User:Redverton/sandbox

Early life
Born in 1956 in New Orleans's now-defunct Charity Hospital, Nagin's childhood was typical of the deprived urban communities in the city, though he managed to gain a sports scholarship to Tuskegee University in Alabama, graduating with accountancy in 1978. Later on, he would gain an MBA from Tulane University.

Born in 1956 in New Orleans's now-defunct Charity Hospital, Nagin's childhood was typical of the deprived urban communities in the city. First living in the Seventh Ward, before moving to Tremé and then Algiers, his father worked by day as a fabric cutter, and a janitor at City Hall and mechanic by night, whilst his mother worked the lunch counter at a Kmart, all with two other sisters of Nagin to support. After excelling in sports at O. Perry Walker High School, Nagin won a baseball scholarship to Tuskegee University in Alabama - described as "a lanky southpaw with a nasty curveball" - he graduated with accountancy in 1978, making him the family's second college graduate.

Nagin then moved to Detroit to take up a job with General Motors's purchasing department, but this did not last long before moving to Los Angeles and then Dallas in 1981 to work for Associates Corp. A year later, he married Seletha Smith, and in 1985 he decided to return to New Orleans, becoming controller of Cox New Orleans, the city's only cable television franchise. The city had fallen on hard times, with the oil gult of the 1980s forcing out energy companies and leaving the local economy in devastation. In this economic climate, with crime rising, was trying to rejuvenate a franchise which was known as one of the worst in the country. Gaining overall control of Cox New Orleans in 1989, Nagin invested $500 million into upgrading the system's fiber-optic cable, focused on improving customer service, and introduced new services such as digital cable television and telephony. This surge created an additional 800 jobs, and customer approval shot up. In 1992, he was able to secure a 15-year renewal agreement for the franchise, the culmination of the company's turn-around.

As a municipally regulated operation, Nagin was able to build up relations with influential figures, and his TV call-in show for customers expanded his public profile. In 1998, he headed a group of investors in a successful attempt to bring a professional hockey team to the city, the New Orleans Brass, and became a part owner. In addition, he sat on the boards of the United Way and Covenant House, and was president of 100 Black Men, a national organization of African-American businessmen, and that year Gambit (newspaper) named him New Orleanian of the Year, alongside Rob Couhig. With his record and stature, Nagin began being approached about entering politics, though he insisted, "I was always resistant, saying there's no way I would get into politics. I'd rather play on the sidelines and be a king maker rather than be the king himself."

2002 mayoral election
However, 2001 upended everything; incumbent New Orleans mayor Marc Morial failed in changing the city's charter so he could run for a third term, and a rush began to succeed him. State senator Paulette Irons, and city councilmen Troy Carter and Jim Singleton, announced their candidacies and soon emerged as the top-tier candidates, though they were soon joined by Richard Pennington, a popular superintendent with a record in rejuvenating the police department. As before, Nagin insists he did not plan to run for office, but said he failed to see how the current candidates could turn the city's economy around, adding, "I saw a few things that we [New Orleans] were doing well but there was still so much that needed to be done. I was looking at the candidates and paying attention and I just didn't see, uh, a spark, a different kind of candidate who was focusing on the things that were necessary to make this a better environment for my kids and my grandkids." He commissioned a poll and found public enthusiasm for the candidates was lukewarm, ready to support a businessman over a career politician, prompting his announcement on December 11 that he would seek the mayoralty.

Running a campaign mostly from his own funds, Nagin ran on his outside status, rooting out corruption and patronage, and economic development - a proposal to explore selling or leasing Louis Armstrong International Aiport was controversial, but served to emphasise his reform agenda. Endorsing Nagin, Gambit Weekly commended him for a pro-business agenda and being unencumbered by past political baggage, ; the Times-Picayune's endorsement highlighted his record at Cox,, and the Louisiana Weekly offered their support. Boosted by these endorsements, Nagin's support in polls rose rapidly, from fifth place in mid-January, to third place a week later, behind Pennington and Irons. Observers, sceptical Nagin could even make the final run-off, were shocked when Nagin won the February 2 primary, beating Pennigton by 6%. Established as the frontrunner, Nagin rallied the electorate around him, and easily won the run-off on March 2.

First term (2002-2006)
The first mayor in 60 years without experience in elected office, Nagin took over from an administration credited with improving the city's police, but which was racked by allegations of corruption, patronage, and cronyism. The first ten weeks of his mayoralty was dominated by bringing in private sector figures into his staff, an early attempt to demonstrate a fresh economic approach to the city, with many taking Nagin's lead in accepting a pay cut.

Acting on his election pledges, in July a series of predawn raids arrested 84 people on charges of bribery and public malfeasance, making national headlines and signalling an anti-corruption drive. Entire city departments were suspended, and the arrest of his own cousin on TV boosted his popularity with a public who believed he was serious about cleaning up New Orleans. However, the city council did not share this enthusiasm, with Nagin's failure to seek a consensus over his policy agenda establishing a pattern of conflict between them.

