It is time for registered voters to sign the petition to recall New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell. The list of reasons to want a new mayor is long, and it grows longer by the day. The window to participate in saving New Orleans is here and now, people are organized and organizing. The recall can be signed at your convenience, but it must be signed in person and not online. The website and social media for NoLaToya.org shows signing locations.

Despite these conveniences, many people are either too “busy” to sign, or they are too scared of Cantrell’s rumored vindictive behavior. To the citizens standing casually on the sideline, if you think Cantrell has ignored the residents and the city’s needs to date, imagine how she will behave if this measure fails.

Worried about Cantrell’s people reviewing the signatures and targeting your business or permits? The fear of retaliation is the very reason to sign the recall.

Sign the recall and own it. Encourage business owners to sign it. People will respect you for taking a stand against incompetent leadership.

When we were cleaning the Katrina filth after the flood, people dug back in and reinvested in the city. That renewed hope for the Crescent City is why so many chose to live in Orleans Parish. People decided to live here, to vote here, and make a difference. Not signing the recall is a reversal of the Katrina mentality. Don’t be one of the 20,000 voters who “wait and see.” Jump in. Be an influencer in your own city.

New Orleans needs you. Ex-pats who live in Gretna or Metairie, call your aunt in Mid City to make sure she has signed it. Your grandparents are in assisted living? Spend some nice family time and bring them to a signature site or bring them a form to fill out and be their witness.

Citizens who stand on the sideline and don’t sign the recall can no longer complain about the city or point fingers. You’re either in this or you’re not. Successful people have to take hard and uncomfortable stands at times. Behavior is contagious. If you’re too scared to sign, others will also be scared to sign. if you’re brave, your actions should influence others. The registered voters of New Orleans must send a message this time, the future of our beloved city depends on it.

Cantrell made her case for flying first class as “My travel accommodations are a matter of safety.” Meanwhile people are signing the recall because, to use Cantrell’s own words, it’s a matter of safety.

Cantrell also blames race and gender victimization for her irrational travel spending. Neither race nor gender are on the list of grievances for the recall, it’s all on LaToya Cantrell’s five year performance as mayor.

Sure the recall is Republican-backed, it’s also Independent-backed and Democrat-backed. The city’s largest racial demographic is African Americans. The petition was filed by Eileen Carter and Noonie Man and documented by J.D. Carrere, three African Americans. Do not buy into the racism angle.

In fact, almost like the opposite side to the monument issue that divided the city, the recall of mayor LaToya Cantrell crosses racial lines and is uniting the city.

The recall is a good government issue. It is an accountability issue and a civic check & balance on elected officials who think the citizens work for them.

No mayor of New Orleans has ever been recalled. This is it. In 2022, citizens can sign the recall petition and know they played an active role in the legendary history of New Orleans.

For those unmoved by grassroots politics, or those people who typically avoid politics and seldom vote, the future of the city can be changed. We don’t know whether the next mayor will do well, but the current one fails regularly and the recall sends a crystal clear message that New Orleanians demand better leadership and responsiveness.

And if the recall of Cantrell comes up short of the signatures required to oust her from office, not only will she likely act as if she won a third term, but every politician who will hold the future title of New Orleans mayor knows they can abuse the office, neglect their civic duties, and face no consequences. The recall is the chance to make your voice heard and be a part of history.