WWL’s Newell Normand kicked off efforts to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell last year with a rant.
Now that the effort has hit a road bump due to not having enough signatures, Normand has another rant to share.
“The response of some of the council members were really kind of mystifying to me, as though all of this was made up,” he said. “These issues were not real, people were not frustrated, and it was almost like we were in this alternate universe.”
In particular, Normand took issue with a call from New Orleans City Council member Eugene Green and others to abandon efforts to unseat Cantrell, who was reelected in 2021 for a term that ends in 2026.
“Well, you’re presuming, Councilman... that the people that didn't sign the recall are perfectly happy with the mayor. That’s a false presumption.”
In fact, Normand said that people who didn’t sign the recall are frustrated with the state of the city as well. He argued that some council members were making the issue divisive. Previously Normand has refuted Cantrell’s assertion that the recall effort was a “Republican conspiracy.”
“This wasn’t about dividing this community,” said Normand of the recall effort. “It was never was about dividing the community. That’s where the mayor went. That’s what she wanted it to be.”
Moving forward, Normand said that he hopes Cantrell will be “honest” and stop trying to “divide” the public. However, he noted that he still finds issues with the mayor’s leadership, such as a delay to find police personnel.
“Why don’t we let the mayor start addressing the Council at every council meeting,” he said. “If you want to have the Kumbaya moment come together, work together and everything else… engage in a public conversation.
Show your constituents that you are willing to do so.”
Listen to Normand’s full rant here.
Related
