Does New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin even have a press person to keep comments like these in check? If so, he may need a new one.
Seems that Baytown, Texas resident Mary Jane Bernard tried to check in to a New Orleans asking for the "Ray Nagin pecial rate." Only trouble was, the front desk clerk had no idea what he was talking about. From the Times-Picayune:
In a news conference Thursday afternoon, Mayor Ray Nagin had encouraged Texas evacuees to book hotel rooms in New Orleans by requesting the "Mayor Ray Nagin special rate." The offer was designed, the mayor said, "to say to our friends in Houston and Texas that we want to take care of you, since you have taken care of us, " according to a transcript of his remarks. Thousands of New Orleanians evacuated to Texas shelters and hotels because of Hurricane Katrina. Trouble is, as Bernard found out, the special rate doesn't exist.
The mayor's comments and ensuing calls from potential guests requesting the special rate caused the Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association to issue a harried e-mail to hotels urging them "in the spirit of cooperation" to make any appropriate accommodation they could to callers requesting Nagin's rate.
Link: Hotel seekers ask for 'Nagin special' - Breaking News from New Orleans - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com.
Posted by: Larry | Sep 14, 2008 at 01:02 PM