Interview Transcript:
THIS IS WDSU NEWS AT TEN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED, THOUGH? I CANNOT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE ASKING. RECALL EFFORT HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AGAINST NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL. WE’VE I AM UTILIZING THE PORTABLE APARTMENT CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES. THE CITY HAS RESPONDED THIS EVENING TO A VIDEO THAT SHOWS NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL MAKING AN OBSCENE GESTURE TOWARD A CARNIVAL FLOAT. I MEAN, YOU’VE SEEN IT THERE. IT HAS BEEN QUITE THE WHIRLWIND FOR NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL. IT SEEMS LIKE SHE HAS BEEN UNDER SCRUTINY FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY ANGLE. BUT SHE’S STAVED OFF A WELL-FUNDED AND WHAT MANY THOUGHT WAS A WELL ORGANIZED RECALL CAMPAIGN. THAT’S RIGHT. MAYOR CANTRELL’S SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY TO WDSU REPORTER SHAY O’CONNOR IN HER FIRST SIT DOWN INTERVIEW SINCE THE RECALL FAILED. AND SHEA, THE MAYOR TOLD YOU SHE HAS RENEWED FOCUS NOW ON MOVING THE CITY AHEAD. WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. JEANA IN SELLING OUR MAYOR, LATOYA CANTRELL, WANTS TO MOVE PAST THE RECALL EFFORT AGAINST HER AND FOCUS ON THE CITY’S FUTURE. SHE ADMITS SHE’S HUMAN AND HAS A MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO SIGNED THE PETITION. I WILL CONTINUE YOU TO FOCUS ON DELIVERING SERVICE IS ON BEHALF OF THEN GETTING THINGS DONE ON BEHALF OF THEM. IN SPITE OF THEIR DECISION TO RECALL ME, IF YOU WILL. SO I’VE NEVER STOPPED WORKING AND YOU NEVER HAVE EVERYONE YOU KNOW IN YOUR CORNER. DAYS AFTER THE NEWS OF A FAILED RECALL AGAINST THE MAYOR, I AM JUST RECOMMITTED. IT’S RECOMMITTED TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. BECAUSE THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR RECOMMITMENT TO ME AND I’M NOT GOING TO LET THEM DOWN. AND SHE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO PUTTING IT ALL BEHIND HER. BUT CONTROL SAYS SHE’LL NEVER FORGET HOW IT FELT. AND I HAVE TO ASK YOU, AS IT WAS HAPPENING, WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING? YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS THIS BIG EFFORT TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE YOU RECALLED? I AM HUMAN. AND SO NATURALLY, I DIDN’T FEEL WELL AT ALL. I FELT LIKE DEFINITELY AN ORCHESTRATED ATTACK ON MY INTEGRITY AND ON MY ABILITY TO DO THE WORK, TO DO THE JOB. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THE FICTITIOUS CHARACTER SIGNED ON THE RECALL PETITION, HERE’S HOW THE MAYOR RESPONDED. I THINK THAT WE KNOW THAT LAWS WERE BROKEN. THESE ARE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, AND THERE WAS A PROCESS FOR A REASON AND A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE IS CREDIBLE, THAT IF THAT WAS ME OR I THINK WE WOULD KNOW FIRST HAND IF IT WAS LEGAL OR NOT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE NO ONE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF ANY WRONGDOING AT THIS TIME. WHEN ASKED THE MAYOR ABOUT HER ALLEGED AFFAIR WITH NOPD OFFICER JEFFREY VAPID AND IT POSSIBLY BEING A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE RECALL EFFORTS PUT IN PLACE. HERE’S WHAT THE MAYOR HAD TO SAY. I HAVE NOT HAD AN AFFAIR WITH OFFICE OF AP OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER. BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, RECALL EFFORTS HAVE STARTED WAY BEFORE THEN. I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN A A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DISCREDIT ME. VIOLENT CRIME PLAYING ANOTHER ROLE IN THE DOUBT OF MANY CITIZENS. OUR CITY DEEMED THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES AS THE MAYOR ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF SEEING FEWER SHOOTINGS, CARJACK SHOOTINGS AND CAR THEFTS AND VIOLENT CRIME AS A WHOLE. WHAT I WILL SAY IS WITH A SUPERINTENDENT IN PLACE, SUPERINTENDENT WOLF, FOR ALONG WITH A CONSULTANT THAT I ON BOARD IT PRIOR TO SELECTING THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, THAT WE HAVE DONE A ROUND ROBIN LISTENING. I WENT ON A WHOLE LISTENING TOUR, LISTENING TO OUR PLATOON OFFICERS WITH THAT LISTENING. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID A REDEPLOYMENT STRATEGY, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, THAT WERE IN SPECIAL OPS, THAT WE TAPPED THEM TO BRING THEM BACK INTO THE FOLD, PUT THEM INTO THE PLATOON BOOTS ON THE GROUND. WHEN THE MAYOR SAYS HER NEXT TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN OFFICE WILL BE FOCUSED ON REMINDING THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS WHY THEY GAVE HER THE JOB AS MAYOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I LEAD THIS CITY WITH SMART METERS, SO NO MORE ISSUES WITH BILL ESCALATE. BUT YOU ARE BEING CHARGED ACCURATELY, EVEN AS A RELATES TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MAKING SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON GETTING MORE OF OUR PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. WE WILL FINALLY SEE WHERE WE HAVE THAT 20 YEAR MILLAGE THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SEATS FOR OUR CHILDREN. THAT’S OPEN RIGHT NOW. THAT’S A GAME CHANGER. 20 YEARS FROM NOW, WE WILL HAVE AN EVEN MORE EDUCATED POPULACE. IT’S INTERESTING, JANE. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THE MAYOR SAYS THAT SHE’LL FOCUS ON FOR THE REST OF HER TIME? JENA MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL SAYS SHE’S ALSO FOCUSED ON SEEING BAYOU PHENIX AND MAKING IT THROUGH WITH ITS PLANS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE OH SIX FLAG SITE. SHE ALSO SAYS THAT SHE PLANS TO HELP GET THE MONEY OWED TO GARDEN PLAZA RESIDENTS IN TO THEIR HANDS. SHE ALSO TELLS ME THAT SHE’S COMMITTED TO SEEING LINCOLN BEACH REOPEN. SO, OF COURSE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED IN TERMS OF PROGRESS WHEN IT COMES TO THESE PROJECTS. A LOT OF ISSUES IN PROGRESS TO FOLLOW UP ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. APPRECIATE THAT. AND OF COURSE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE ON WDSU DOT COM. SO YOU CAN GO THERE RIGHT NOW TO LEARN MORE. ALL RIGHT. (Interview by Shay O’Connor | Repost Courtesy of WDSU New Orleans)
