City Council At Large candidate JP Morrell just concluded three hot days of stinky work picking up decaying garbage in Gentilly and New Orleans East. 

While the City Council was sitting in their air conditioned chambers discussing the garbage problem on Friday, Morrell was volunteering as a hopper to get first hand experience on what it takes to do that job.

Morrell partnered with City Council District D candidate Kevin Griffin-Clark who arranged for trucks from Apex Construction for Saturday and Sunday. Morrell’s teenage son Jude also joined in on Sunday.

On Friday Council District E candidate Oliver Thomas and former congressional candidate Gary Chambers participated with Morrell and Griffin-Clark.  The trucks that day were supplied by Wade Morgan Construction.

Morrell said he started out with a regular face mask and gloves but quickly switched to a respirator and because of the odors.

In a video shot on Friday, Morrell said that hoppers have the most thankless, hardest job in the City. He said that citizens should thank hoppers more and pay them a higher salary. “We got your back,” Morrell proclaimed.

Morrell also criticized the Council for not having taken action on the problem previously.