Mayor C. Ray Nagin's 2005 State of the City Address

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, federal, state, and local officials, honored guests, and friends.

I’d like to especially recognize and thank my wife the first lady, Seletha, my children – Jeremy, Jarin, and Tianna, my parents and all my family for their tremendous support.

To the City Council, please stand. Thank you for your efforts to make our city great. Members of the police force, firefighters, EMS, and military personnel: thank you for your service to our community and our country.

I also want to thank a very special group of warriors, my staff. Will you please stand. Ladies and gentlemen, look how diverse they are – a microcosm of New Orleans. Thank you for all you do, and a special thanks to all city workers.

We’re here tonight in this wonderful building on Xavier University’s campus. I want to recognize Dr. Norman Francis for his leadership in Xavier’s growth and also for allowing us to have this affair here tonight. Xavier is the #1 pharmacy school in the nation for the number of degrees awarded to African-Americans and a true center of excellence.

I am honored to stand here as the 68th mayor of New Orleans. It has been a privilege to serve you over the past three years. Every day I thank God for the opportunity to make a difference in the city I love so much. This city has blessed me and challenged me to stretch all the skills I have accumulated over the years. I stand here tonight as your humble servant.

Tonight I’m going to speak to you differently than I have in the past. I pray a spirit of peace, love, and unity descends upon us all as we open our minds and hearts – and talk truth. I am trusting we’ll end up in a good place.

My big question tonight is, what time is it?

If you know the time, then you know what must be done.

Everything is measured in time! The farmer plants seeds and doesn’t expect the crops to pop up immediately; he knows everything must come in season.

We know that after the first of the year, Mardi Gras is coming followed by Easter, French Quarter Fest, Jazz Festival, and Essence.

For everything under the sun there is a time, there is a season, there is a purpose. What time is it?

Three years ago, I came to office as the reform, business-oriented mayor. We shocked the political system with major changes. It was big time stuff! We made local, national and international news.

 Three years ago, the time was right to create more economic thrust in this city. You see, we missed the national economic boom in the 90’s because of a political system that dominated business development. Our young people were leaving and so were jobs.

Three years ago, you said the time was right for a business-oriented mayor to focus on the economy and job creation.

My phase one goals were to right the ship, get rid of deficits, establish credibility, rebuild our infrastructure, focus on job growth, revitalize neighborhoods, and get our economy stabilized.

Let’s think about the economy in New Orleans:

• Our dominant industry is tourism. Last year, we had a record 10.1 million visitors, the airport is back to pre 9-11 levels, and we saw almost a million cruise ship passengers leave our port. Good news!
• So look around: you can see, touch and feel the change everywhere. We are building in this city at record numbers: a phenomenal $3.2 billion worth of both public and private capital projects are underway in the city of New Orleans. Great news!
• And look at the retail numbers – up almost 10 percent. People are spending money everywhere.

The progress speaks for itself!!

1. On the related job front, the year prior to becoming mayor, we lost almost 10,000 jobs. The past two years we have been almost flat. This past Saturday, the newspaper reported a drop in the unemployment rate and the metro area added 7,700 jobs over the year. It gets better; our challenge going forward is to quickly fill all the open positions in our economy. With over 8,000 jobs available right now, the job market is expanding and growth is in good paying jobs.

2. For example, the medical industry has 7,000 open jobs as we speak and in the shipbuilding industry, Bollinger, Textron, and Trinity Marine alone are looking for at least 600 people to hire.

Also, more than $400 million worth of films have been shot in the New Orleans area, unleashing great opportunities for locals as well as people moving back to the city. Hollywood South is in full effect.

3. Our credibility and image have improved across the country. Inc Magazine named us the 18th best city in America to do business with, we were recently named one of the top 10 “comeback cities” in the South, and Black Enterprise also named us a top city. And we are now a recognized leader in technology as our city website ranked fourth best in the nation.

And to further the improvement of our image and integrity, I am announcing a new process for awarding contracts in further fulfillment of my commitment to reform government. Our City Attorney has done extensive research and looked at best practices around the country.

In the future, all contracts over a certain threshold will be graded by a review panel that includes citizen input from the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce or the Urban League. This panel will review all contracts over a certain amount and send them to me for final approval.

I remain strongly committed to giving the citizens of New Orleans integrity and transparency in government.

