Nagin disgusted with himself?
Oh well. I am sure I have been disappointed in myself before too. But I don't think I have ever castigated myself in public before.New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin recently pronounced himself "disgusted" with apathy among city residents, saying it was "unacceptable" that only about a quarter of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in the Oct. 20 primary.
Turns out the mayor himself has skipped a few elections, according to state records.
Nagin did not vote in the October primary, or in two citywide elections in March and May, according to Secretary of State Jay Dardenne's office.
Turnout in the Oct. 20 primary -- when Nagin could have had a say in electing key officials he would work with, including the governor, local legislators and one of two at-large City Council members -- was 26.4 percent, records show.
In a television appearance earlier this month, Nagin said he was disheartened that so many people appear to have lost interest in civic life.
"It was kind of offensive to me, because here I am busting my butt every day and all I'm asking citizens to do is to plug into the democratic process," Nagin said, exhorting his fellow New Orleanians to do better on Nov. 17.
"Take 20 minutes of your time and decide," he said. "Don't just let this thing happen without you voicing your opinion."
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