The State Nobody Wants to Leave, Until They Do: Part Two

In our last article, I talked about my perspective on why people are reenacting the Oregon Trail with how we're seeing Louisianians flee the state. I still hold my position that there's a lack of job opportunity in niche markets. I'd like for someone to prove me wrong, but nobody has stepped forward yet.

However, I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine who currently serves in the Legislature, and he brought up an excellent reason as to why we're seeing this exodus among our younger population: cultural perspective.

Now, to be very clear, he wasn't taking a jab at the culture of Louisianians. I know few people who love this state more than he. We are a vibrant, creative, caring, and innovative bunch. I don't know many people who can build a system to contain the mighty Mississippi. The question, rather, targets a specific place in our state, somewhere near and dear to everyone's heart. New Orleans.

My friend takes the position that New Orleans is Louisiana's cultural and economic flagship, so its decades of population loss, poor governance, economic decline, and crime have damaged the reputation and prospects of the state along with it. If New Orleans struggles, Louisiana struggles with it. I agree with his sentiment, but, in normal fashion, I feel the need to take his point further, perhaps beyond where he would agree, and say the quiet parts out loud.

New Orleans is a cesspool of crime and corruption. I have yet to sit down for the local city news and not hear about some obscene, violent crime that is currently being tracked by local police. I don't believe I've ever heard anyone say, "Boy, I sure love that Sewerage and Water Board. Them boys do a great job!" If given the opportunity, what would you be willing to bet that during the next storm surge, somehow, some way, the water pumps would seize up? I'm sure it's a few bucks.

Now, do not mistake my criticism for disdain. I love the city. I have many clients there. I'm down there several times per week on business and sometimes for pleasure, but there are still parts of New Orleans where I simply do not feel safe. That may come off as harsh or paranoid, but the exodus of homeowners to the Northshore and the Florida Parishes provides enough evidence that the sentiment isn't mine alone.

New Orleans is in decline, and despite Governor Landry's efforts, which I think have been phenomenal, local government still has a part to play in this machine. We only slightly upgraded from the previous mayor in this recent election. At least this one hasn't been indicted over alleged taxpayer funded travel with a member of her "security detail." I mean, the bar is underground at this point.

The point is: when New Orleans declines, Louisiana declines. Think of it this way: when you think of New York, you certainly do not think of Albany or Syracuse. Despite having the best quarterback in the NFL, you probably don't even think of Buffalo. You think of New York City.

People who lean right of center are frustrated with New York City right now because of Mayor Mamdani and his attempt at a socialist regime. Because of that, the perception of New York has shifted negatively. You never hear people say, "I would never live in New York City." They say, "I'd never live in New York," and people automatically know you mean NYC. The largest metro of the state defines how people look at the state. Though Baton Rouge is our capital, New Orleans is our cultural hub.

New Orleans was once considered America's most European city. Its Spanish and French architecture was unrivaled, and its culture flowed through the streets like the muddy waters rolling beside it. There was something golden about New Orleans then, something distinctly its own. Then the corruption came. Then the crime. Then the desertion. Then more corruption. Then more crime.

Now we see our beautiful city becoming a metro of empty buildings, with vagrants wandering through the streets and drug paraphernalia littered across the sidewalks. I would know. I pick it up every day I'm down there, trying to maintain the grounds against an endless wave of Polar Pop cups and needles.

If we want to address the draining of our state, and we want to give our graduates a reason to stay, we must examine practical issues like the job market and economic development. However, if we want to do more than address the surface problems, we must pull off the bandage and deal with the uncomfortable problem underneath.

I don't pretend to have the prescription for curing everything that ails the city. My knee jerk reaction is simple enough: get serious about crime. Invest in a larger, better paid, and highly trained police force. Restore order to the streets and address the vagrancy that has been allowed to consume portions of the city. Most importantly, elect leaders who understand that businesses and families must actually want to live there for a city to prosper.

Governor Landry signing HB 211 into law is a step in the right direction. Giving those suffering from addiction on our streets the choice between treatment and jail may sound like a harsh duality, but allowing the problem to continue unchecked isn't compassion either. Shelters certainly have their place, but putting a roof over someone's addiction doesn't treat it. A shelter can address tonight; treatment can address tomorrow. You can put a bucket under a leaking roof, but sooner or later you have fix the roof, guys.

Unfortunately, I don't have a treatment, but what I can certainly offer is a prognosis.

If New Orleans continues to decline, Louisiana will continue paying the price. We can cut taxes, improve our schools, attract new industry, and create opportunities for our graduates all around the state, but our most recognizable city will remain the face we present to the rest of the country. When that face projects crime, corruption, disorder, and decline, every parish in Louisiana inherits some portion of that reputation.

I don't believe Louisiana needs to distance itself from New Orleans. Quite the opposite. Louisiana needs New Orleans to become great again.

This was once one of America's great cities. It was a center of commerce, culture, architecture, music, and life unlike anywhere else in the country. That city is still there underneath everything that has accumulated around it. I see glimpses of it every time I'm there.

I don't know exactly what it will take to bring that New Orleans back, but I do know what happens to Louisiana if we don't.