4. You know when I ran for office, I wanted to rebuild our neglected infrastructure and knew we needed money to do that. Part of my plan was to consider selling the airport for $1 billion. But with the business climate we have created, we now have $3.2 billion (that’s with a b!) In construction related activity. Think about that – $3 billion worth of construction in New Orleans alone. Wow!

So guess what, we no longer need to sell that sucker! But if one of you rich people out there has a billion, we’ll take it.

5. We have a spectacular new Canal Street in the making.

6. We built a climate for minority and women owned businesses to thrive:

• DBE’s now hold at least 32 percent of Sewerage and Water Board contracts
• At the airport, black-owned companies received 95 percent of DBE dollars, compared to as little as 17 percent in the past.
• 42 percent of street projects went to qualified minority engineers with black firms acting as primes and subs for the first time in city history.

7. Finally, I’ve been telling people everywhere I go that real estate in the city is hot, on fire! My rallying cry in speeches is, “buy some dirt in New Orleans.” Over the past two years, we have seen double digit increases in real estate values, some areas with 10 to 20 percent growth. We leveraged over $100 million in public funds to revitalize neighborhoods all across the city. These dollars are primarily targeted to female heads of household who are first time homeowners.

Our adjudicated properties program allows people to buy properties at half the appraised value … and you hire the appraiser! It doesn’t get much better than that.

In addition, new storefronts are emerging everywhere. Another incredible fact is we have issued 37 percent more permits than the previous administration, 70 percent more in multi-family permits.

Even with this boom, can we proclaim that we have arrived? No, not yet. So let’s talk truth about the true state of our city. Our city’s economic state is like a typical New Orleans day. In parts of our city the skies are “sunny” with an economic boom happening.

In different parts of our city, it’s “cloudy” where citizens are not participating in this renewed economy in a meaningful way.

These parts of our city are mired in violent crime, unemployment and underemployed where children are trapped in failing schools.

So again, the question is, what time is it?

It’s time to now focus on how all citizens, those in the sunshine and those with clouds overhead, can take full advantage of this economic revitalization.

Think of New Orleans with a glass economic ceiling on top – we will unfortunately hit this ceiling if this city continues to have an overwhelming majority of its citizens living a little above, at or below the poverty level.

It is time that we all recognize our role in helping each other achieve the American dream. Too many of our citizens have given up the hope of ever attaining the lifestyle they desire and that they see others enjoying. Too many of our citizens give up and unfortunately turn to a life of crime as a quick fix. Violent crime is sucking economic energy out of our city. We must come together and solve the hopelessness and make this city safer for everyone.

Tonight we are going to talk truth. This is Ray Nagin somewhat uncut. We will touch on self, community, what time it is, and what must be done.

Crime

The most important challenge we face in our great city is public safety. All citizens deserve safe neighborhoods, safe schools, and safe workplaces.

Three years ago, overall crime, including the murder rate, was rising. The police department ranks were declining, with attrition at an all time high. Broken promises had us losing as many as 175 experienced officers a year.

We turned this around with back to back pay raises, state-of-the-art technology, promoting officers who had been promised promotions many years ago, and reorganizing police leadership to be more responsive to the rank and file. By addressing these issues, we reduced attrition by over 75 percent.

So this Friday, we will finally have over 1,700 commissioned officers on the streets fighting crimes. This is significant because the last time we had 1,750 officers, murders dropped to an all-time low.

Let me prove to you how hard our police are working. Last year, NOPD made a record 114,000 arrests – that’s almost 10,000 a month. Most were repeat offenders. The police are doing their part, but we now know we cannot simply arrest our way out of crime.

With the police ranks growing, with state of the art crime cameras being deployed, and record numbers of arrests, then why don’t we feel safer? Could it be that the criminals are more violent and cold? Could it be that school shootings shake us to our core? Could it be that as soon as the police arrest an accused murderer, they are back on the streets within a couple of days, violating our space?

Our children are shooting each other in the face, neck and head. I die a little every time someone loses their life, particularly a young person.

We can fix this! If we know the time and what must be done.

I met with Chief Compass at the beginning of the year. As I spoke to the Chief, I asked a question: “If this was a perfect world …what do you need to be successful?” He answered me point blank, “I need more officers.” He then explained that if he had more recruits, he would put those officers in the districts walking the beats to increase visibility and create special units to deal with gangs and assault weapons.

