Mayor Nagin to Sell New Orleans Back to French

Well, almost. Despite all of the money pouring into New Orleans to fix the city that is below sea level, Mayor Ray “Chocolate City” Nagin is telling foreign governments that they should help out by fixing up whole neighborhoods. From Reuters here:

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Shortcomings in aid from the U.S. government are making New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin look to other nations for help in rebuilding his hurricane-damaged city.

Nagin, who has hosted a steady stream of foreign dignitaries since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August, says he may seek international assistance because U.S. aid has not been sufficient to get the city back on its feet.

“I know we had a little disappointment earlier with some signals we’re getting from Washington but the international community may be able to fill the gap,” Nagin said when a delegation of French government and business officials passed through on Friday to explore potential business partnerships.

Jordan’s King Abdullah also visited New Orleans on Friday and Nagin said he would encourage foreign interests to help redevelop some of the areas hardest hit by the storm.

“France can take Treme. The king of Jordan can take the Lower Ninth Ward,” he said, referring to two of the city’s neighborhoods.

The Bush administration has pledged billions of dollars to Katrina victims but five months after the storm, New Orleans remains largely in ruins.

Nagin said his message to President George W. Bush would be that the federal government needs to refocus on the devastated area.

“We need your undivided attention over the next six months,” he said. “We need backup. We need for you to make the words that you spoke in Jackson Square a reality.”

Nagin was referring to the president’s September 15 address to the nation from New Orleans, in which he pledged “we will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes” to rebuild.

French Transport Minister Dominique Perben, leading the French delegation to a city that was founded by France in 1718, said, “This catastrophe has deeply upset the French people and the French government.”

France, Perben said through a translator, “wants to be a long-term partner for Louisiana and New Orleans.”

So after buying New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory from France, Nagin is set to give a portion of it back to France in exchange for aid and the chance to make President Bush look like he doesnt care about blacks, the NO Saints, or whoever else still lives down there. But what makes Nagin think that King Abdullah would want the crappy 9th Ward?

And if this is indeed a Chocolate City, maybe the Swiss will help out the city by supplying some fine nougat to the French Quarter. What with all of the chocolate and nuts, some nougat injection would turn the place into a giant Snickers Bar.