While nobody would argue that there's more than enough palpable racism to go around in metro New Orleans, public officials should be more cautious when making accusations that are essentially unfounded.
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Hedge-Morrell's explanation for abstaining [from the vote on open meetings for the mayor's city contract review committees] was typically nonsensical:In the end, Hedge-Morrell, who is black, said she did not want to vote to fuel more racial antagonism and worsen already poor relations between the mayor and council.One should always remember that the winners in any "racial polarization" debate in New Orleans are Republicans.
"What is the purpose of dividing our city more than it already is?" she said. "The worst thing I've ever seen is what's going on in this city right now and how polarized the two communities are becoming."
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Since the storm, black politicians have nurtured and fostered racial divisions to their own benefit. Even when there are real issues of corruption and poor management in city government, the race card comes flying out of the deck.
The problem with philosophical discussions is that no matter where you start, you always have to go backwards. Same problem with discussions of "race". It's tricky. Let me bypass a number of issues that could be taken up from that quote and AGREE with part of what Councilmember Hedge-Morrell said: the "two communities" in this city are becoming more polarized. This increasing polarization certainly doesn't justify silly votes or racially charged conspiracy talk, but there are surging undercurrents in the escalating power struggle between the City Council and the Mayor, and many of those undercurrents are charged with racial components. This situation could get worse, especially since Councilmembers Fielgood, Head and Midura probably don't have a lot of experience successfully navigating such currents.
Also, please keep in mind that the last time Nagin sought advantage in racial division (to this extent) was during his re-election campaign. At the time, he was fighting for his political life. Over the coming year, I expect there to be a series of blockbuster revelations about the Nagin administration. I'm sure Nagin will do everything in his power to avoid and cloud the real issues at hand in order to prevent these disclosures. And, no, the fact that Nagin might be revealed to be a crook or a thug doesn't mean we should excuse the crookedness and thuggery of the umpteen white mayors and leaders who did similar and/or worse stuff back in the day. But Nagin ran as a reformer, and he was re-elected because he ran against the "politics of the past", so he and his political enablers will get no quarter from me. (Hope that Oreo cookie gag was worth it, C. Ray.) Note: When I say "political enablers" I'm referring to people like the Couhig Conservatives. I'm not talking about open-minded bloggers like Cliff, whose posts about Nagin are important and worth contemplating as a counterpoint to the heated criticisms and unproved insinuations you see about Nagin in the largely white progressive nolablogosphere.
Interestingly, Cliff shares Hedge-Morrell's concerns (as do I), and is pessimistic as to how this will politically resolve itself in the near future:
Everyone is so emotional and divided along racial and class lines now that the next election cycle will do nothing to bring this city together. It’s all going to be a big waste of time because unless there’s someone no one knows about sitting at home preparing the greatest speech since The Gettysburg Address no one person can heal this place.
James Perry, your leadership is needed. Start drafting historic, unifying sentences on cocktail napkins, because New Orleanians fear that the 2010 Mayoral campaign will be fatally "race-poisoned" before it even begins.
Nagin can't run for mayor again, but you wouldn't know it by the way he is already trying to narrow the scope of the race into a crude "us vs. them" dynamic.
Locked in his latest political duel with the City Council over the city's contracting practices, Mayor Ray Nagin took to the airwaves this week to challenge his critics.
And at every turn, the mayor made it a point to aim his harshest words at City Councilman Arnie Fielkow, who is mulling a run for the job that Nagin will vacate in 14 months.
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Asked by WGNO anchor Liz Reyes if he thinks Fielkow, a native of Wisconsin, doesn't understand the law, Nagin was blunt.
"I think he's struggling with his role as a legislator," he said. "I think he's not from here. So he wouldn't know the history of the charter and what's going on. And he's wasting our time."
Quizzed about the same topic by KMEZ's morning show co-host, Kelder Summers, Nagin said of Fielkow's proposal: "This is nuts!
"I'm amazed at how deceitful this stuff can be," the mayor said of local politics. "And this transparency thing: Arnie's taken this term and tried to present it like he's getting ready to do something when I've already had a transparent process in place."
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And he added that any criticism of that position, particularly from the news media, doesn't faze him.
"I don't care who gets mad," he said. "And these other stations, I want you all to hear me good. I don't mind fighting. I will fight until the last hour that I'm in office. I'm in, 100 percent. So, y'all can keep coming. Bring it. It's OK. And we can keep doing this dance. But at some point, you're going to hurt yourself. And I'm going to figure out a way to get around you, get over you, get through you."
In closing his soliloquy, Nagin offered a word of warning to his supporters -- and another veiled reference to Fielkow.
"Don't be hoodwinked! Don't be bamboozled!" he shouted. "Don't fall for these folk that ain't from here trying to say, 'I'm going for this and I'm going to make it better.'"
Nagin doesn't mind fighting, and wants it brought. Then he warns investigators that they might hurt themselves. Isn't that sweet? And Nagin's got that smug look of serene confidence that he had in 2006, like he's got an ace up his sleave.
Alright, we'll see if he has that same smug look a year from now.
Labels: "Race", City Council, Couhig Conservatives, Elections and Campaigns, Nagin, Pelicans