Ladies and gentlemen, your police chief needs our support. Pollster Dr. Silas Lee found that an overwhelming majority of black and white residents said that they want to give Chief Compass what he needs to succeed.

What time is it? I’m asking the question: is it time to take a bold step for residency?

Recently, I ran into former Mayor Moon Landrieu and he gave me some very interesting history on why he originally pushed to adopt the residency rule over 40 years ago. He said Civil Service at the time was not hiring black officers. Now we have a force that’s majority African-American. This may be a different time and space.

As your mayor, let me be very clear. Residency could only be looked at as one part of the overall solution to improving public safety. Temporarily lifting the residency requirement would have to include incentives for officers to live in Orleans Parish. But if lifting the residency requirement is in the wisdom of the majority of the City Council, I will sign it into law.

But make no mistake about it, I will continue to demand that all officers, no matter where they live, respect all citizens and live up to their creed, “to protect and serve,” with emphasis on “serve.”

What else do these times call for?

It’s time for a stronger criminal justice system that is as concerned about victims’ rights as it is with the rights of the accused. I have brought the police and DA together in first-of-their-kind joint programs. The police and DA are only two legs of the criminal justice system: we need the judges, too. It’s time to close the revolving door on all repeat offenders.

And we need to continue enhancing innovative programs like the crime cameras. We recently put the cameras throughout the Sixth District in Central City. I am happy to report murders are down 45 percent as a result. We’re talking about saving lives. And we are systematically rolling these cameras out throughout the city, hitting known “hot” spots.

As we are solving the public safety issues on the back end, we need to spend as much time on the front end, working on our most valuable resource and that’s our young people, the children.

As we are looking for creative solutions to solve the firefighters back pay issues, I would like for us to seriously consider putting the same energy to fully funding NORD at levels competitive with other parishes. We will then evaluate the need for an independent youth commission to take youth development to the next level.

Youth development on the streets and playgrounds is one matter that we will continue to tackle, but a greater challenge is youth development in the schools.

Education

What time is it? If you know the time then you know what must be done.

We all know how destructive a hurricane can be and we all know it’s a force of nature we can’t take lightly. Well my friends, public education in New Orleans is a category 5 hurricane coming up the mouth of the Mississippi and even Nash Roberts has left town for this one.

Let me tell you how I see this issue. I’m a proud public school graduate, O. Perry Walker class of 1974. Chargers! This is very personal to me. For 20 years, I’ve been working to help improve the system, like a lot of other good people. I’m no Johnny-come-lately to this issue. For 20 years, I’ve raised money for scholarships, mentored kids and served on the education foundation board.

After becoming mayor, I offered to lend our expertise in management and fiscal affairs to the school system. I saw teachers struggling to get paid. I saw parents and principals pulling money out of their own pockets to buy supplies. I even saw people buying toilet paper to bring to school. You know what happened to my offer.

So this past year, I began talking to principals, teachers, board members, students and parents to formulate creative action plans.

Why? Because it’s time! Time for revolutionary change! Time for all of us to be serious about educating all children, particularly poorer black children! It is time for us to stop doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result! A sane, intelligent approach is way past due!

We have to face the fact that our school system is broken beyond repair in its current form. Let me be very clear: I am not saying that the superintendent, the new School Board, and teachers are broken. It’s the system that’s broken beyond repair. This is no doom and gloom: it’s the absolute fact.

Listen to this fact! The school system has a $577 million budget to serve 60,000 kids – that’s almost $10,000 a student – enough to send those kids to private institutions like St. Augustine, Jesuit, Xavier Prep, or Dominican! As a matter of fact, for $10,000 you could send two of these kids to UNO! A university!

To the new School Board and the State Board of Education, I applaud your efforts to join forces to get the school house in order. However, for the children who are being impacted today, it is time! For a new approach – revolutionary change. One that will work in concert with your efforts for the hopes and dreams of our children. The time is now!

I am officially proposing today that the City of New Orleans take the initiative to turn 20 of the lowest performing schools into educational centers of excellence over the next few years. We will create a special school district with the mantra “Project FOCUS – For Our Children’s Ultimate Success.”

