NEW ORLEANS — The group behind a petition to recall Mayor Cantrell says they have enough signatures to force the recall. Monday, Eileen Carter, Vice Chair of Nolatoya Recall said they will be turning in at least 49,000 signatures to the registrar of voter’s office Wednesday.
“We are really excited because we are confident that Wednesday we will be handing in enough signatures to recall Mayor Latoya Cantrell, so we’re really excited about that,” Carter said.
Carter said they’re continuing to gather votes until Wednesday, to give them a cushion in case some signatures are deemed invalid. Carter said while they’re excited they got what they believe will be enough signatures, she says it’s sort of symbolic they will be turning in the signatures on Ash Wednesday.
“It will be a day of cleansing for New Orleans, so you know it’s a day of prayer. I ask everyone to pray over the city of New Orleans. This isn’t something we do joyously, it’s something we do with reverence to our city and what the people really deserve so we’re ready to turn them in, we’re excited to do that and we’re excited for a new beginning,” Carter said.
The update from the recall group comes as the Mayor Is facing scrutiny after a video is circulating, showing her seemingly giving the middle finger to a Krewe of Tucks float.
The Mayor’s office released a statement about the gesture.
“Mardi Gras is a time for satire and jest, all in good fun,” the statement read in part.
While Mardi Gras is about satire, WWLTV analyst Clancy Dubos says every single New Orleans Mayor has been made fun of during Carnival, but none have taken the bait.
“Unfortunately what mayor Cantrell did was sink to the level of the people who were baiting her and that’s not an appropriate response to any elected official especially the mayor because everything she does reflects the city of New Orleans and that’s not a good reflection of the city,” Dubos said.
He says an elected official should never stoop to the level of the mob. We asked Dubos if the gesture would push more people to sign the recall petition.
“I don’t know if this will get more people to sign it. It may encourage people who were already inclined to sign it, to sign it if they haven’t already, but I don’t know if it’ll push anyone who was defending the mayor to stop defending the mayor," Dubos said.
"If they still want to defend her at this point in time, I think they’re going to stick where they are, and by the same token, people who are against her didn’t need this to be against her, they were already against her,” Dubos said. “It certainly is not a good look for the mayor, and it certainly won’t help her, I don’t think, as we get to this point in the recall effort and beyond.”
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