This city has lost so much. It's time New Orleans begins on the road to recovery.

I want to be business friendly, because we're living in a tough time and too many people are leaving.

It's common sense. This is a city people love to visit, and this is one of the events that makes New Orleans what it is.

If no tourists came, we'd still have Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a state of mind.

Katrina dealt us a bad hand. But to say you're going to cut Mardi Gras is the wrong approach. That would be another financial hit for the city as well as a psychological hit.

What's a few hours of overtime worth to send the world the message that Mardi Gras is wonderful and that New Orleans is open again?