The misperception is that New Orleans is dead. That's not accurate. We had the Radiators [Dec. 9] and we had 750 people, mostly locals. The challenge is to staff the club. People are starved for music.

It's not child's play. It comes from a warrior culture where people are coming from the harshest conditions. One of the reasons that the traditions are so powerful is that it's a direct response to the impoverished conditions they live in.

It's long hours, it means giving up holidays with your family for what's not a really lucrative job. But at least you have the satisfaction of creating something beautiful.

What I can confirm is that a serious allegation has been made and that we are investigating it vigorously, and that we have reported the allegations to appropriate state authorities.

Till the (industry's) distribution infrastructure catches up, you can expect margins to go down and get narrower and narrower. If both plants are expected to buy from a distance, and the cost of transportation goes up, there comes a point where neither plant will be competitive. If that happens, one or both will close or run at a loss. That is a very serious risk.

The process has been reviewed, and it's been found to be safe.