Close your eyes and share this vision:

• It starts with the buildings … clean, safe, attractive, state of the art buildings that are totally designed for learning. A building that has joint learning centers for children and parents to study life and job skills. The parents sign commitment letters pledging to spend at least one hour per week volunteering.

• These are schools with small classes and a 15 to 1 student-teacher ratio which research, teachers and principals say work.

• These schools have dedicated full-time social workers at a 100 to 1 student-worker ratio, along with other critical support staff.

• These schools have a creative but rigorous curriculum with the latest technology infused in the classrooms.

• These schools leverage city resources in order to provide on site recreation, healthcare, and after school learning.

This newly created district will have the following firm goals:

• 90 percent of all students read at or above grade level
• 90 percent of all students graduate on time
• 90 percent of all students go to college and/or a qualified trade school

It’s time! When this model works, we will have demonstrated what can be done and then we can expand it to the entire school system.

I know this sounds like a huge commitment, but is there any commitment too big for our children? I, you, no, we have to do this for the children and for our city.

This plan of action creates another critical tipping point for attracting companies to relocate here and create more jobs. That, my friends, is fundamental in achieving our ultimate goal of comprehensive economic development for everyone!

Economic Development

Remember, it is now also time for us to focus on all citizens, those in the sunshine and those with clouds overhead, to take full advantage of this economic revitalization that is happening in our city. For the past three years, we’ve invested in New Orleans from the ground up. Building permits are up 37 percent and the wait time for permits has dropped from almost 2 hours to 31 minutes!

We now boast a diversified economy with growth industries for the future. New Orleans is the fastest growing cruise ship port in the nation and 7,000 jobs are available in our medical district for trained personnel.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are opportunities out there. Do you know how you can take advantage of them?

In Hollywood South, you can become a celebrity hair stylist and make-up artist to the stars. We even have our own George Jefferson, a dry cleaner who has doubled the size of his business by adding a night shift where he picks up movie costumes in the evenings and delivers them clean in the morning. He is moving on up!

In shipbuilding, they are paying from 14 to 27 bucks an hour at trinity yachts. You could be building a bling-bling yacht for J Lo, Jay Z, or Bill Gates if you go through their training program. At Job 1, there’s a 9 month training program to become a registered nurse if you have any type of college degree. You get out and make $50,000 a year. In construction, companies like Boh Brothers say they are looking for general and skilled workers paying up to $16.50 an hour with benefits. Even our Neighborhood 1 office can help you launch a career if you’re interested in renovating blighted homes.

Do you see the opportunity to get a good job here? We are growing better paying jobs. We want to help you get the skills you need.

This year, Job 1 connected people to jobs and training by serving over 20,000 people. And we brought it into the neighborhoods with job fairs at churches and satellite centers in Algiers and New Orleans East. Going forward, we will continue to ramp up services and serve more people.

We can do all of this but it takes you to call and try these services. It’s there for you. It’s time!

A good paying job is one level, but owning your own business is the next level up. Eighty percent of all economic growth is small business development. Over the past three years, we have launched support groups like Idea Village and the City of New Orleans Contractor’s College. We have also refocused our Economic Development Fund funds on providing technical, legal and financial support to start your own business or grow the one you have.

Even after doing all of this, the skies are still cloudy for too many of our citizens who want to participate in entrepreneurship, especially in our African-American business community. The latest census data shows that there is a significant ownership gap in our city. For every dollar in revenue a majority white owned company receives, a majority black owned company’s revenues are one cent in the Big Easy. One dollar compared to one cent. That speaks volumes! Does that speak volumes to you here tonight in this room?

How can we be a world class city when the majority of our citizens are not participating in the real economics of this city?

Tonight let’s not focus on blame, but let’s talk about how we fix it and empower all our citizens.

Over the past three years, I have been meeting regularly with various business groups and having frank discussions about this problem. I gave these business leaders two challenges: first, they must help the city develop at least 20 young African-American entrepreneurs into legitimate businesses that do not rely on public contracts for their survival. The second challenge is in their words and deeds to help fix the public education system to properly educate all children, particularly poor black kids. Guess what, they accepted the challenge!

Today I am announcing a new partnership between the City of New Orleans, the business community, budding entrepreneurs and the faith based community. This partnership will be called Business 1.

