GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE WDSU NEWS HOT SEAT. I’M TRAVIS MACKEL. TONIGHT, WE ARE CONTINUING OUR HOT SEAT DEBATES AND WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE RACE FOR SAINT TAMMANY PARISH PRESIDENT. WE ALL KNOW SAINT TAMMANY PARISH IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING, IF NOT THE FASTEST GROWING PARISH IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA WITH A ROBUST PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND MORE THAN 275,000 RESIDENTS, IT’S KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA RIGHT NOW. TWO PEOPLE ARE QUALIFIED. ONE OF THEM IS THE INCUMBENT PARISH PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN MIKE COOPER. HE IS SEEKING A SECOND TERM IN OFFICE. HE GOT ONE CHALLENGER. THAT PERSON IS THE MAYOR OF SLIDELL, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE GOP, GREG CROMER. AND WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE INVITED MIKE COOPER TO THIS DEBATE. THE CURRENT PARISH PRESIDENT HAS RESPECTFULLY DECLINED OUR INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEBATE TONIGHT. SO HIS CHALLENGER, GREG CROMER, IS HERE TO PARTICIPATE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT’S GREAT TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, TRAVIS. ALL RIGHT. LET’S JUST START OFF. EVEN THOUGH PARISH PRESIDENT COOPER IS NOT HERE, WE ARE GOING TO STICK TO THE TRADITIONAL FORMAT. SO YOU HAVE 60S TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW, MAYOR, WHY YOU FEEL YOU ARE THE BEST CHOICE FOR PARISH PRESIDENT. GREAT. THANK YOU. IF YOU LOOK AT MY HISTORY AND WHAT I’VE DONE, WHAT I’VE ACCOMPLISHED IN BUSINESS AND IN GOVERNMENT, I’VE BEEN IN THE SPACE BUSINESS. I’VE BEEN IN THE INSURANCE BUSINESS, I’VE BEEN IN CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS IN GOVERNMENT. I WAS IN THE CITY COUNCIL. I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE. AND NOW, AS THE MAYOR, EVERYTHING I’VE DONE HAS PREPARED ME. IT’S ALL BEEN ABOUT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND BUILDING TEAMS THAT WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, MAYBE NOT COMPLEX PROBLEMS IN SOME INSTANCES IN THE AEROSPACE BUSINESS, VERY COMPLEX PROBLEMS. BUT WE’VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON CREATING TEAMS THAT WORK TOGETHER. AND AT THIS POINT WHERE WE’RE AT IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH, WE’VE GOT A GOVERNMENT THAT IS EITHER DYSFUNCTIONAL OR STAGNANT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE FIGHTING AND THE BICKERING AND THE LAWSUITS, WHAT HAVE YOU. IT’S NOT WORKING. SO WE NEED A PARISH PRESIDENT THAT WILL NOT FIGHT FOR US, BUT WORK FOR US. AND THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE TO DO, MAKE COALITIONS, EXTEND OLIVE BRANCHES, BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, BUT COME TOGETHER FOR COMMON GOOD, COMMON CAUSE TO MOVE OUR PARISH FORWARD. ALL RIGHT. LET’S JUST JUMP RIGHT TO A BIG NEWS TOPIC RIGHT NOW. I KNOW IT’S THE CITY OF MANDEVILLE, BUT IT’S STILL THE NORTH SHORE AND A BIG ISSUE GOING ON SUNSET HARBOR. THE COUNCIL THIS WEEK VOTED THAT DOWN. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? DO YOU SUPPORT THAT COUNCIL ACTION IN MANDEVILLE OR WERE YOU FOR THIS PROJECT ON THE LAKEFRONT IN MANDEVILLE? YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO SUPPORT THE COUNCIL ON THEIR DECISION, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. THAT COUNCIL HAS GOT THE HEARTBEAT OF THEIR COMMUNITY. THEY KNOW WHAT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, WHAT’S ACCEPTABLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY SHOULD EVOLVE. I LIKE TO SAY IN SLIDELL WE HAVE A VISION AS THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT WE’RE NOT THE VISIONARIES. THE COMMUNITY IS THE VISIONARY. THEY TELL US