The stench, blight, homeless, open drug use, urinating and defecating in full view of the public were the primary complaints from a recent visitor from Alabama had about the city of New Orleans.
David C. Webb wrote and posted an open letter to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell in which he mercilessly bashed what he saw after visiting the city for the first time in about 10 years. Webb issued a strong warning to the city that failing to address these problems will lead to a deterioration of the city’s visitor base.
Webb was in the city with his family for a weekend of baseball tournaments at different locations. He was hoping to introduce his 16-year-old son to the city he remembered and loved but, instead, was shocked by what he witnessed.
There is too much blight in New Orleans. There is often a potent stench in a few areas, mainly the French Quarter. Laws have relaxed a,nd you might see people smoking pot in a public setting. Homelessness is a problem. I have spent countless hours talking about all of these problems our city faces, and the reaction from listeners is powerful.
However, I do believe that some of Mr. Webb’s criticism of New Orleans is criticism that could be made about any American city in 2021 and that some of what he describes is a bit exaggerated from reality. I live downtown - 3 blocks from the beginning of the French Quarter, which is my neighborhood - and as a talk show host living downtown, I am programmed to notice the negative aspects of the city.
I agree with what Mr. Webb is saying, but some of it seems out of context.
I live and work downtown, and I spend time in the French Quarter, sometimes late at night. I have never seen anyone defecate in public. I have seen people urinating in public, but I have never actually seen the appendage from which the urination stream originates. I’ve seen many people yat, often just feet away from a Lucky Dog wagon where they were obviously trying to get some much-needed soakage after a night of heavy drinking.
The homeless problem is real and could conceivably get worse. Something needs to be done, but there are limits to helping those who do not want help. But this is not a problem unique to New Orleans.
With local ordinances changing regarding smoking pot, there are people smoking pot in public. However, I have never seen it to be as prevalent as the letter suggests; and the smell of marijuana smoke is not overwhelming. The stench in the French Quarter has been one of the less enchanting things about that area for many years.
I applaud Mr. Webb for his honest observations about New Orleans. When complaints come from a visitor who is spending money in our city, those complaints hit home. But I wanted to counter Mr. Webb’s snapshot perspective of the city with my daily wide-angle view of the city I love, and I would love our city to address the negative issues more aggressively.
