JEFF CROUERE

On Thursday, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and his entourage returned from their six day trip to communist Cuba. The supposed purpose of the visit was for the Mayor to investigate Cuba’s hurricane preparedness programs and to bolster trade ties with the poor country.

Unfortunately, Nagin once again made ridiculous comments that embarrassed the people of New Orleans. In an interview with the Associated Press, Nagin lamented this country’s response to Hurricane Katrina and said that “it wasn’t clear” who was in charge. Seemingly, Nagin longs for the type of dictatorship that has ruined Cuba for the last 50 years. In that country, the Castro brothers run everything with an iron fist. Anyone who dissents is either shot or thrown in a Cuban gulag. Does Nagin want that kind of system here? Amazingly, Nagin said that Cubans do “a much better job” than U.S. officials in handling hurricanes. I guess so, Mr. Mayor, because there is no freedom of movement or freedom of speech in Cuba and everyone has to follow the commands of the communist authorities.

Nagin also said that “in Cuba, you don’t have the problem” of the President and the Governor “going back and forth.” Of course not, in Cuba there is no back and forth, there is only Castro communism. It is what a dictatorship is all about, but sadly Nagin is clueless about Cuban history and the fifty years of brutal suppression. Nagin should talk to Cuban exiles who can educate him about the reality of communism.

In Cuba there are no free elections, no freedom of assembly, no free press, no freedom to express religious faith and no freedom to unionize. Citizens who complain or oppose the government repression are imprisoned. This barbarism is why so many Cubans try to flee the country and risk their lives on the high seas to make it to America.

Nagin complimented Cuban authorities for “knowing their citizens at a very, very detailed level, block by block.” This type of knowledge is gained through the use of spies and government eavesdropping that is unacceptable in a free country. If Cuba has such a great system, why are so many people trying to leave the country? By offering his praise, Nagin joins other Castro apologists in Hollywood who are blinded by liberal ideology and do not recognize the real tyranny that the Castro brothers represent.

Either Nagin is ignorant of what a dictatorship means or he wants to emulate one in this country. Who knows what motivated Nagin to open his mouth and criticize his own country, while praising a communist dictatorship. However, we do know that it is no surprise for Nagin to make foolish comments. Whether he is touting New Orleans as a “chocolate city” or the city’s high murder rate as a way to get “the brand out there,” or calling the 9-11 sites in New York a “hole in the ground” or claiming that he is a “vagina friendly” Mayor, Nagin can’t help but make asinine statements. In fact, his entire catalog of dumb comments is too numerous to list.

Thankfully, his reign of error will end in six months. Sadly, New Orleans lost eight years with Nagin and his City Hall crew. The real losers have been the taxpayers who will probably pay the costs for the Nagin team to visit Cuba.

These same taxpayers were left with the $29,000 bill for Nagin and company to visit China and Australia.

None of these trips will lead to anything of substance for New Orleans. The only things that people will be left with are bills to pay and more embarrassment. Such is the price of electing a fool as Mayor.

 

Jeff Crouere, a native of New Orleans and resident of Mandeville, is host of a Louisiana-based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 10 p.m. Sundays on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM on the Northshore. For more information, visit his Web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.