That would be "government" with a very Southern accent.

I was in New Orleans the Sat. night before the storm hit. Eerie,
walking around the French Quarter with most places open, but about 1/4
the normal crowd. Some places boarding up, sandbags up about 12".
Wondered if we'd ever see it like that again. Fortunately, the
Europeans who founded the place built on the highest ground, so the
history French Quarter was mostly spared. Not so well for the low lying
areas built on later.

Yea, the mayor was a total dumb****.