(Listen to Newell's full rant here)
Louisiana is in the midst of a migrant crisis...
And I’m not talking about people from other countries entering illegally. It's just the opposite. People are migrating away from this state and city in greater numbers than any other place in the country.
A Census Bureau report dropped yesterday showing how from 2020 to 2024, New Orleans has the fastest plummeting population out of any metropolitan area in the country.
When you break down the data, it’s not even close.
From 2020 to 2024 we’ve lost 3.90% of our population. The next three largest decreases are in San Juan, Jackson, and San Francisco, which fell by 2.09%, 2.05%, and 2,04%, respectively, meaning our Exodus is almost twice the rate of other leading area.
Since 2020, about 28,400 of our people have left the city for other and, presumably in their minds, greener pastures. Nearly two-thirds of Louisiana parishes saw their populations dwindle last year. And Orleans Parish is shrinking by the highest rate.
The data is in, and there's no arguing with it. However, what we will argue over is the next question: Why?
Why's it happening? And who or what's to blame? Hurricanes? Ravenous insurance rates? Humidity? Gentrification? The Pelicans' record?
But many of these things have always been a concern long before the population started plummeting. I speak to callers every day on my show about issues, not to mention the people I come across day-to-day. And if you ask the people that live here, it's quite clear that a primary driver of population decline is that we are fed up with our leaders.
The City Services Coalition recently released a poll: Most New Orleanians think we’re headed in the wrong direction.
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Despite booming tourism. Despite crime being at its lowest levels in a decade. Despite wide-scale economic development. Despite all this we're failing to keep our residents.
Our businesses and service workers aren’t failing to uphold their end to deliver world-class experiences to our visitors. Just look at how well the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras worked out. Our police force is more than holding up their end, even though they're overworked and understaffed. I try to highlight the wins and the progress. That’s why I have people like Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans Inc. on routinely, to deliver that good news about what’s happening in our city.
But highlighting wins is hard when our city officials fail to uphold their end.
So what's there to do? How do we turn it around and build confidence? It's a big question that demands an even bigger answer. But the start of the answer is a date you can mark on your calendar: October 11th, 2025.
That’s when New Orleans will all but certainly choose the next mayor. And while an election won't change our population crisis overnight, that's when we have a chance to replace this mess of an administration with competent leadership.
I’m not saying it's possible to lay the sole blame on one factor or one person. I realize that population decline is a problem across Louisiana, not just here. But this is my home. I know it better than any other place on the planet. And by listening to what people here have to say, it’s clear that the Cantrell administration has exhausted people to the point of self-exile.
Remember, this is an administration that couldn't provide a timeline for something as simple as fixing a lightbulb. And it's clear the mayor doesn't give half-a-damn about the people who voted her in.
Just pointing out one solid fact. Cantrell has spent roughly one-fifth of her working hours since being elected traveling. And you know what? People responded to this.
They said, “You like to travel so much? Here, I can pack a bag too. I'll go somewhere that can manage street signs and traffic lights. At this point, I don’t trust you to run a bath, let alone a city.”
New Orleans is now a third-tier city that needs to be a second-tier city, and we're not getting any closer if we continue to experience population loss.
We won't reverse course by electing someone whose goal is to see as much as Europe as possible rather than fix the streets and parks in the 9th Ward.
But getting there takes a democratic process, meaning it's up to us this election cycle. We need to evaluate candidates, hound them with questions, and understand who has an genuine drive to turn this city around.
I get it’s easy to hold any mayor to the flames. Cantrell has had some bright moments. But it's clear we need more than someone who occasionally makes a decent decision. The city has a population crisis, and we need governance that's focused on long-lasting change.
What we ought to do is shove this survey in the face of every mayoral candidate and demand they put a plan forward to address it, an operational plan, not an aspirational plan. Not some B.S., buzzword salad. We need to demand that they get down and dirty with details as to how they plan to address this issue.
Because the report makes it clear, and we can't go through another eight years of another Cantrell-type leader. We will disappear.