Editorial: Casino execs are out of line

Richard Brown, the Stratosphere's chief operating officer, is frustrated with the city. Brown believes Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilman Gary Reese have failed to help the company reach a compromise with nearby residents who oppose the hotel-casino's controversial roller coaster project. So the Stratosphere is turning up the heat to get the Las Vegas City Council's permission to build a roller coaster.

Last week the Stratosphere said if the city rejects what would be the world's largest and tallest roller coaster ride, the company could resurrect a gorilla-themed ride that would climb the hotel's 1,149-foot tower. The gorilla thrill ride received approval from the city in 1996, but it's hard to believe that the Stratosphere seriously would consider building this "attraction," a monstrosity both literally and figuratively. "It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life, and it still is," Reese said in a dead-on characterization.

The hotel-casino added another threat this week: If the Stratosphere doesn't receive approval for its roller coaster ride, then the hotel-casino would pull its financial backing for a downtown monorail. This is a situation where a casino shouldn't be allowed to bully its way around -- no matter the monetary cost. Let the Stratosphere take its ball home in a huff if it feels it isn't getting its way. The City Council should reject the Stratosphere's project, which would create a noisy nuisance for those who live nearby.

Las Vegans have grown weary of casino executives' threats and blackmailing. Stratosphere executives should be reminded that in Nevada it is a legal privilege to hold a gaming license. The license doesn't provide carte blanche to run roughshod over your neighbors, who in this case have done a lot to preserve a neighborhood that often has been victimized by crime. The City Council should let the Stratosphere know that it is the elected officials -- not the casino executives -- who run the city.

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