The swirling allegations and indictments around New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell have people across the Crescent City talking about the past and future of local politics. It seems like a bit of the same old story: Another Louisiana politician facing criminal charges.
WWL’s Tommy Tucker spoke to Tyler Bridges of the New Orleans Advocate and Times-Picayune. He is the author of a recent article chronicling the rise and fall of Cantrell. There are only a few months left in her mayoral term, and any potential city progress looks to ultimately be stalled by these proceedings. That's a great disappointment for many in the area who hope and count on the continued rebound and ultimate success of New Orleans.
Bridges told listeners that while he was working for the Miami Herald, he always felt a kinship with New Orleans and was always looking for a reason to cover the Crescent City.
Bridges said he was guided by locals to cover the recovery of the Broadmoor neighborhood, which was largely being led at the time by LaToya Cantrell.
“You had blacks and whites, young and old, coming together to save their neighborhood. And I kept hearing about this dynamo named LaToya Cantrell, who was a great organizer, and that she had the people of Broadmoor united behind her, giving hope for a new life in New Orleans,” Bridges told Tommy Tucker. As Bridges went on to illustrate, those high hopes faded rather quickly once Cantrell was voted into office.
“She was very connected to the neighborhood, she was very connected to the community and her constituents. She focused on a lot of the small things that ultimately add up to making a difference in a neighborhood.
She was feisty and took on Mitch Landrieu (who was the mayor at the time) when she was on the New Orleans City Council,” Bridges added. “All the signs were positive, but … things have changed, right?”
The confounding question for many New Orleans voters is WHY did this metamorphosis happen? Some say that Cantrell hasn’t changed all that much, as Bridges pointed out the controversy surrounding her credit card usage when in office. He adds there’s another school of thought in the area, believing her re-election is when things started to turn south in the mayor’s office. “Many believe that when she was re-elected, that’s when she began to lose touch with her community and neighbors,” Bridges explained.
“It’s clear that she did lose touch with who she was in 2007 when I saw her in Broadmoor and again when I saw her in 2015, who was so connected to neighbors and community. It’s hard to see her today as being like this,” added Bridges.
While the full story is yet to unfold, and details still emerge, many see another New Orleans official in legal hot water as a large step back.
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