Nagin chides protesters, thanks alot Ray!

Mayor Ray Nagin called the planned demolition of aging public housing in New Orleans a "no win-win" situation and chided protesters who he said have never lived in the developments.

"Someone is going to be upset," Nagin said Saturday about the planned demolition of 4,500 units of public housing to make way for mixed-income neighborhoods.

Nagin called the demolition protesters an "interesting group" and questioned whether any of them had ever lived in public housing.

Nagin was speaking at a press conference in Hollygrove on to mark the construction of a $4 million, 30-unit housing development for the elderly.

The protesters, Nagin said, are "getting their 15 minutes on the camera."

Nagin said he was disappointed that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development didn't start rehabbing the Lafitte development in the Treme two years ago.

"I think we could have done a lot more," Nagin said, of the rehabilitation of old public housing units.