Concern was also expressed at his economic development plan; he said an anti-corruption campaign would be the first crucial step in making New Orleans a more attractive place to do business, but the next step in aggressively building up the city worried those who felt New Orleans would lose its character. In retort, he argued that less than 15% of all buildings were historic, and that much of the city was ripe for redevelopment. Neverthless, by the time of a Tulane University profile in July 2003, Nagin's popularity remained very high. However, cracks started to appear in his reputation. The anti-corruption drive tailed off after the 2002 arrests, provoking criticism that he was only going after small fish, and of the 84 arrested, 53 had their charges dismissed on lack of evidence.

Hurricane Katrina
The defining episode of Nagin's mayoralty began on 27 August 2005, when the National Hurricane Center issued an alert that Hurricane Katrina was projected to hit the Mississippi coast, initiating a hurricane watch that included New Orleans. Holding a noon press conference that day, Nagin warned a voluntary order for the city's evacuation may be issued within the next 24 hours, but hesitated to say anything definitive. Arguing that Nagin was concerned hotel owners, who were central to the city's tourism, might sue the city for the disruption of an evacuation, Douglas Brinkley argues Nagin dithered, failing to take decisive action. Unlike Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco's flurry of preparations, Nagin did not deploy adequate emergency-response management teams, nor did he put a fleet of buses on standby.

In a joint press conference with the governor late that afternoon, Nagin finally issued a voluntary order, but it failed to emphasise the danger - Katrina was on the verge of becoming a Category 4 hurricane. That evening, Nagin was informed that Katrina was on course to hit Louisiana, and early morning on 28 August an order for the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans was given. "I wish I had better news," Nagin told New Orleanens, "but we’re facing the storm most of us have feared. This is very serious. This is going to be an unprecedented event.… I want to emphasize, the first choice of every citizen should be to leave."

Katrina made landfall at 6:10 a.m. 63 miles southeast of New Orleans, and it was not long before the city was overwhelmed. Nagin meanwhile set up his headquarters in the Hyatt hotel by the Superdome, which had been declared a shelter of last resort. Nagin would be criticised for not heading to Baton Rouge, where he could better coordinate the recovery effort, but he felt it better to not appear as though he were abandoning its residents - however, in actuality, Nagin largely stayed in his headquarters. Brinkley says, "To many, he appeared to be a commander stuck in his bunker." Failures of leadership were being replicated at the state and federal levels; Blanco was losing control of the situation, overwhelmed by Katrina's devastation and with not enough resources to help, whilst FEMA acted too cautiously in moving in federal resources.

Channelling fury at the federal government's slow response, Nagin took to the airwaves. Calling in on Robinette's show, the mayor decried its slow response, saying, "I'll tell you, man, I’m probably going [to] get in a whole bunch of trouble [and] you probably won't even want to deal with me after this interview is over, but we authorized $8 billion to go to Iraq lickety-quick I don't know whose problem [Katrina] is." By this time, the emotional effects of the disaster were showing, with Nagin shutting himself away after the call. Nevertheless, it had its intended effect, his words being repeated across the country, a lasting symbol of criticism against the Bush administration. As far as his staff were concerned, it prompted a faster rescue effort.

Despite his own problems in New Orleans, Nagin was able to force a clearer chain-of-command between the state and federal governments. In a September 2 conference on Air Force One which included the president and the governor, Nagin lashed out at the dispute between Blanco and Bush over whether federal troops should be placed under state control, his anger ending the debate. Though Blanco would later on refuse to hand over sovereignty after all, Bush regardless sent in 13,000 National Guard soldiers. In retrospect, the mayor felt his outburst was a sign of becoming 'unglued', an assessment shared by the governor; Nagin said, "I was anxious. So by the time we got around to me, I probably pushed a little harder than I should have." The strain was enormous, and on 7 September Nagin left for a five-day stay in Dallas. Though the governor had urged he take a break, she did not intend it to be that long, and found irony that Nagin would criticise the void in leadership from outside the city; he himself insisted he stayed in New Orleans as long as he could, leaving only when progress was being made so he could look after his own family. His departure made a lasting impact - though he was being commended for his tough action against the federal government, his move symbolised growing concerns that Nagin's leadership in New Orleans itself was poor. His callsign on police radio was 'New Orleans One'; afterwards, disgruntled police put up signs decrying 'Dallas One'.

Recovery
Nagin returned to a city with a bleak future. 80% of the city was at one time underwater, and even with the flood drained it would be a long time before most of the evacuees could return.

Links

 * http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/ray_nagins_life_and_times_as_m.html
 * http://www.s4.brown.edu/katrina/report2.pdf
 * http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FHiiDuAg0bIC&pg=PT81&dq=Ray+Nagin+Cox&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XtLwU5-cDIOd0AXmh4GACg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Ray%20Nagin%20Cox&f=false
 * http://www.wlox.com/story/24693155/ray-nagin-was-the-unlikely-politician-going-from-boardroom-to-the-mayors-office
 * http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/mayor_ray_nagin_was_elected_to.html