We have New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. We have New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno. Maybe we have New Orleans Mayor-wannabe Jeff Landry, too.
In a Monday interview on Fox News, Louisiana's governor seemed to speak on behalf of all residents in the city of New Orleans the way he answered a question posed by "America Reports" host Sandra Smith: Will New Orleans welcome U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — an apparent reference to the Border Patrol agents who are reportedly heading our way?
"Absolutely," the guv responded without a nanosecond of a pause. “When ICE is ready, we certainly welcome them to come into the city and be able to start taking some of these dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets, and we’ve got a place to put them at Angola.”
He was referencing Louisiana Lockup, an immigration-specific detention center he created at the Louisiana State Penitentiary with the help of his old pal from their days in Congress, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The penitentiary, AKA Angola, and lockup, AKA Camp J, are part of a nationwide immigration lockup system.
So New Orleans is going to be used to fill these cots? Feels takeover-ish to me.
It wasn't that long ago that Landry said the State of Louisiana would help New Orleans get out of its end-of-the-year fiscal mess with Louisiana Bond Commission approval only after using "all necessary measures to thoroughly review the city’s fiscal affairs and, if deemed necessary, appoint a fiscal administrator."
That feels like a takeover move to me.
During a recent interview on WBOK's “Good Morning Show,” which I host, the governor professed to know what's good for New Orleans.
"No governor has spent more time in the city of New Orleans than myself," he said. "I'm working to try to make the city of New Orleans a better, more hospitable place so we can attract people and businesses and folks can feel safe in that city."
Last year, the governor drew rebuke from many in New Orleans when his people suggested that the way to fix all that bothers so many New Orleanians was for the state of Louisiana to take over the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board.
That felt like a takeover idea to me.
Time after time, Landry says things — and does things — that sure make it seem like he wants to take over the state's biggest economic contributor. So, when I had a chance to ask the governor directly about that, I did.
"Oh no, no, no. I can promise you I do not want to take over the City of New Orleans. I never did. I want the city of New Orleans to function well …"