Scorched earth

Was bound to happen sooner or later. On his way out the door, Ed Blakely manages to point one last finger of shame... this time at his old boss.

When he was hired in late 2006, Recovery Director Ed Blakely said he wanted to assume the role of a deputy mayor. Many larger cities, such as New York, use deputy mayors to coordinate specific areas of city government and give them the power to approve contracts. Blakely said he suggested this structure to Nagin, and he opposed it.

“The mayor believes much more in a flat organization without too many people with agglomerate power,” Blakely said.

That flat organization required Blakely to answer to various department heads, which he says slowed recovery projects because every city contract required multiple approvals and ultimately the mayor’s signature.