New Orleans mayor ponders his post-Katrina legacy

Nagin himself has voiced frustration with the pace of progress — neighborhood rebuilding has been spotty, and some high-profile real estate remains closed. But he says funding for rebuilding is now flowing and it’s up to the city to put it to use.

And Nagin can claim successes.

He’s added millions of dollars to the police department budget for equipment and recruiting. He says the city, propped up by loans, is on track to be financially self-sufficient by 2011. Unemployment is low. The city’s population, about 454,000 before Katrina, is now, by one estimate, at least 307,400.

Nagin says $1 billion worth of rebuilding is on tap or underway, and the city is pushing a $54 million mortgage assistance program aimed at creating more homeowners and stabilizing neighborhoods in a city long dominated by renters.

Many welcome Nagin’s words, but would like to see him take a more public stance on recovery issues.

“We need someone out there, among the people, trying to motivate them and let[ting] them know he’s working for them,” said University of New Orleans political science professor Ed Chervenak.

The Rev. John Raphael Jr., who works with young people in troubled neighborhoods, believes Nagin has intentionally avoided cameras.

“I think the problem was, the community, it was so skeptical about the authenticity of the leaders’ concerns, and I think there was concern that if cameras were seen out there with him as he tried to interact with people, that [the public] would view that as a news media event and not genuine concern,” Raphael said.

Baty Landis, an activist with the anti-crime group Silence is Violence, doesn’t buy that.

“He doesn’t seem to hear how much we hurt when we lose people, and how fearful we are,” Landis said.

Aides say Nagin’s faith hasn’t been shaken by criticism and that he works long hours for the city. Others have long since gone. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, also caught up in the post-Katrina chaos, didn’t seek re-election.

It’s not clear what Nagin will do when his term runs out in 2010, in the midst of what’s expected to be at least a decade-long recovery.

He flirted last year with a possible run for governor, though political analysts see him as a longshot for statewide office. Some say majority-white Louisiana has historically had a low opinion of New Orleans and that outside the city, Nagin is negatively associated with Katrina.

There was also speculation that Nagin would be a favorite if he ran for the seat held by indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, a fellow Democrat who represents New Orleans. But Jefferson announced last Tuesday that he would seek re-election this year, and Nagin insists he intends to serve out his term as mayor.

Some current and former aides predict history will remember the mayor kindly.

Nagin says he simply wants his legacy to be one of bringing integrity to local government and “just fixing a city that was broken for a long time.”

(Associated Press)

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