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August 28th, 2008
10:18 AM ET

Nagin: Levees big question

Anderson and the best political team on television sat down with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin last night to discuss his city's preparations for Gustav while attending the Democratic Convention.
Filed under: Hurricane Katrina • Raw Politics • Weather
soundoff (12 Responses)
  1. Sarah, New Orleans

    People of California, Washington and Alaska – Mark doesn’t want to pay for any disaster relief when – and it WILL happen – the next massive earthquake occurs, so can you please relocate? Inhabitants of Hawaii and Washington, please move elsewhere, we don’t know when your volcanoes will erupt, but it will be catastrophic and Mark doesn’t want his taxes going toward your aid.

    Those living in the Midwest, specifically Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, y’all sure have been flooding a lot lately these past summers; the one of July 2008, the damage was estimated at $10 billion dollars. Please relocate, Mark feels you aren’t worth his tax dollars.

    To the people of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, seems every summer a weekly tornadoes create massive destruction in your areas. It is time for you to move away from your home and find a new one; Mark is tired of his taxes going toward your rehabilitation.

    Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, you are just as prone as Louisiana to hurricanes and have gotten your share, maybe more; if Mark is tired of paying taxes that go to our relief, he ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, he would be tired of the money going towards ALL OF US.

    The rest of the U.S., those of us that live in natural disaster prone areas are going to have to cram into your living space, hope you don’t mind. I know I mind, places like Phoenix are the last place on earth I would like to live.

    August 29, 2008 at 1:36 pm |
  2. Brad

    Ann from NOLA. Are you kidding me? Not one government agency was prepared for Katrina, the State turned away Federal Assitance, the Mayor said he was ready, the levees are inspected by locals who are so corrupt that they cant see straight. The failure of New Orleans and Katrina rests SOLELY on New Orleans and the corrupt political machine and its' citizens. Why is that Texas, your neigbor, was FULLY prepared for both Katrina and Rita?! Yet, the great state of DO NOTHING was just waiting for the Federal dollars. Tell me why you need to access 1-900 numbers with your FEMA card, or buy large plasma screen TV's? The list of abuses and crime and other lovely reminders of the real people of NOLA are long and distinguished.

    August 29, 2008 at 11:45 am |
  3. Annie Kate

    From what I have read the levees are improved but not complete and they are not ready for a storm the magnitude of Katrina. So if a mandatory evacuation is issued I hope the good people of NOLA will get on those buses and get out of there. Remember last time and how long it took to get help, the destruction, the dead.....riding out the storm is not worth risking your life.

    Annie Kate
    Birmingham AL

    August 28, 2008 at 6:06 pm |
  4. Paula, Colorado

    Anderson,
    Hi! I saw your interview with Ray Nagin last night, and am glad it is posted on the blog. I hope–like anyone would–the preparations for Gustav's possible landfall on the Gulf Coast aren't necessary. Progress has been made in rebuilding there, but it's still not enough to be fully confident in the strength of the levees and so forth. More precise communication about the storm and evacuation plans are probably more reliable in avoiding another hurricane tragedy. I admire your dedication to New Orleans, and your being there on the anniversary of Katrina.

    August 28, 2008 at 5:03 pm |
  5. Martina Ilstad Germany

    Hey Anderson
    Today i saw some pictures of the show election from yesterday.you looked verry happy.so i think jou enjoy this election.like it.tis a big party.of course there are good talking,too .i think you talked about going tö new orleans on fridax. i am so happy,that you a realy one of the journalist thry make their prommess tru.dont forget the poeple there

    August 28, 2008 at 3:46 pm |
  6. Ann

    Mark,

    Have you ever heard the saying "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"?

    It's funny, you don't want to "constantly be dunned for other people's bad decisions", then do me a favor – don't eat our seafood, don't use our oil and don't listen to our music.

    New Orleanians are the first people to put their hand out and help others. We help ourselves. It's because of us that your dollars that you pay as a "taxpayer" are there in the event of a disaster. Were you living on another planet in August of 2005 when your AMERICAN PEOPLE (who also pay taxes) sat in the heat, waiting for water and help from OUR GOVERNMENT and they took 5 days to get here? The reason we flooded was because the levees weren't built like they were supposed to be – the CORP of ENGINEERS screwed up. Katrina helped by dumping water on us, but it wasn't the hurricane that drowned us – it was our own government.