WHERE THEY WANT TO GO, WHAT THEY WANT TO BE, HOW THEY WANT TO GROW. AND OUR JOB IS TO FACILITATE THAT. AND THAT’S WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE. IT’S LIKE THE PROJECT OR NOT. IT’S WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN FOR AND I STAND BY THAT. A CONTROVERSIAL ANOTHER TOPIC RIGHT NOW MAKING HEADLINES, THE CONTROVERSIAL APARTMENT COMPLEX SET TO BE BUILT NEAR COVINGTON. A LOT OF INFIGHTING BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT. WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON THAT? IF YOU ARE ELECTED AS PARISH PRESIDENT, HOW WOULD YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT? THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE AS THERE’S LITIGATION ONGOING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE PRESIDENT, THE SITUATION WITH ISSUING PERMITS FOR THAT PROCESS OR FOR THAT PROJECT OR NOT ISSUING PERMITS AT AND THERE’S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL LAWSUITS FILED THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY TELL US WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE CAN’T DO. I’M NOT IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW. I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A MISINTERPRETATION HAYNE OF THE CODE OR WHAT WE USED TO SAY WHEN I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE. IT’S NOT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE WAY THE CODE IS WRITTEN AND THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED FOR SURE. BUT THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF ISSUES COME OUT OF THAT THAT RELATE TO THE LEGAL STANDING AND THE ABILITY TO SUE AND RECOUP MONIES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN THAT PROPERTY ALREADY. I THINK A LOT OF THIS COULD COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED EARLY ON IF THERE HAD BEEN BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF SLIDELL, IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY COMES TO ME AND WANTS TO PUT IN A 100 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX, WE’RE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO REPRESENTS THAT DISTRICT AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT LARGE SO THEY KNOW AND THEY DON’T GET BLINDSIDED BY A PROJECT THAT THEY DON’T KNOW ABOUT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CITY OF SLIDELL. AND I TRIED TO DO RESEARCH ON THIS. WE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SOMEBODY TOLD US AND WE WANT TO HAVE YOU DEFEND THIS IF YOU CAN. YOU HAVE A HUGE SURPLUS RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY OF SLIDELL, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A GOOD THING. BUT TAXES ARE STILL CONSIDERED HIGH BY SAINT TAMMANY PARISH STANDARDS. HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY SUCH A BIG SURPLUS? AND ALSO TAXES AT THE SAME TIME? HOW DO YOU MAKE THOSE TWO THINGS WORK? WELL, WE’VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN SINCE 2018. OUR OUR MILLAGE WAS 23.96 MILLS IN 2023. IT’S NOW 23.03 MILLS. WE’VE DROPPED ALMOST A FULL MILL, WHICH IS NOT A LOT TO TO TO PEOPLE, BUT WE’VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN THAT OUR ECONOMY IN OUR AREA SEEMS TO BE LAGGING AROUND THE NATIONAL ECONOMY BY 3 TO 5 YEARS. AND AT THESE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE HAD A SURPLUS EVERY YEAR AND WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECTS. WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY IN A VERY EFFICIENT MANNER. THE THE ECONOMY DOES APPEAR TO BE STARTING TO SLOW DOWN IN OUR AREA BECAUSE OVER THE PAST FIVE, SIX MONTHS, WE’VE HAD NOT NEGATIVE GROWTH, BUT BEHIND WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME A YEAR AGO, BUT STILL ABOVE WHAT WE BUDGETED. SO WE’LL PROBABLY SEE A SURPLUS AGAIN THIS YEAR. BUT I DON’T THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THE OUT YEARS FROM HERE. SO THE JUSTIFICATION IS THAT THESE TAXES HAVE TAXES THAT PEOPLE HAVE VOTED UPON AND THEY’VE LEVIED TO THEMSELVES. WE ARE CHARTERED WITH SPENDING THEM EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND DOING THE MOST WE CAN TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT OUR CITIZENS EXPECT. SO WE USE SHROVE WHO DAT AT UNO A LOT AND HE DOES A LOT OF DATA RESEARCH. AND THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE, ACCORDING TO HIM WHEN IT COMES TO VOTERS THIS ELECTION CYCLE IS CRIME, NOT JUST IN NEW ORLEANS, NOT JUST IN JEFFERSON, BUT ALSO IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH, WHICH BORDERS BOTH OF THOSE TWO PARISHES. IF ELECTED, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN ON CRIME? OBVIOUSLY, I KNOW THE SHERIFF IS DULY ELECTED AS WELL. RIGHT. BUT WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH? WELL, WE’VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN SLIDELL. YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE AND OUR PD IN PARTICULAR, AT KEEPING CRIME AT BAY, IF YOU WILL, AT THIS TIME. WHEN PEOPLE COMMIT CRIMES IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY’RE CAUGHT. WE CAUGHT, WE CATCH THEM, WE PROSECUTE THEM, AND WE WILL PUT THEM IN JAIL. THE COURT SYSTEM AND AND ON THE NORTH SHORE IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH, 22ND JUDICIAL JUDICIAL DISTRICT IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE COURT SYSTEM. WHAT WE HAVE TO ASSURE AT THE PARISH PRESIDENT LEVEL IS THAT ALL THE REVENUES THAT REVENUE STREAMS THAT WE HAVE COMING IN MAY BE THERE CONSTRAINED IN WAYS THAT WE CAN’T SPREAD THEM ACROSS THE BOARD. AND WE NEED TO GO BACK AND ASK THE TAXPAYER TO LET US USE THE THE MONEY MORE EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO ASSURE IS THAT WE’RE GOING TO SUPPLY AND AND SUPPORT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND WITH THE TOOLS AND ITEMS THAT HE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO DO HIS JOB EFFECTIVELY AND SUPPORT THE COURT SYSTEM SO THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH THE DA’S OFFICE AND PROSECUTE THESE CRIMINALS. AND KEEP THEM OFF OF OUR STREETS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CASINO OR I SHOULD SAY THE VOTED DOWN CASINO NEAR SLIDELL. I KNOW IT WASN’T IN SLIDELL. IT WAS NEAR SLIDELL. BUT YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH THE EFFORT, I GUESS, INITIALLY TO POSSIBLY BRING THAT DEVELOPMENT. THEN VOTERS VOTED IT DOWN. WHAT IS YOUR STANCE NOW ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT VOTERS VOTED IT DOWN? BUT INITIALLY YOU WERE ONE OF THE ONES WHO SUPPORTED THE CASINO PROJECT? WELL, I NEVER DID REALLY SUPPORT THE CASINO PROJECT. IF YOU LOOK AT MY HISTORY IN THE LEGISLATURE, I NEVER VOTED FOR A GAMING ISSUE. I’VE ALWAYS TAKEN THAT THAT STANCE THAT PHILOSOPHICALLY IT DOESN’T MATCH TO ME. A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOY IT. I DON’T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT I HAD A COMPANY THAT CAME TO ME AND SAID, WE WANT TO INVEST $250 MILLION IN YOUR COMMUNITY. I’VE GOT A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR COMMUNITY TO AT LEAST LISTEN TO WHAT THE PROJECT IS AND WHAT IT COULD DO FOR US AND HOW IT COULD HELP OUR COMMUNITY AND LEAVE SOME TAX BURDEN MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. I SAT THROUGH THE MEETINGS ON THAT AND WHEN WE STARTED DIVVYING UP THE PROCEEDS OF HOW THE REVENUE WOULD BE SHARED, THE PROJECT WAS IN THE SAINT TAMMANY PARISH AND THE PARISH ITSELF, BUT IT WAS RIGHT ON OUR BORDER, WHICH WOULD MEAN OUR STREETS, OUR POLICE, EVERYBODY WOULD BE TAXED OR WOULD BE OVERUSED, IF YOU WILL. IT WOULD BE MORE IMPACTFUL TO US THAN ANY PLACE ELSE IN THE PARISH. BUT THE REVENUE NUMBERS THAT WE WERE SEEING COMING BACK TO THE CITY, IF WE JUST LOST 5% OF OUR LOCAL SMALL MOM AND POP BUSINESSES, THAT WOULD BE 1.1 TO $1.3 MILLION OF REVENUE LOSS TO THE CITY. THE BEST NUMBERS THAT I WAS GOING TO GET FROM THE CASINO WAS ABOUT 600 TO $800,000 A YEAR. SO I’M GOING BACKWARDS. 