New Orleans is among the most troubled cities in the US.
Homelessness
in New Orleans is at
an all-time high.
New Orleans’s record
on
crime is quite appalling, in just 9 months of 2022, New Orleans surpasses the total number of homicides in all of 2020.
The drug crisis has plagued New Orleans causing a serious health crisis. Dirty
needles littered certain areas placing regular citizens, especially young children at risk.
New Orleans has
only one
trash pick-up day per week, causing garbage to mount in the vicinity
resulting in pollution and potential health hazard.
What is New
Orleans Democrat Mayor LaToya Cantrell doing to resolve these crises?
The
Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported that since
January 2021, Cantrell has charged the city of New Orleans nearly $30,000 for first
or business class tickets during her trips to France and Switzerland.
Towards the end of June, Cantrell traveled to Ascona,
Switzerland to participate to sign a Sister
City Agreement between the two cities and attend the
Jazz Ascona Festival “Sister Cities Edition.”
A sister city agreement is a form of legal or social agreement between two
geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting
cultural and commercial ties.
These deals do nothing to address the myriad serious crisis that plague New Orleans. But Cantrell doesn't seem to care, she seems to be enjoying herself living lavishly at the cost of those who are already struggling due to her misgovernance.
According to public records, the trip to Switzerland cost New Orleans taxpayers more than $16,600 for airfare and lodging. Cantrell’s flight cost over $9,800 with her spending more
than $11,000 on the six-day trip.
Soon after her Swiss excursion, Cantrell traveled back to Europe in mid-July, to Antibes Juan-les-Pins, France to sign a Sister City agreement and attend the 61st annual International Jazz à Juan Festival and participate in French National Day celebrations.
According
to public records, Cantrell’s trip to France along
with three aides cost New Orleans over $43,000. This includes airfare
totaling more
than $18,000 and lodging costs of $1,200, just for Cantrell.
The records also reveal that Cantrell’s staffers, Communications Director Gregory Joseph, Chief of
Staff Clifton Davis, and security aide Robert Menlyn flew economy. Their flights collectively cost $17,140, less than Cantrell's alone.
This reckless spending violated the municipal policy that city employees must always
opt for “the lowest available airfare” while travelling.
Specifically, the policy states the following:
“Employees who
choose an upgrade from coach, economy, or business class flights are solely
responsible for the difference in cost”
“Any
reconciliation of travel expenses that results in overpayment by the City
requires that the employee reimburse the City within twenty business days”
When confronted about this violation at a presser, Cantrell, rejected any charges of financial misconduct and the idea of reimbursing city taxpayers for stating the following”
“All expenses
incurred doing business on behalf of the city of New Orleans, will not be
reimbursed to the city of New Orleans”
“One thing is clear: I do my job, and I will
continue to it with do it with distinction, with dignity and integrity every
step of the way. And so, that’s what I have to say on that.”
https://twitter.com/news_fuentes/status/1568206255990210560
How did she explain traveling by first or business class?
Like most Democrats she resorted to identity politics and victimhood.
First, she
played the woman card.
“As all women
know, our health and safety are often disregarded and we are left to navigate
alone.“
Next, she used
her young child as a shield.
“As the mother
of a young child whom I live for, I am going to protect myself by any
reasonable means in order to ensure I am there to see her grow into the strong
woman I am raising her to be.“
Finally, she
played the race card.
“Anyone who
wants to question how I protect myself just doesn’t understand the world black
women walk in.”
So what should
Cantrell have ideally done?
She could have conducted all her meetings with French and Swiss officials via Zoom. All document signing could be facilitated by exchanging documents via secure speed mail.
But Cantrell,
like most Democrats public servants, has only one interest, her own interest.
This isn’t the
first time, Cantrell has engaged in the lavish expenditure of taxpayers' money for
her air travels.
Cantrell charged more than $2,800 to
constituent taxpayers for a first-class flight to Miami for a U.S. Conference
of Mayors meeting in March. New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun
Ferguson, meanwhile, paid $342 on the same trip.
In January,
Cantrell spent more than $2,300 on a first-class ticket to Washington D.C. for
another meeting with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, while her staff traveled
via economy paying $250 per head.
Records
obtained show that Cantrell and her top aides had spent
more than $79,000 on seven trips since the beginning of 2022.
So what does
one make of this?
This is a
blatant case of corruption, Cantrell did the equivalent of stealing taxpayers'
money and using it for her own comfort.
Her attempt to
play the race card to suggest that economy class is not safe for a woman of
color is preposterous.
This shameful trivialization has caused people to stop treating allegations of racism seriously.
Cantrell isn’t only reckless with taxpayer money but her own money as well.
The Times-Picayune reported in 2020 that New Orleans
Mayor LaToya Cantrell owes more than $95,000 to the Internal Revenue Service
for unpaid taxes over the course of six years.
Cantrell’s misgovernance as mayor, her flagrant disregard for policy, her corruption,
her record of living beyond her means, and her willingness to be brazen are among the likely reasons that most New Orleans residents disapprove
of her.
An online poll
conducted last week by The Times-Picayune found that 68 percent of
respondents believe the mayor should be recalled.
Perhaps she
will play the race and the woman card again?
That will be
difficult.
It was reported that “women voters – both black and
white – could likely be the driving force behind current efforts to gather
53,000 verified signatures of Orleans Parish registered voters which would
trigger an election to recall Mayor LaToya Cantrell,”
This is
another case of a corrupt ineffective Democrat ruining a fine city owing to
their ineptitude and self-centeredness.
Hopefully, LaToya
Cantrell will be replaced very soon
Also appears on American Thinker
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