re: "Restoring the city of New Orleans and the safety in it is a tide that will lift all boats

First principles.

You cannot have a thriving community without security and safety, which must be self evident, because you will not have a demand from people to live there.

If you do not have demand from people to live there, you will not have business development.

New Orleans is the one city in the state that has remotely the potential to attract outside talent, and as a corollary, outside investment. Landry has the right instinct here.