300 TO $500,000 A YEAR. I TOOK MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS, MORALS, WHATEVER OUT OF THE EQUATION. AND LOOK STRICTLY AT THE NUMBERS OF WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE NUMBERS JUST DIDN’T ADD UP FOR US TO TO GET WHAT WE NEEDED TO TO MAKE IT WORTH OUR WHILE. YEAH. AND OBVIOUSLY VOTERS VOTED IT DOWN JUST A VERY SHORT WHILE TWICE. YOU KNOW WE’VE HAD THAT THAT ELECTION, YOU KNOW, TWO TIMES AND THE NUMBERS OF THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION WERE VERY SIMILAR. BOTH TIMES. I DON’T THINK IT’S SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY WILL BE BRINGING BACK IN SAINT TAMMANY ANY TIME SOON. SO LET ME GO WITH A QUICK COUPLE OF. YES AND NOS HERE. OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW THAT SHARON HEWITT IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. SHE IS IN YOUR BACK YARD. I BELIEVE SHE IS. YOUR STATE SENATOR. THAT’S CORRECT. WHERE YOU LIVE, RICHARD NELSON ALSO RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. HE’S A STATE REP FROM THE NORTH SHORE. YOU’RE A REPUBLICAN MEMBER. THE GOP PARTY HAS BACKED JEFF LANDRY. YES OR NO? DO YOU SUPPORT JEFF LANDRY IN THE GOP FOR GOVERNOR? RIGHT NOW IN THE RACE? I’M TAKING A PASS ON THAT. I MEAN, WE’VE GOT THREE GREAT CANDIDATES FROM SAINT TAMMANY PARISH AND I, JOHN SCHROEDER, TOO. I DON’T WANT TO JOHN SCHROEDER WAS A COLLEAGUE OF MINE SET WITH HIM IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR MANY YEARS. I WOULD NOT ALIENATE HER OR WORK AGAINST ANY OF THOSE GUYS. AND IT’S LANDRIEU’S FIGHT TO TO GO OUT AND WIN OR ANY OF THE GUYS FROM SAINT TAMMANY PARISH. I WOULD LOVE I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A GOVERNOR FROM SAINT TAMMANY PARISH, THOUGH. YEAH. LET ME LET ME ASK YOU THIS. RICHARD NELSON HAS AN INTERESTING PLAN TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR THE TAX REVENUE PURPOSES. YES OR NO? NO, NO. OKAY. RIGHT OUT THE GATE. YOU’RE AGAINST THAT PLAN. YES. EVEN FOR TAX REVENUE PURPOSES? YES. SOCIAL ILLS. JUST DON’T DON’T OFFSET IT TO ME. ALL RIGHT. YES OR NO? IF DONALD TRUMP, WHO IS NOW CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENSES IN FOUR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, IS THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE IN 2024, WOULD YOU SUPPORT HIM? YES OR NO? I WON’T GET INVOLVED IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. ALL RIGHT. LET’S GO BACK TO LOCAL STUFF THEN. RIGHT NOW, GRIDLOCK IS A BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE. A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN WEST SAINT TAMMANY, WHEN THEY TAKE US 90 AND I-12, HAVE FEEL LIKE THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH CONGESTION. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN IF ELECTED, TO ALLEVIATE THAT CONGESTION, ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH? IF YOU LOOK BACK IN THE PAST 3040 YEARS, JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE NOW HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT AND STUDIED AND PLANS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO PREPARE FOR THIS, BUT NEVER, NEVER WERE ENACTED ON IT. YOU GO BACK IN THE ARCHIVES OF THE PARISH GOVERNMENT COMPLEX, YOU CAN FIND THESE PLANS. AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS PULL THOSE PLANS OUT, TWEAK THEM, LOOK AT THEM, MAKE SURE THEY’RE A LITTLE MORE CURRENT AND UP TO DATE AND THEN GO SEEK THE FUNDING, WHETHER IT BE FROM THE STATE OR THE FEDS TO TO PUT THESE PLANS INTO ACTION. THAT’S THE PROBLEM. WE’VE