New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's husband passes away at just 55 years old



New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's husband Jason has died at the age of only 55 years old.

"It is with great sadness and heartache that we announce the passing of First Gentleman Jason Cantrell," director of communications Gregory Joseph said in a statement.

"He was a devoted husband and father, as well as a dedicated public servant who valiantly served the residents of this city not only alongside Mayor Cantrell but also as an experienced family, civil and criminal attorney. First Gentleman Cantrell will forever be missed and cherished by his beloved family, the legal community and the entire City of New Orleans. May he rest in God's eternal peace," the statement continues. "Our love and prayers remain with Mayor Cantrell, their daughter RayAnn and the entire Cantrell family. We ask that you please respect their privacy during this challenging time."

The statement did not mention the man's cause of death.

LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat, has been serving as the city's mayor for more than five years.

The couple was apparently nearing their 24th wedding anniversary because the mayor had posted on social media about their 20th anniversary in 2019. "20 years! I couldn't let this day pass without wishing my husband a very happy anniversary! Jason, I love you! God is good!" she wrote in a September 4, 2019 tweet.

— (@)

New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell issued a statement in which he noted that he had known Jason Cantrell for almost two decades. "He was an exceptional attorney and father, whom we will all miss," Morrell noted. "I send my condolences to Mayor Cantrell, their daughter, RayAnn, his father, Judge Harry Cantrell (retired), as well as the entire Cantrell family during this extremely difficult time."

N.O. Mayor Latoya Cantrell's husband, Jason Cantrell has died www.youtube.com

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Dem mayor refuses to pay back taxpayer money she used on upgraded travel, says critics do not 'understand the world black women walk in'



New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) has found herself at the center of controversy after she repeatedly used taxpayer money to finance expensive upgraded air travel.

Now, she is refusing to reimburse taxpayers.

What are the details?

Despite apparently running afoul of city policies, Cantrell said last Thursday that she will not pay back the roughly $29,000 of taxpayer money that she used to upgrade to first-class or business-class airfare on official trips since January 2021.

"All expenses incurred doing business on behalf of the city of New Orleans will not be reimbursed to the city of New Orleans," Cantrell declared, WWL-TV reported. "One thing is clear: I do my job, and I will continue to do it with distinction and integrity every step of the way."

City policy, on the other hand, requires that municipal employees "purchase the lowest airfare available."

"Employees are required to purchase the lowest airfare available," the policy states, according to WWL. "Employees who choose an upgrade from coach, economy, or business class flights are solely responsible for the difference in cost."

Last month, Cantrell claimed the upgrades are necessary to ensure her safety as a black woman. She said:

My travel accommodations are a matter of safety, not of luxury. As all women know, our health and safety are often disregarded and we are left to navigate alone. As the mother of a young child whom I live for, I am going to protect myself by any reasonable means in order to ensure I am there to see her grow into the strong woman I am raising her to be. Anyone who wants to question how I protect myself just doesn't understand the world Black women walk in.

Cantrell's statement suggested she travels alone. But the Times-Picayune obtained travel expenditures showing Cantrell travels with aides. Those aides always fly coach, and the travel records underscore the cost discrepancy between her travel and theirs.

For example, when she traveled to Washington, D.C., in January on the taxpayer dime for $2,279, her aide's seat in coach cost just $250. Meanwhile, Cantrell spent $9,710 on upgraded seats for a trip to Switzerland earlier this summer. On that trip, her aides were stuck in lousy coach seats priced at roughly $500.

Cantrell's lavish spending habits have embroiled her in controversy, especially after she spent more than $40,000 on a trip to France earlier this year that included a side stay in Paris. While in the City of Light, Cantrell stayed in a Paris hotel overlooking the Eiffel Tower that cost more than $700 per night.

What happens next?

A top aide told the Times-Picayune it's unclear whether the policy for city employees applies to Cantrell.

Currently, the New Orleans City Council is seeking counsel from various attorneys to determine whether the policy does in fact apply to the mayor.

Cantrell lists the City of New Orleans as her employer on financial disclosure forms, WWL noted.

