Once upon a time in a pre-Katrina New Orleans, the mayoral elections were scheduled to take place in February. Now that we have spent months under the campaigning leadership of Mayor Ray C. Nagin, we know now more than ever that New Orleans is begging for an election.

On April 22 the polls will be opened to begin, presumably, the most important mayoral election in New Orleans for generations. For some, this date could not come sooner, but for a very vocal minority April is not only unrealistic, but also unfair. These groups are hard at work in an attempt to delay elections until suitable accommodations can be made for those still displaced to participate in the mayoral election. Those who oppose the April 22 primary and May 20 runoff dates are saying that the city needs to postpone elections until residents are able to either return to New Orleans or allowed to participate through out-of-state polling sites. However, last week a federal judge refused to force the state into establishing polling places for displaced residents in cities like Houston.

Though it may not be the most fair of things to hold elections without a large chunk of the population, it is also unrealistic to continue to delay the inevitable. This is a difficult situation and no one knows what proper protocol would be, as we’ve been flying by the seat of our pants for months now, but in a time like this we must have a leader that will standup and make the tough decisions.

Focus needs to be taken away from the kissing babies and shaking hands that reelection campaigning implies and be redirected toward rebuilding the city before it’s too late. Nagin has been so preoccupied and consumed with winning back the voters’ sympathy that he has done little of recent to help out the city for which he supposedly cares so deeply. Summer is approaching and without solid leadership in place – someone solely dedicated and devoted to reestablishing New Orleans – our city will never come back.

Holding elections while a sizable portion of the population is still spread throughout the country is unfair to that portion of the population, but delaying elections is unfair to those living in New Orleans. In the coming years many difficult choices will have to be made, this is just the first of many.