Walt Leger Discusses OMNI Hotel PILOT

Ashley Schneider and the Frenchman Street Community Garden

A community garden on Frenchmen Street has been feeding 7th Ward residents ... including some of the neighborhood's most vulnerable elders ... for years. Now, a land sale is threatening to erase it. Ashley Schneider, one of the garden's core organizers, sits down with us to break down how the sale happened, who's connected to it, and what residents are doing to fight back. With ties to State Rep. Delisha Boyd surfacing in the deal, the story goes deeper than a garden ... it's a question of who gets to decide what happens to community-built spaces in New Orleans.

Walt Leger Discusses OMNI Hotel PILOT

Part 2 of our Vision 2035 series focuses on the proposed Omni Hotel project and the PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) agreement that has generated significant discussion across New Orleans. Supporters argue the project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to attract larger conventions, create jobs, increase tourism spending, and strengthen the city's economy. Critics question whether the tax incentives being offered are too generous and whether the benefits will outweigh the costs for residents. In this episode, we break down what a PILOT agreement is, why the Omni Hotel is considered a key component of New Orleans' long-term growth strategy, and what questions residents should be asking as the project moves forward. Whether you support the deal, oppose it, or are still trying to understand it, this conversation is designed to provide context, clarity, and insight into one of the most important economic development discussions currently facing New Orleans.

Conversation with Walt Leger President and CEO of New Orleans and Co. Part 1

This week on Part 1 of a two-part episode, I sit down with Walt Leger III, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company, the official destination marketing org for New Orleans tourism, to break down Vision 2035, the city's bold 10-year plan to transform everything from transportation and housing to cultural sustainability. Part 2 drops next Monday.

Congressman Troy Carter talks Redistricting and Calvin Duncan

Congressman Troy Carter joins to talk about the latest efforts by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to infringe on voting rights for Blacks and Democrats in the state with the current redistricting efforts by the Louisiana House and Senate. In addition, we discussed the letter sent by the state Attorney General Liz Murrill, who threatened to remove multiple elected officials in New Orleans because of a resolution passed by the New Orleans City Council that would pave the way for Calvin Duncan to run for Clerk of Court in Orleans Parish, a position that was created when Landry consolidated the civil and criminal clerk's office in Orleans Parish.

Budget Talk with CAO Joe Giarrusso

To say the newly elected Mayoral Administration for the City of New Orleans started off behind the 8-ball would be a grand understatement. They had to take over the city with a budget deficit well over $200 million. The state legislative auditor predicted it would take all 4 years to right the ship and get the city budget balanced. My guest on this episode is Joe Giarrusso, the city's Chief Administrative Officer, who breaks down some of the budget deficit mitigation efforts to help get the budget balance by next year.