In last month’s feature, “Missing in Action: Searching for the New Orleans Night Mayor” by Drew Hawkins, we looked into the tenure of Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy Director Howie Kaplan and complaints that he’s been unproductive in office and unresponsive to requests from the public. Some of our readers weighed in (via social media).
If this was going to be a job at all, a premise of which I remain extremely skeptical, it at very least needed to be a job for someone who would solely focus on it as a mediating and administrative role, not someone running four or five other things. —@wingedisis (via Twitter)
He was at a neighborhood meeting a week or two ago and introduced his deputy, and also let us know they were hiring two more people for the office. So this article is a little stale with the information, but is justified with its critiques for what was happening when they were a one man show. —/u/cujo173 (via Reddit)
Like, this dude is straight stealing a salary while actual workers now live on the street. He should be fired and made to pay this last year’s salary back. How is this not theft? —@CarlaJWms (via Twitter)
Every time I see “night mayor”, I laugh —@jmood88 (via Twitter)
City Council created a $500,000 office and then appointed a friend of a Councilmember’s husband, a guy whose bar didn’t even have a valid liquor license, to run it. Now we’re shocked it turned out to just be a handout of taxpayer money to a friend? —@filterskill (via Twitter)
His work during the pandemic was noble. The way he treats his employees and half asses his work is far from that. I’d love to get a fat chèque to do diddly squat as well, so good for him for being another block in the Jenga tower that is New Orleans nepotism. —/u/NobodyHome (via Reddit)
How long has all of this nonsense been simmering about this office we all knew should not exist from the start —@skooks (via Twitter)
Yes, he’s known as The Night Mare. This gives me a better understanding of what is going on. Is there anything in Kaplan’s background that would indicate he was capable of setting up an entire city department? They needed to give him someone with administrative skills. —@HDiekelman (via Twitter)
Why the hell is he still getting paid if he’s doing literally nothing? Is his next gig going to be working for the sheriff’s office? —/u/tm478 (via Reddit)
Time to cut our losses here. We have real issues that need attention. —/u/Occult_NOLA (via Reddit)
illustrations by Marcus Chapa Wilson
