LaToya Levels at peak

This is really more in the category of what happens when you ask a stupid question than anything else.  In this interview, Essence Magazine asked the mayor about the recently finalized infrastructure "deal" with the tourism cabal. As we know, this refers to a series of bills passed out of the legislature this year which does the following.

1) Allows the the Convention Center to build a publicly subsidized hotel.

2) Legitimizes the Convention Center's previously legally questionable and still morally indefensible publicly subsidized slush fund.

3) Creates a new tax on hotel rooms based on the formerly "lost penny" which the city only gets three fourths of in order to pay for Sewerage and Water Board improvements. This is supposed to be the "fair share" tax despite the fact that the tourism cabal still gets an unearned piece of it AND gets to keep all of its prior revenue streams.

4) Creates a new tax on Short Term Rentals which the city can dedicate its portion of toward infrastructure... although, yes, we still have to "fair share" part of that with the cabal too for some reason. Also, apparently we are married to the proliferation of STRs now.

5) Folds the technically public New Orleans Tourism Marketing Company into the less public New Orleans and Company in such a way that shields their meetings from public records even though both entities continue to receive public funds.

Anyway the deal sucks. But Essence Magazine could have asked  the mayor about any of the above problems. Instead they asked her, "In what ways do you feel the deal will aid in further diversifying the corporate and entrepreneurial workforce in New Orleans to increase the presence of women of color in leadership roles?" Which.. what?

A diverse workforce with plenty of opportunities for women of color sounds like a terrific goal. But how or why would this infrastructure deal have anything to do with that? I can't answer that. And neither can LaToya but boy does she give it a try.

“Fair Share” ensures that improvements to our infrastructure affects everyone in this city – for everyone who is trying to make their way up and forward, and that includes a corporate and entrepreneurial workforce that looks more like this city. “Fair Share” doesn’t single out any particular entity or industry. None of our many thriving industries would be successful if not for the hard-working men and women of this city. In that vein, “Fair Share” ensures inclusivity and intentionality for everyone who puts skin in the game. It’s about meeting people where they are and giving them a real way to level up and that’s what’s been missing in our city.

Whether they're moving forward or making their way up, we're gonna meet them where they are and level up their skin in the game. We will do this intentionally.   Got it?  Okay.