New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin announced today that damage from Hurricane Katrina is forcing him to layoff as many as 3,000 city employees.
Nagin announced with “great sadness” that he had been unable to find the money to keep the workers on the payroll.
He said only non-essential workers would be laid off and that no firefighters or police would be among those let go.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this. I wish we had the money, the resources to keep these people,” Nagin said. “The problem we have is we have no revenue streams.”
Nagin described the layoffs as “pretty permanent” and said that the city will work with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to contact municipal employees who fled the city in the aftermath of Katrina, which struck about a month ago.The mayor said the move will save about $5 million to $8 million of the city’s monthly payroll of $20 million. The layoffs will take place over the next two weeks.
Sure, there is a very practical side to this decision by Nagin. Hey, if there is no money, there’s no money and you can’t promise to pay people with something you don’t have and won’t (in the foreseeable future) earn. I guess I just have a real problem with the way Nagin is going about all of this stuff. Is it me or does this guy never take responsibility for anything? Has he assumed blame for any bad decision since the hurricane hit? If he has, I sure haven’t heard it. All I have ever seen him do is point fingers, whine, and complain that no one is doing enough.
Let’s get real Mayor. Who’s paying your living expenses right now? Who’s housing and feeding your family? Are you still collecting your six figure salary?
Oh, and while we’re at it, can you explain your relationship with Louis Farrakhan? What kind of support have you received from his organization?
If you’ve got a story to tell, the world is willing to hear it. When you lay employees off, it’s usually helpful to communicate that you have made your own sacrifices.
Tell us what you’ve sacrificed, Mr. Mayor.
UPDATE: The proverbial DEAD HORSE – Those buses. He didn’t fully explain the flooded ones, and he won’t explain these either, so, ipso facto – the point is moot.