WE’VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD PLANS AND A LOT OF GOOD THOUGHT PROCESS PUT INTO IT. BUT THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF PUTTING THEM INTO PLACE NEVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE TO DO THAT. AND THERE ARE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE JUST SIMPLE THINGS THAT IN IN OTHER WORDS, YOU’VE GOT TO TURN LANE THAT’S 100FT LONG. MAYBE YOU NEED 300FT OF TURN LANE TO GET CARS OUT OF TRAFFIC. SO THAT TRAFFIC CAN CONTINUE TO FLOW AND PEOPLE CAN GET IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUBDIVISIONS. SOME OF THE BIGGER PROBLEMS, THOUGH, ARE INTERSTATE TYPE PROBLEMS THAT WHERE YOU’VE GOT TO MAY HAVE TO PUT ANOTHER ADDITIONAL LANE OR TWO OR A COMPLETE REROUTE LOOP AROUND THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE FOLKS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO THE NORTH AND THE EAST AND THE WEST OF THE HEART OF THAT WESTERN CONGESTION. GIVE THEM AN ABILITY TO GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF IT. WOULD YOU BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT YOUR OPPONENT, MIKE COOPER, OBVIOUSLY HAS HAD A LOT OF GROUNDBREAKINGS AND HE’S CLAIMED VICTORY WITH A LOT OF THESE HIGHWAY EXPANSION PROJECTS. RIGHT. AND I ABSOLUTELY WOULD SUPPORT IT. YOU KNOW, HE’S CLAIMING VICTORY FOR PROJECTS THAT WERE IN PLACE WHENEVER HE TOOK OFFICE. ALL RIGHT. REGIONALISM, IT’S A BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY FOR THE THREE PARISH AREA, SAINT TAMMANY, JEFFERSON ORLEANS. WHOEVER IS ELECTED AS SAINT TAMMANY PARISH PRESIDENT, WE’LL HAVE TO WORK HAND IN HAND, HAND WITH CYNTHIA LEE XIANG, WHO WAS ELECTED AT QUALIFYING JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO OR JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO. AND MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL IN NEW ORLEANS. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR REGIONALISM TO WORK WITH CYNTHIA LEE XIANG AND LATOYA CANTRELL IN NEW ORLEANS? WELL, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO, FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS ELECTED TO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, I DIDN’T SEE LINES. I DIDN’T SEE NORTH, SOUTH, NORTH SHORE, SOUTH SHORE, EAST, WEST, WEST MISSISSIPPI. STENNIS SPACE CENTER AND MISSION SPACE FACILITIES. I SAW OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR AREA, FOR OUR REGION. AND WHEN WE GO IN AND COMPETE FOR BUSINESS, WE’VE GOT TO BRING THEM TO SOUTH LOUISIANA FIRST. AND IF WE GET THEM TO SOUTH LOUISIANA, WE’VE GOT TO GET THEM INTO SAINT TAMMANY PARISH. THAT’S WHENEVER I’LL GO TO BAT TO, TO BRING THEM INTO SAINT TAMMANY PARISH. AND THEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER TO PUT THOSE BUSINESSES WHERE THEY BELONG. BEST I’VE GOT A WAY OF MAKING FRIENDS AND DEVELOPING ASSOCIATES WITH EVERYBODY THAT I’VE EVER WORKED WITH, WHETHER IT BE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. WHENEVER I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, WHETHER IT WAS HOUSE MEMBERS, WHEN WHENEVER WE WERE IN THE HOUSE, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE AEROSPACE BUSINESS, WHENEVER I WAS PICKING OUT THE SMARTEST ENGINEERS IN THE ROOM TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS. SO THE WAY I’LL WORK WITH THOSE THOSE OTHER PARISH PRESIDENTS AND YOU’VE GOT TO INCLUDE ROBBIE MILLER IN THAT TOO, OVER IN TANGENT, TANGENT AND WHOEVER WINS THE SAINT BERNARD SEAT FOR BOB MCGUINNESS. YEAH, YEAH. YOU LOOK AT ALL THOSE GUYS AS ALLIES AND FRIENDS IN, YOU KNOW, A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL SHIPS AND WE WILL LIFT EACH OTHER UP TOGETHER AS WE HAVE TO. AND THAT MAY MEAN SHARING RESOURCES, POLICING, WHATEVER EVER. BUT YOU KNOW, WE’LL BE VERY FOCUSED ON SAINT TAMMANY PARISH. BUT IF NEW ORLEANS HAS PROBLEMS, OUR REGION HAS.