Picture-New_Orleans.jpgMatthew Sigur of the Alexandria Louisiana Towntalk and I spoke a few weeks ago about the article “Louisiana to post results of restaurant inspections,” that goes live Monday, along with online inspections.

William “Bill” Marler, a personal injury lawyer in Seattle, Wash., who specializes in food poisoning cases, has worked on major food-borne illness outbreaks. They include the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993 that sickened more than 700 people in four states and led to 171 hospitalizations and four deaths.

Marler, a partner in Marler Clark LLP who has testified before Congress, strongly supports transparency as a way to pressure restaurant owners to follow rules.

“Since your records are so inaccessible to the average person, I’m not sure it matters what inspectors put down,” Marler said recently. “I’m not sure what the incentive is for the restaurant to correct the violation.”

It is good to see Louisiana being transparent (I am heading to New Orleans for a few days at the end of the month).  A news advisory issued Friday evening by the state said in will demonstrate the new “Eat Safe” website — www.eatsafe.la.gov — Monday afternoon. The demonstration will be streamed live online at www.dhh.la.gov.

Transparency is a good thing.  Online inspection reported outed one of the President’s favorite burger joints – Ray’s Hell Burger – and it was not pretty.