Mayor Cantrell could be on the hook for nearly $30k in travel upgrades www.youtube.com

New Orleans Mayor: I Spent $30k On Tickets Because Flights To Switzerland Are Unsafe For Black Women

New Orleans Democrat Mayor LaToya Cantrell says she was forced to purchase nearly $30,000 in first-class plane tickets because racism.

New Orleans' Democratic mayor unveils giant hair pick to celebrate Juneteenth, promptly gets roasted: 'This is a joke'



A giant Afro hair pick with a clenched "black power" fist was unveiled in New Orleans on Friday in celebration of Juneteenth – the holiday paying tribute to the last American slaves being freed. However, the eyebrow-raising statue was widely panned online.

The 28-foot-tall hair pick weighing 7,000 pounds is titled "All Power to All People," and was created by artist Hank Willis Thomas.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell – a Democrat – touted the hair pick statue as "breathtaking" on Twitter.

"As Juneteenth approaches, we celebrated with an unveiling in Lafayette Sq," Cantrell tweeted. "This sculpture is very fitting for this time & place as we celebrate the freedoms that we have gained We know that it doesn’t come without struggles, fights, and protests for 200+ years."

Cantrell said the city is spending $7.2 million to recognize "local black and brown artists," and their artwork would be displayed around public buildings in New Orleans.

\u201cBreathtaking\ud83d\udca5\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udda4\u201d
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@Mayor LaToya Cantrell) 1655494988
\u201cFurthermore, in recognition of our local black and brown artists, we have dedicated $7.2 MILLION in bond funding to public art\ud83d\udca5\n\n\u27a1\ufe0fIn addition, we have already purchased over 60 pieces of artwork created by local Black artists to be displayed in our public buildings\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udcaf\u201d
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@Mayor LaToya Cantrell) 1655484412


\u201cSearch for the story on https://t.co/ePBMG6NNcM: Two-story Black power hair pick, symbol of African identity, erected near Gallier Hall\nNew Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell calls temporary addition to city\u2019s streetscape \u201cBreathtaking.\u201d Sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas.\u201d
— Doug MacCash (@Doug MacCash) 1655592996

However, not everyone saw the gigantic hair pick as "breathtaking" in reactions on Twitter – including many black Americans.

"Fearless" host Jason Whitlock: "Imagine being mayor of a major city, spending money on a monument that depicts the accomplishments of black people, and deciding on a hair pick. They would recall a white mayor for demeaning us. Instead, we'll shout 'Yaass Queen' and pretend nothing is wrong."

Author Darrell B. Harrison: "Because we all know how important it was for my ancestors to keep their afros lookin’ tight during those 'struggles, fights, and protests.'"

The Hodge Twins: "The best their artists could come up with is a Black Power hair pick sculpture. You can’t fix stupid."

Former congressional candidate Barrington Martin II@_BarringtonII: "Embarrassing. This is sick."

Singer Vinnie James: "These Democrats posed in front of a giant AFRO PICK? An AFRO PICK? This is how they celebrate the freedoms black people have gained? I'm in hell. Right?"

Writer Rod Dreher: "The City of New Orleans just unveiled a giant sculpture of an Afro pick. This is a joke, but it’s not supposed to be. How humiliating for a city that has given humanity so much great culture."

Writer Ellen Carmichael: "As New Orleans’ infrastructure crumbles and innocent people are being gunned down daily, Mayor LaToya Cantrell unveils a giant 'black power' hair pick in historic Lafayette Square. Her awful leadership is absolutely devastating for those with a history and love for this city."

Many online commentators noticed that the statue resembled the large Afro hair pick in the comedy movie "Spaceballs."

\u201c@mayorcantrell Major Spaceball\u2019s vibes here.\u201d
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@Mayor LaToya Cantrell) 1655494988

Last week, Cantrell unveiled a "Peace Poll" that was sponsored in part by the Tupac Amur Shakur Foundation – an organization associated with the former rapper.

\u201cThis afternoon, the City through the Department of Parks & Parkways in collaboration with the Tupac Amur Shakur Foundation, Tulane University, & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra hosted a ribbon cutting of the newly installed Peace Pole to help foster peace in our communities\ud83d\udc9b\u269c\ufe0f\u201d
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@Mayor LaToya Cantrell) 1655323676