    I hope to God you NEVER have to deal with the stresses of a "natural disaster" (rebuilding your life, losing everything that you ever had, trying to have a normal life again), but things happen all over the world – look it up in the dictionary – Global Warming.

    Best of luck to you in your glass house, I hope your life turns out swell.

    August 28, 2008 at 3:22 pm |
  7. mark hoffman, Phoenix AZ.

    As much as it galls me to ever agree with a Republican, I think Dennis Hastert was right on the money after Katrina hit when he said that we shouldn't waste any taxpayer money on places that will always remain quite vulnerable to these terrible disasters. If people insist on living in places that are subjected so negatively to nature's whim, then they should bear all costs associated with it. As a taxpayer, I sure don't want to constantly be dunned for other people's bad decisions.

    August 28, 2008 at 1:20 pm |
  8. Denise

    Cindy,
    Just because people are not signing up means the solution is inept. It indicates the people themselves are inept and not thinking ahead. And, they should know to not wait until the last minute to decide they need a ride. It's a bit late then.

    That is part of what caused the whole Katrina fiasco. How many times was the Governor and Mayor told to declare a state of emergency so federal aide and resources could begin to be staged and readied prior to Katrina??? At least the Governor now has the good sense to have already done that.

    August 28, 2008 at 1:19 pm |
  9. Gretchen

    Anderson,

    Why would you and the best political team on television waste you time and energy on this moron? He doesn't know the hurricane plan for the city or the state of the levees just like he doesn't know that a $100 lunch with his wife (on their aniversary) shouldn't be considered a "business" meeting.

    I missed the interview but am not surprised that Nagin was "somewhere else" while the rest of New Orleans is preparing for another hurricane. Begging of course the question "Where is C. Ray today?"

    What a joke! I wouldn't even waste my time shaking his hand much less have a conversation with the Mayor of the "Chocolate City".

    On a side note, thank you Anderson for keeping the world informed on what's going on and not going on here in New Orleans. Those of us in the trenches appreciate it more than you know!!

    Gretchen, New Orleans

    August 28, 2008 at 12:26 pm |
  10. Patti

    I agree. All I see on the news today is about the Democratic convention. While I know this is a very important topic. We are perhaps 4 days or so away from landfall of what looks to be another killer storm. Now is the time to start getting people out of there to other safer locations. Perhaps it should have been started sooner. Those poor people who don't have transportation need to be the first on the list. so we don't have another Katrina. I don't want to turn on CNN next week and see dead bodies and everyone blaming everyone else. I live in Florida where we are surrounded by flooding from the last storm that seemed like just a blip on the screen in the beginning. Please get those people out of there now. Don't leave the levee issue to speculation and theory. There is still a risk. If ithe storm turnes out to be nothing or goes somewhere else besides Louisiana then they are the better for putting forth the effort to protect their citizens.
    By the way what is Nagin doing in Denver when there is a possibility of a very real catastrophe back home?

    August 28, 2008 at 11:39 am |
  11. Aly

    Anderson, the last time that you aired from New Orleans was in February. Did you say to Nagin that you have been there within the last six months? Maybe I misunderstood. If that is the case, it would have been nice for you to have said something about those trips or aired the program from there since you have said you want to keep the story alive. Won't do any good if you don't talk about it!

    No problem if you have moved on, though. Look forward to the program.

    August 28, 2008 at 11:10 am |
  12. Cindy

    I saw Nagin on yesterday with Anderson. And I don't think for a second that the levees are anywhere near ready for another hurricane. As far as that goes I don't think NOLA is anywhere near ready.

    The part about the evacuation buses is a joke. The people of NOLA can call in to sign up to get picked up but just a minuscule amount have signed up. That in itself should show them how inept that solution is!

    Let's hope and pray to God that Gustav misses NOLA and goes elsewhere. If not I am afraid it'll be the aftermath of Katrina all over!

    Cindy...Ga.

    August 28, 2008 at 10:31 am |
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