In the newly-launched war between the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans - Gov. Landry dropped two big bombs as aggression ramps up. The first bomb Gov. Landry dropped was the statement that New Orleans is not as important to the state as it used to be and the second bomb dropped targeted the promise that the state will determine the future of New Orleans - not the other way around.
Make no mistake about it - these were two bombs that caused a lot of initial damage but the fallout from these bombs will continue into the future.
The big question is WHY? Why has Gov. Jeff Landry declared war on the city? The answer is quite simple and it is part of a current trend in politics.
The state has had a long-running discontent with the city of New Orleans simply because the state is bright red and the city is blue. Traditionally - the partisan divide that occurs on a national level is not as prominent in local politics. But that tradition seems to be changing.
Gov. Landry, Republicans, and observers will blame the war between the state and the city as a basic disagreement over criminal justice - fiscal responsibility - and left-leaning ideology. But the real reason for this new war between the state and the city is much more simplistic.
Landry wants to dictate stricter criminal justice policies that reflect the conservative state’s leanings and with crime historically being a major problem in the city - the governor will get a lot of attention with his ideas on fighting crime. But - the crime rate in New Orleans has been dropping significantly in recent years and former interim Chief Michelle Woodfork and the current Chief Anne Kirkpatrick have led the fight against violent crime in the city. The city of New Orleans is also following a national trend with the decrease in crime. A few years ago I remember every Monday afternoon opening my talk show on WWL-New Orleans with a commentary on the list of murders, carjackings, and armed robberies that had occurred over the weekend. And then things began to change and I was no longer dedicating the beginning of every show on Monday afternoons with talk about all the violent crimes committed over the weekend. The point is - NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has police morale up and continues to do more with fewer officers and the result is a continuing decrease in violent crimes.
The city of New Orleans has had periods of severe fiscal policies that were reckless. When the city withdrew its request for bond commission approval - Gov. Landry got really PO’d. Landry’s angry attitude toward the city seemed to result from the idea that if the city asked for the money the governor could put his power on display by denying the request. Or maybe the governor knew if the state did lend the money to the city - he would have more control over the city and the Democratic mayor. It just seemed oddly ironic that Gov. Landry was claiming the city was using the state as an ATM - but then got angry when the city withdrew the request for money. At this moment - Gov. Landry seemed to expose himself as a power-hungry politician.
If Landry wants to help the city fight crime because he’s a good person with an interest in making the biggest metro area in his state safer - great. But if the governor wants to have a role in fighting crime in the city because he wants power and control - that’s not good.
I find it curious that Landry has not accepted an opportunity to meet with Mayor Helena Moreno - who says her door remains open even after being rejected. That doesn’t sound like a governor that really has the city’s best interest in mind.
What this war between the state and the city is really about is politics and the desire to dominate a political agenda. For decades - the state has had a Republican governor and New Orleans has had a Democratic mayor and both seemed to cohabitate without major conflict.
Louisiana has a Republican governor because Louisiana is a red state with a majority of conservative voters. Even when the state had a majority of voters registered as Democrats - those were right-leaning Democrats who just didn’t change their voter registration. They voted Republican. The city of New Orleans has a history of having a Democrat as mayor because the majority of the city’s voters are Democrats. It’s really easy to understand.
So, why this new battle between the Republican in Baton Rouge and the Democrat in City Hall in New Orleans? It’s all about the political desire to dominate. The art of reaching across the aisle is a lost art. Today - politics is about domination and forcing political will.
Gov. Landry’s contempt for the city goes back to his days in Congress and he is bugged by the idea that Democrats are in control of the most prominent city in his state. And Landry must hate the fact that New Orleans is a major contributor to the state’s tax revenue. Landry is wrong when he says New Orleans is not as important as it used to be. Currently - New Orleans accounts for $467 million in state taxes through tourism. Compare that to Baton Rouge - which generates only $122 million. New Orleans is responsible for $7.41 billion of the state’s $18.5 billion annual tourism income. The Super Bowl - the Final Four - the NBA All-Star game - major concerts - and the upcoming XGames Championship set for the Caesars Superdome and the Smoothie King Center July 24 - 26 would not come to Louisiana if it were not for New Orleans.
Gov. Landry’s contempt for New Orleans also reflects a sentiment from politicians representing central and northern Louisiana. The Bible Belt swath across part of the state do not like what New Orleans represents: gays, drinking, and general debauchery in the French Quarter. New Orleans is looked upon as a den of sin and that drives this mentality that New Orleans should not get any special treatment. But New Orleans deserves - and needs - special treatment to protect the things that make this city a worldwide destination - which allows the state to reap the benefits of the tax revenue generated by all that makes New Orleans unique.
It’s sad and petty for a right-wing Republican to try to force his will on our city for reasons other than trying to make New Orleans a better city. This war the governor has declared on New Orleans is about forcing a political ideology on a city that has a right to elect whomever it wants as mayor. Not that the voters of New Orleans always make the right decision because they don’t. In fact, the voters of New Orleans have put terrible people in City Hall.
Mayor Moreno is trying to clean up from the disaster left by a greedy and self-centered LaToya Cantrell - who found ways to satisfy her ego while wasting tax dollars. But it appears that Mayor Moreno is approaching her job with a fresh attitude that will manifest positive changes in the city.
If Gov. Landry wants to sincerely help New Orleans - God knows we could use the help. But we don’t need a governor to satisfy his efforts toward an ego-driven power grab or his desire to mold New Orleans into a city that represents his religious beliefs.
