Regardless of race, gender, age, political affiliation or neighborhood, the residents of New Orleans are clearly at a crossroads. Voters in every City Council district voiced displeasure about the direction the city is moving in a survey released Wednesday (Sept. 7). Conducted by Edgewater Research in cooperation with My People Vote, the poll indicated that nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of respondents believe that New Orleans is headed in the wrong direction. The survey also tested the strength of the current campaign aimed at recalling Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
Social media guru Eileen Carter and community organizer Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste grew up on the opposite sides of New Orleans. While it’s easy to think of them as an odd couple, they’re really a perfect match. Batiste, who was trained in grassroots organizing by Treme living legend Jerome “Duck” Smith, verbally attacked Carter’s sister Karen Carter Peterson at a political forum a few years back when both were running for Congress. Yet the spontaneous, organic, people-powered movement Carter and Batiste launched together last week has a chance to force a recall election of Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
The campaign, which is in the early stages of organization, offers an easy-to-navigate website (noLatoya.org), detailed instructions on how to download the petition and what information is needed for anyone who wants to sign it. There is also an opportunity for people to join the site’s mailing list, volunteer their services or even host a petition signing “party.” The website includes a feature that counts down the days until the campaign ends, Ash Wednesday 2023, and how many signatures have been turned in.
There are several things that make this campaign unique and could give it the lift needed to succeed.
First of all, Mayor Cantrell somehow continues to anger more than a few of her constituents, and that number keeps growing.
Uptown voters will have a chance today (Aug. 28) to sign a recently filed recall petition to oust Mayor LaToya Cantrell from office. Organizers will collect signatures at Ms. Mae’s Bar, 4336 Magazine St., at Napoleon Avenue, from 2 to 6 p.m. The Ms. Mae’s “signin’ party” is the first event in the recall effort. Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste, an activist and frequent long-shot candidate, and Eileen Carter, Cantrell’s former social media manager and the sister of former state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, filed the petition Friday (Aug. 26) with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
I am not a fan of ultra-conservative Fox television personality Tucker Carlson. Yet I could not ignore his 15-minute diatribe Tuesday evening (Aug. 23) on Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s recent ill-advised actions, a diatribe that was viewed in prime time by millions across the world.
Carlson’s premise was carjackings are the “clearest possible sign” that a civilization is “falling apart.” He made a direct connection between carjackings and decaying societies where “armed predators” — rather than the police — are in charge and where “force, violence and clan loyalty” have taken the place of law and order. With almost 200 carjackings already reported in 2022 versus a figure he gave as 177 for all of 2021, Carlson claimed that New Orleans has become a city like Johannesburg, South Africa, where carjackings are now “a way of life.” The hundreds of New Orleans carjacking victims and many other citizens who live in fear of being carjacked probably agree.
Carlson was drawn to this topic after Mayor Cantrell suddenly appeared — without prior notice to the victims, district attorney or the court — at the sentencing hearing of a juvenile offender who was convicted in three carjackings committed in two days. Cantrell came to support the 14-year-old and his mother because he completed her little-known taxpayer-funded Pathways Youth Internship Program, which teaches life skills and work readiness to youths already involved in the criminal justice system.
Labor Day is recognized as the traditional start of our fall campaign season. So these hot August weeks are when candidates flesh out their messages, pick up a few early endorsements, and beg friends, family and deep-pocketed business associates for money. With the economic uncertainty brought on first by Covid-19 and now by inflation, fundraising for most candidates – especially first-timers — has been especially tough this year. While U.S. Rep. Troy Carter drew only one opponent, Republican Dan Lux, his fundraising efforts continue. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise has two opponents, Democrat Katie Darling and Libertarian Howard Kearney, and is also raising money through political action committees.
In the judicial races, only two contenders — Criminal Court Judge Karen Herman and Municipal and Traffic Court Judge Mark Shea — have opponents.
Last night’s report from WDSU-TV that Mayor LaToya Cantrell spent nearly $10,000 on airfare for herself on the recent trip to Switzerland probably surprised more than a few citizens. Cantrell made the trip to celebrate a recent sister-city agreement and attend a jazz festival. WDSU’s investigation further revealed that three staff members — a social media manager, the director of international relations and an individual providing security — also made the trip. Their airfare expenses were in addition to the $10,000. The total costs for food, lodging and entertainment for this taxpayer-funded junket are not fully known.
The trip to Switzerland was one bookend of her recent European travel, which also included a similar trip to the French Riveria for another sister-city agreement and more music. To Cantrell, both of these trips were all in a day’s work regardless of the costs.
There were few surprises Wednesday (July 20) during the first day of qualifying for Louisiana’s mid-term elections, which will be held Nov. 8. As expected, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy led the pack in his run for re-election. In addition to Democrats Luke Mixon, Syrita Steib and Gary Chambers — whose names have been frequently mentioned in connection with the race against this popular incumbent — several other Senate candidates qualified yesterday, including Vinny Mendoza and Beryl Billiot, who both ran previously. Newcomers in the race include “Xan” John, Thomas Wenn and W. Thomas La Fontaine Olson. Olson (no party), who resides Uptown on Milan Street, chose not to disclose a gender and listed race as “other” on official documents.
In the middle of this hot summer, we’re getting ready for an even hotter election cycle. Qualifying for almost a dozen races — from U.S. Senate to clerk of First City Court — starts next Wednesday (July 20). The election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
With inflation increasing daily, 2022 is a hard year for newbie challengers to raise money. That means incumbents who have not made glaring errors generally have a good shot at getting re-elected.
Since 2005, Public Service Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III has represented District 3 — which includes most of New Orleans and the River Parishes — on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He currently chairs the commission, which gives him a very important voice on all regulatory matters. The major issue currently facing the LPSC is whether Louisiana should accept Entergy’s proposed billion dollar settlement offered in response to inflated operational costs of the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant that were charged to ratepayers. In recent years, Entergy has had a fraught relationship with New Orleans. Complaints regarding over-billing and failure to maintain and upgrade equipment are legendary.
My ancestors had yet to arrive in America for the first Independence Day in 1776 or even 100 years later for the 1876 Centennial. But by America’s Bicentennial in 1976, my family was a part of all the revelry that included hot dogs, hamburgers and too much potato salad. We were proud to be Americans and still are today. Somehow this year I just don’t feel like celebrating. Sure, I am blessed to be alive, in generally good health and living a relatively comfortable lifestyle in America — still the greatest country in the world.
