NEW ORLEANS – Explosive comments from the former recovery director in New Orleans seem to be reigniting the controversy that often surrounded his office. Ed Blakely has only been gone a few months, but he's now calling New Orleanians lazy and racist.
An eccentric man known for grandiose promises.
"By September, we hope to have cranes in the skyline," Blakely promised in March 2007.
Controversy over Blakely's performance seemed to follow him out the door when he left his post last summer, but a new interview is bringing back a bitter spotlight as Blakely discusses race in New Orleans.
"Everyone's a racist," Blakely told CalTV, the online news show run by students at the University of California-Berkeley. "It's part of something we have in this country, but it's deeper and more viral and more visible and entrenched in New Orleans than any place I've seen."
The comments are now raising eyebrows and frustration within New Orleans political circles.
"If he felt that way, one, he was in a position to address the issue and effectively do something about it," said Dr. Silas Lee, political analyst. "To make such a broad sweeping generalization is extremely unprofessional.”
It was late August when the 20-year-old Berkeley senior, Yaou Dou, interviewed Blakely. The former recovery czar's comments were bold and grim.
"There is a sense now in the white community – there's blood in the water," said Blakely. "They can recapture the political apparatus and kind of put their foot back on black people's throats and that will be explosive and very dangerous. I think unless the next mayor is very clever it's going to explode and there will be race riots in New Orleans."
"I guess that'll happen right after Ed Blakely’s cranes in the sky happen," Eyewitness News Political Analyst Clancy DuBos said jokingly.
A very candid Blakely also said he regrets not leaving his post earlier.
"My health wasn't good and, secondly, I had other things I wanted to do and administering a recovery is not one of them."
Blakely self described uneasiness in his final months in New Orleans did not come as a shock to members of the City Council.
"We have been very anxious pushing for a sense of urgency, it never came and those comments explain why that never came," said Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis. "Unfortunately, Dr. Blakely's expertise is writing books, not leading recovery."
"Basically he raped the city," said Lee. "He took us for granted, he took the money and didn't deliver."
Blakely now blames the slow recovery process on the people of New Orleans.
"They had never expected to do it themselves," said Blakely.
"He's not a New Orleanian," said City Council President Arnie Fielkow. "He was here for a few years, I don't think you can cast a wide net in terms of aspect and personality of our citizens."
And when asked if New Orleans would be still be around in 100 years, Blakely added "forces of nature are such that it's unlikely."
In a telephone interview with Eyewitness News Anchor Eric Paulsen, Blakely said he stands by his words and adds that it's "time to stop bi***ing, and get to work."
Yaou Dou, the Berkeley senior who sat down with Blakely, was an intern in the New Orleans Recovery Office during the summer of 2008.
