter, spitting out sound bytes, accusing the President of deserting black people. The liberal media jumped on board and Mayor Nagin ran with it. Instant celebrity just add water.

It's gotten to the point where every time the guy's mug showed up on TV, I imagine Gospel music and a choir in the background. All his appearances have this televangelism aura about them. I keep expecting Mayor Nagin to appear in vestments exclaiming, "Please send your donation now. The people are in need. Send your check today to the Coalition for Assistive Shelter Housing if you can't fit all that, just write CASH on the line. We'll make sure that this once thriving metropolis rises from the sludge, to once again shine its neon lights in a dark and dreary world."

It is time for the taxpaying public to stand up and say enough is enough. The city of New Orleans had been advised by climate experts for decades that the levy system would most likely fail in the event of a hit to New Orleans by a strong hurricane. And the current and former mayors did nothing. While it is true that an exorbitant amount of (Federal) money will be necessary to restore the city of New Orleans, can't the Mayor come up with a less offensive way of obtaining the funds? Maybe he should contact Ted Kennedy. He did, after all, secure Federal funding for the Big Dig. Or maybe we can all vote on whether or not New Orleans should be rebuilt. I mean, do we really need it?

The point is, states and municipalities need to take responsibility for protecting their citizens and preserving & restoring the infrastructure in the face of a natural disaster. (See Jeb Bush, R-FLA) Citizens need to take responsibility for securing themselves and their families. Neighbors need to look out for each other. And when the worst does happen, spend less time thinking up "What Ifs" and more time figuring out "What Now".

Learn more about this author, GOPMOM.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.