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New Orleans Mayor Says Racism Hampering Recovery

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Aug 18, 2006 5:41 pm US/Central

New Orleans Mayor Says Racism Hampering Recovery

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ― The mayor of New Orleans blames racism and government bureaucracy for hampering the city's ability to both weather Hurricane Katrina and recover from it.

Ray Nagin is convinced things would've been different had the storm hit Orange County, California, or Miami Beach. And he's telling the National Association of Black Journalists that the storm exposed what he calls "the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class."

In his speech, Nagin also suggested that state and federal officials would prefer New Orleans remain a smaller city. It now has just over half its pre-storm population.

He's also complaining that his city isn't getting enough state and federal aid -- and that what it does get comes with too many rules. Nagin says too much cash is going to developers and contractors.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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