The goal of Business 1 is to foster $100 million in new sales in African-American owned businesses and create 20 new African-American entrepreneurs. The business community has already committed to mentoring these young companies and we need the entrepreneurs to sell their ideas to their churches and our EDF committee. The city will match equity capital raised up to 25 percent of the start up costs. The business community will then assist with banking relations, mentoring, and business development.

We are setting the table. We created the environment. Now let’s make this change together for one New Orleans.

Peroration

Razzoo’s, DA law suit, and mystery shoppers on Bourbon Street. What time is it? Is it really 2005? As most of you know, our city is an incredible place but I will say it loud and clear until everybody hears me – we will not stand for discrimination in any form, against anyone, anywhere.

But in order to be one New Orleans, we must get the majority of our citizens stronger, particularly black New Orleans. We are a beautiful people of all shades and colors. We are a creative people. We are a spiritual people. But let’s be honest – we are not the people we could be, not the people we should be. We are losing our youth and our males. An African proverb says the ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people. What’s happening in our homes? How are the children?

I have been talking all around town in all the churches about black love. You see, we had a recent event in the French Quarter at a bar called Razzoo’s. A young college student who looked and dressed just like my sons – I dress like that sometimes – died in the hands of three bouncers. This is unacceptable! In order to achieve one New Orleans, an incident like Levon Jones can never, ever happen again in our community.

But here is my question: is there a difference between when a white person kills a black person or when a black person kills a black person? In our city, last year we had 265 murders, 90 to 95 percent were black on black crimes.

If we are outraged in the French Quarter, then why aren’t we outraged when it happens in the 9th Ward, Central City or Algiers? What is going on? What happened to how it used to be when I was growing up? If I did something wrong, my neighbors checked me. They then took me home, told my parents what happened and you know what happened then. We used to look out for each other, greet each other with a hug and a kiss. What has happened to black love? There are too many times where black leaders tear each other down in public. Our children see this – and look at what is happening in the streets.

When was the last time you searched for and bought from a black owned business in our city? It’s time to stop the madness. No one outside of black New Orleans can solve this. We must do it. Let’s come together, fix and heal ourselves and then we can demand more as respected people. Let’s have some serious dialogue about black love and how do we rekindle it. It’s time!

To my white brothers and sisters, you have a role to play for us to get to the “one love” that Bob Marley sang about.

A city divided against itself cannot stand. How can we all prosper in this city when a majority of our citizens live in the lower demographics? Have you noticed your white counterparts in other cities like Atlanta earn more than the average white families in New Orleans. In Atlanta, where their motto is “we’re too busy to hate,” they have figured this out. You see, it benefits us all if the economic pie is growing and all citizens are getting their fair share.

Let me ask a serious question: how did you feel when you learned the Human Relations Commission with its mystery shoppers reported that 57 percent of clubs on Bourbon Street, the heart of our city, significantly discriminated against African-Americans? Were you outraged? If not, why not?

Have you ever been to a cocktail party and someone told a crude racial joke? Were you outraged? If not, why not?

Look inside your company: do you have a diverse workforce? In management? Do you have more than one person who looks like me?

Let me tell you a story about my experience in managing diversity. My fundamental belief is people hire those who look like them and most are not racist. When I was at Cox, if I hired an African-American female to run a major division and I turned my head she would have all African-American females working for her. The point is people tend to hire people who look like them and with whom they have things in common. That’s why it is important to have diversity at the top.

If we are to move this city to world class status we must have black, white, Hispanic, Asian and others respecting each other and going beyond just coming together during Mardi Gras, Jazz Festival and other social events.

So I ask again, what time is it? It’s time for one love. It’s time for one New Orleans.

Media

In order to have one New Orleans, we have to have one image. To my friends in the media, the guardians of our image, what is your role in helping this community move to being one New Orleans?

I know in journalism school you are taught to report the truth and facts only. I hear you are also taught that you do not necessarily have a responsibility to uplift the community you report in. That’s fine if you have decision makers in the newsrooms that reflect truth for everyone in the entire community. You too have a responsibility to this community.

I now want to get something off my chest. I have great respect for the press. They are a powerful, powerful medium. However, I have watched the press closely over the past three years. Some of you report on the extremes; either things are super positive or super negative. In my opinion, this tends to leave our city in a somewhat schizophrenic state of not knowing what is real and what is not real, basically killing the people’s trust of what is really going on in our city.

