Original sentence: He also asserts his plans were to rebuild a bigger and better New Orleans where diversity, equity and fairness ruled.Nagin states he made it clear at the meeting that everyone had a right to return home, a claim contradicted by some businesspersons in attendance.Nagin traveled the country presiding over 170 town hall-style meetings to inform displaced New Orleanians of the status of the city's recovery
Edited sentence: He went on to assert he was planning to rebuild a bigger and better New Orleans where diversity, equity and fairness ruled.In spite of recent contrary public statements by a few of those businessmen, Nagin made it clear at the meeting that everyone had a right to return home.To get that message to displaced residents, Nagin traveled the country presiding over 170 town hall-style meetings to inform them of what was really going on with the city's recovery