For decades, Democrats have controlled the nation’s largest cities. The results have been catastrophic, including high crime rates, blight, failing public educational systems, rampant poverty, and an expanding homeless population.
These horrific outcomes are due to Democrats supporting failed policies, such as raising taxes, increasing regulations, growing the government, and refusing to prosecute violent criminals. Consequently, citizens voted with their feet and left in droves, a trend which has started to accelerate.
For example, while the country’s population soared sixty million to 341 million since 2000, it was a much different situation in the progressive hellhole of Chicago. The “Windy City” lost 231,000 people in 24 years, the most out migration of any city in the nation.
No one can blame citizens for wanting to exit a city led by a leftist like Lori Lightfoot. Unfortunately, Chicago voters did not learn their lesson and recently elected Mayor Brandon Johnson, an even more radical Democrat.
Chicago is not alone among our nation’s largest cities. Since the onset of the pandemic, New York lost 492.928 people, while 379.447 citizens fled Los Angeles and 173,877 exited San Francisco.
Liberal Democrats dominate all our nation’s large cities. If their policies worked, residents would gladly stay. Instead, Democrats institute unpopular policies such as the strict mandates during the initial stages of the pandemic.
In addition, these cities were the scene of violent riots in the summer of 2020, after the death of George Floyd. To placate “Black Lives Matter” protesters, a myriad of Democratic Party leaders demonized police and supported efforts to defund law enforcement. Thereafter, law enforcement agencies across the country suffered a loss of personnel, but it was especially problematic in Chicago (10.6%), New York (4.8%), Los Angeles (6.0%), and San Francisco (11.6%).
The statistics show that as police leave, so do law abiding residents, who realize that criminals rule the city streets. One city that has been particularly impacted by a shrinking police force is New Orleans. According to the President of the Police Association of New Orleans, Captain Mike Glasser, the ideal size for the department is 1,600 officers.
Incredibly, there are only 900 officers in the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) today. There are so many police officers leaving the NOPD that it is on track to have the fewest number of officers in 77 years. The predictable result occurred in 2022 as New Orleans became the “Murder Capital” of the nation.
The law enforcement shortage is occurring throughout Louisiana. Newly elected Republican Governor, Jeff Landry, recently issued an executive order declaring a “State of Emergency” due to the scarcity of police.
The Louisiana Sheriff’s Association announced that their offices statewide faced a shortage of 1,800 deputies. This “record-low” staffing resulted in “an increase in response time.” The Governor claimed that the emergency was leading to “increased crime and less public safety.”
Hopefully, renewed attention on this crisis will lead to an increase in law enforcement staffing in Louisiana. In the meantime, cities like New Orleans will continue to suffer.
The latest U.S. Census report showed that over the last four years, the New Orleans metropolitan area suffered the largest percentage population decline in the nation. Since 2020, 45,000 people have left the New Orleans area, a loss of 4.3% of the overall population.
One reason for the troubles in the New Orleans area was the historic damage caused by powerful Hurricane Ida that slammed the region in 2021. It led to the departure of many insurance companies, resulting in skyrocketing costs for homeowners.
However, another reason people left New Orleans was the lack of public safety. Residents who felt unsafe fled the city if they could afford to leave.
Which political party is to blame? In New Orleans and other progressive cities, Democrats have total control. In fact, the last Republican Mayor of New Orleans was elected in 1872. Today, in New Orleans, there are no Republicans in any elected offices, not on the city council, the school board or in the judiciary.
With total power, Democrats have ultimate responsibility for all the problems, and no city official is more responsible than the mayor. In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell is so incompetent that a recall campaign was launched against her last year.
While they failed to oust her, recall organizers highlighted her innumerable deficiencies. Instead of focusing on the real problems in New Orleans, Cantrell fancies herself as a world leader, traveling from one international climate change conference to another. She is a regular attendee at Aspen Institute events and has racked up countless frequent flier miles.
Unfortunately, while she is hobnobbing internationally, her city is struggling. Next January, New Orleans will be in the worldwide spotlight as the host of the Super Bowl. It will be a time for New Orleans to shine internationally, not be embarrassed due to disastrous leadership.
Mayor Cantrell has also been embroiled in a scandal involving a city owned apartment in a historic French Quarter building. She has refused to turn over the keys and has been using the apartment as her personal residence. The City Council has demanded that the keys be returned so the residence can be refurbished and used for dignitaries who visit New Orleans.
On this matter and other issues, Cantrell has displayed utter arrogance and disregard for the citizens she represents. This attitude is typical of the “leadership” shown by Democrats throughout the country. If they genuinely cared about their constituents, they would not enact policies that lead to such urban decay.
To the residents suffering in “blue” cities, please wake up and examine what is happening in the “red” states of Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, Texas, and others that are growing. Their policies work and attract residents and businesses. Tell the Democrats who are causing all the problems, “you’re fired.”
It is not too late to save America’s cities, but the rescue plan needs to start immediately, and it begins with these abused voters removing their dreadful political leaders.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-11 a.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com