How do you explain to a third grade student whose superintendent was being applauded in the media and inspiring students that three short months later he is no longer an inspiration? How do you explain that three short years ago, Ray Nagin was the darling of the media? We could do no wrong. The local press was so excited they didn’t know what to do! The editors and news directors were giving each other high fives, sipping mint juleps and hurricanes while we at City Hall seemingly entertained everyone. Ratings were up! Subscriptions went through the roof! Life was good in the news business!

Now three years later, today, look at what you are reporting. Contracts! You talk to people who didn’t get a contract and it’s sour grapes. Now they say they can do more than what they put in their original proposals. You report I am wasting taxpayers’ dollars! What happen to us fixing budget deficits, cutting expenses at the airport and RTA?

You even stooped to mocking! You put my head on cartoon characters of Elvis Presley and a little man with a king’s outfit on. Yes, you did this! Why? I am trying to understand you better. I went to consult my friend Webster to get some insight. You know Webster, the guy who wrote the dictionary. I wanted to find out the essence of some of you. What is a picayune and a gambit? Webster defines a picayune as something trivial or of little value and he goes on to define a gambit as the act of tripping someone up. This can’t be true.

Just this morning, you wrote for more times than its worth about insurance and tried to make the point that the school system awards contracts with more integrity than we do. Come on now, even the third graders I mentioned earlier are scratching their heads. One of the insurance guys you lightly touched is the same person who writes your insurance. How did you award that contract?

Three months of negatives while national publications tout our successes. In fact, a national media company recently gave me the scales of justice award, one of only five people in the country to ever receive this award. This award is for courage in pursuit of integrity and justice.

Lately, it seems all we get is local knocks and national boosts. That’s OK. You see, a wise man once told me a story – I believe it was my father. There was a young colt who looked and acted different than most other colts. One day this colt fell in a ditch. Everyone who passed by threw a rock at the colt in the ditch. They threw so many rocks that they filled up the ditch and the colt eventually walked out.

The moral of this parable is: every knock is a boost. Thank you for the knocks: they are boosting me out of the ditch.

Just a little fun. Don’t get me wrong. I am not standing here saying I don’t appreciate constructive criticism. Criticism can be very helpful. I also have great respect for the press. They are a powerful, powerful, medium. They have the power to tear men down and build them up.

I hope I am wrong, but it appears that some of you are trying to change people’s perception that I am an honest guy with integrity. For what purpose? I didn’t become mayor to do all the wrong things you are insinuating that I am doing. I wouldn’t waste the community’s time or mine. I am not becoming richer being mayor; if anything I am becoming poorer. 75 percent pay cut, right honey? I am not hooking up my friends or relatives. Some are quite upset that I am not doing this because the way you report, they believe that is what I could and should do. I don’t mind being held accountable. I just want all the facts out. When you tear the leadership of this city down without all the facts, it leaves little time for building us up.

I feel better now!

My friends in the media, you must help this city believe in itself. That it can compete, it can heal itself and we can fix all the serious challenges facing us. Our image is one New Orleans.

Close

What time is it? It time for the close. So in closing, my fellow New Orleanians, if I were a typical politician I could easily come before you like the Mighty Temptations said in their song ‘Ball of Confusion,’ “Vote for me, I’ll set you free. Rap on brothers, rap on.” I could have stood before you and given you an hour of accomplishments and told you goodnight. I chose the road less traveled.
I love this city. I love all of you. I am a black man who is mayor for all people. The mayor of one New Orleans.

I talked about the true state of our city. The sunny and partly cloudy skies.

I asked repeatedly, what time is it and what must be done?

• It’s time to now focus on how all citizens, those in the sunshine and those with clouds overhead, can take full advantage of this economic revitalization.
• It’s time for us to turn 20 of the lowest performing schools into centers of excellence.
• It’s time for us to ask the question about residency and give Chief Compass what he needs to succeed.
• It’s time to continue to bring integrity to government.
• It’s time to improve race relations and remember that this is 2005.
• It’s time for the media to help lift this great city.
• And it’s time our children receive a ray of hope.

New Orleans, one New Orleans, bring on the sunshine. It’s time!

Thank you and god bless. Good night.