Drunk Eddie: No record on file

Times-Picayune - Causeway stop exposed mayor's 'ghost' license plate

Back to my favorite subject around here, it's another post about Drunk Eddie!

So, you see, Drunk Eddie doesn't really exist. He has no record on file... oh, wait. His car doesn't really exist, or more accurately, its registration doesn't exist. This is yet another example of the abuses going on in Mandeville - the abuse of "ghost plates."

Ghost plates are a tool most commonly used for and meant primarily for undercover investigations. Simply give the car a false registration, feed in some fake info, and voila, your undercover has an identity that even shows when you run the plates. However, Drunk Eddie's SUV also has a ghost plate.

Chief Enabler Buell tried explaining that several city vehicles used by public officials have the ghost plates in case they're needed for an undercover op. Right. MPD has some unmarked vehicles set to go with the ghost plates that are meant for undercover. They don't need the officials' vehicles for that. In fact, the last time an official vehicle was used for an undercover op was "a long time ago" (according to the Enabler.) Almost every other local agency in the area (city and town governments) doesn't use these plates for any local officials' vehicles. Some even go as far as adding the city/town/parish seal to these vehicles. (At least, this is according to what the Picayune found out. Take it with a grain of salt if you must.)

However, many official city vehicles have the ghost plates, when they should have public plates.

Of course, now Drunk Eddie's SUV is among those with a government seal on it, and it's supposed to eventually gain public plates, like it was supposed to have in the first place. Just as soon as he completes his 13-step program and becomes Sober Eddie, that is. (Like that'll stick.)

Fact is, since Drunk Eddie's ride was off the grid, just how much did he screw up on the roads, with no record due to the plate? No one will know.

All I can say is that this cannot continue. He needs to get himself out of office yesterday.