Nagin derrangement syndrome

It's Ray Nagin's big day. I guess they'll finally show that guy what's what. Surely there will be dancing and cheering in the streets when Ray Nagin gets taken down a peg.  Can't wait to see what that might be like.

Since his conviction, the lender on his family's townhouse in Frisco, Texas, which testimony showed Nagin's family living in rent-free after Hurricane Katrina compliments of the developer before they eventually bought it, has sought to foreclose on the property.

And after trial, Nagin's wife Seletha filed for bankruptcy, in the process presenting a grim picture of the family's finances.

Then another financial blow came when U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan in May ordered Nagin to forfeit $501,200 that prosecutors totaled as the gains he received in the bribery schemes for which he was convicted. That figure reflects travel paid by city vendors, cell phone service, money meant to appear as investments in Stone Age, ill-gotten business for Stone Age and free granite provided to the company.

And Nagin could face yet undetermined amounts of fines, in addition to a lengthy prison term, at sentencing.

Files in the Seletha Nagin bankruptcy case in Texas show the Nagin family went from "a seven figure net worth" to $204,810 in assets, surpassed by liabilities of about $223,256.

The bankruptcy files list the Nagins owing $42,839 to the Internal Revenue Service for 2011 and 2012 taxes. They list about $6,059 in debts for bills at retail stores Kohl's and Macy's and for medical services from a handful of providers, including a pathology lab, an orthopedic clinic and a radiology practice.

The court documents list Ray Nagin as unemployed. They indicate Seletha Nagin works as a sales clerk at a Bath and Body Works store in Texas, making about $490 a month.

They also reflect her collecting $312 monthly in food stamps and receiving $400 from one of their two sons, with the name not specified, bringing their average monthly income to about $1,202.

Well ok but that's just the total financial ruin of the man and his family. That might be a big deal if we were talking about someone who is also pretty near unemployable at this point and... well, ok so he's also unemployable.

That might be a big deal if we were talking about a person who hadn't lived through Hurricane Katrina as the Mayor of New Orleans. There's probably some money in that story.. you know.. in the right hands, it would make a compelling book and.. oh.. yeah.

Ok well, so Ray Nagin is pretty well screwed as things stand right now.  This morning Judge Berrigan can only make matters worse when she sentences the 58 year old Nagin to what will probably be something between 10 and 20 years in prison. Apparently this is supposed to serve some sort of purpose.

At least according to what the many folks on the parallel internets demanding an "apology" from the gelded stooge seem to think this week.  Who knows why so many people have decided to make this petty thief's conviction about their honor. It's especially puzzling given the fact that the major criminals who created the petty thief in the first place are still pretty much running the city anyway.  But there's no accounting for hurt feelings.

One friend in the parallel internet did a pretty good job yesterday of explaining why Nagin personally irks people. Why, for example, did Nagin think taking his case to trial was a good idea?

The moron is too narcissistic to realize his fluffers have long ago abandoned him and plead out. No, he wanted to be tossed out the front door, he wanted his show trial with all the cameras focused on the perfect shine on his head. He doesn't give a crap about his finances or his family or his "legacy". The whole prosecution has been about HIM and one more chance to bask in the glow. He will go down hard simply because he chose that path.

It's true Nagin was always just a little too stupid and/or full of himself to understand that everything wasn't always about him. But surely the current mania for revenge can be described as a direct reflection of this overinflated sense of importance.

Maybe there's some symmetry in that but it still doesn't look to me like a long prison sentence is necessary to balance out Nagin's stupid and crude but only moderately significant crimes.