The mayor, the mouth

WEEKEND EDITION: April 21, 2002

He has a martini fetish, a propensity to run his mouth and a colorful persona that has elevated the leader of Las Vegas to celebrity status, seemingly loved by the masses.

As mayor of the city that never sleeps, Oscar Goodman has come to represent everything Las Vegas, pushing tourism and gushing about the colorful past of his city -- which was in its mob-influenced heyday when he rolled into town in the 1960s.

"I'm the best cheerleader Las Vegas ever had," said Goodman, who made his name as a lawyer defending prominent organized-crime figures.

In his three years as mayor, Goodman has poured endless energy into his bid to revitalize the city's dying downtown, but he has also floated a string of ideas that have garnered little more than media coverage, the scoffs of his critics and controversy.

Using the bully pulpit to promote seemingly anything that comes to mind, Goodman has espoused shipping the homeless to an abandoned prison out of town, assisting felonious rap mogul Suge Knight set up shop, becoming the pitchman for a gin company and building a downtown "old-timers" museum that would emphasize the mob.

Most politicos would cringe at whispering the ideas, but Goodman has reveled in every one, not to mention his love for a good martini. Jokes about his drinking, criticism about his policies and questions about whether his actions have hurt the city have rolled off the Teflon mayor, and Goodman sees himself as the city's biggest supporter.

Earlier this month Goodman announced the Las Vegas 51s triple-A baseball team would have a bobblehead doll created in his image -- which would include a martini in hand -- before he ran off to Jerry's Nugget to mix drinks at a photo-opportunity to push "The Yucca Mountain Meltdown," a drink that will help support the fight against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

His actions just support the image and the message of the entertainment capital of the world, the outspoken spokesman of Las Vegas says.

"God help the city when I'm not the mayor," he says.

As Goodman enters the final year of his term as mayor, however, his critics wonder if the one-time "mouthpiece for the mob" has become just a "mouth."

He's drawn criticism for jumping from issue to issue, including proposals to sell ads on the side of City Hall and to sell the city's name and seal to an Internet casino. Critics say the Democratic mayor's comments often turn him into the issue, rather than being an advocate for the issue.

"He hasn't done anything for Las Vegas," said Steve Wark, Clark County GOP chairman. "He's been a great cheerleader outside of Las Vegas, but he's achieved very little as far as redeveloping the city or solving the city's problems."

But Goodman brushes off the criticism, saying he's the people's mayor, well-regarded for his mayoral duties by the people that matter to him most, the public.

Big deal

Goodman says his biggest accomplishment was helping Las Vegas acquire 61 acres of barren land west of downtown. The land, owned by Lehman Bros., had stood vacant for decades. In 2000 Goodman began negotiating for the property, ultimately cutting a deal to swap 97 acres in the city's northwest technology park and $2 million cash for the parcel.

The city is currently negotiating with Texas-based Southwest Sports Group to develop the land. Plans include an academic medical center, a performing arts center, luxury high-rise buildings and possibly a minor league baseball stadium.

"The best thing we could have ever done was acquire the 61 acres," Goodman said. "It allows an opportunity that maybe no other city or no other mayor has ever had: to be able to develop a city within a city without resorting to eminent domain."

Using eminent domain to help redevelop downtown backfired in the past. Goodman's predecessor, Jan Laverty Jones, used the power of eminent domain during development of the Fremont Street Experience, and the city has since been caught in a costly battle with affected property owner Harry Pappas.

City Manager Virginia Valentine said the 61-acre land exchange was successful because the timing was right and the economy was stable. But she said Goodman was the catalyst to make the deal happen because of his commitment to downtown.

"If we had a mayor whose issues were different, if they were more into something else, probably that transaction would not have taken place because redevelopment may not have been a top priority issue," she said.

He can't operate the cranes or construct the buildings on his own, but developers say Goodman's energy and constant promotion of downtown redevelopment are impossible to ignore.

Bill Pauls, president of Colorado-based Pauls Corp., said he would have walked away from building City Centre Place, the city's first upscale downtown office building in more than 20 years, if the mayor hadn't made the deal happen with the help of the city's redevelopment agency.

Goodman cuts through red tape and acts as the middleman to get projects approved, Pauls said.

"Were it not for that energy we wouldn't have touched that thing with a 10-foot pole," Pauls said.

But there are still critics -- some at City Hall, others with stakes in downtown businesses -- who say the mayor has done little to solve the problems of crime and blight. Their criticism remains muted, though. Goodman is a force to be reckoned with.

Versus gaming

While Goodman says he has made strides downtown, he admits that some of his ventures into revitalization were not greeted with much enthusiasm.

Goodman has long spoken of bringing a National Basketball Association team to Las Vegas, but has been unable to persuade the gaming industry to support the idea. Last year Goodman said he was close to luring the Vancouver Grizzlies, but failed to get support from casinos. At issue was whether sports books would accept bets on games involving a local NBA team.

"It's (that) kind of resistance that I find very frustrating," Goodman said. "I never learn to accept it but I learn to cope with it."

Jones, who opted not to seek re-election in 1999 after eight years as mayor, said she understands Goodman's frustrations. Government is slow and there are always competing interests, she said.

"It's different when you're coming from the private sector; you underestimate the speed at which you can move," she said.

The gaming industry and Goodman have continually locked horns over a major league sports team, the possibility of selling the city's name and seal to an Internet gambling site and other projects that would presumably divert visitors from casinos.

There have been rumors that the gaming industry will endorse its own candidate for mayor next year. Goodman, though, did not have the support of the gaming industry during the last election, and he won by an overwhelming majority.

In February Goodman was invited to speak during a gaming convention titled "Casino Operators As Corporate Citizens" -- which the mayor dubbed an oxymoron.

"Gaming hasn't done a damn thing to help us," he said to a roomful of gamers.

Goodman's intention was to put pressure on the industry to step up its support on city issues, but instead he was criticized for his statements.

After the speech, Nevada Resort Association Chairman Bill Bible said Goodman's portrayal of gaming was unfair.

"I think over the past year or so, the mayor's rhetoric has seemingly gotten harsher because the gaming industry has not stepped up to back what are his pet projects," Bible said.

Jones, senior vice president of Harrah's Entertainment Inc., said she didn't think Goodman knew the facts concerning the gaming industry's contributions to Las Vegas.

The industry, she said, funnels millions in taxes into government coffers and donates money for buildings at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"The gaming industry has always been the first to step up to any project," she said.

Goodman also criticized the industry for what he sees as a lack of support in the fight against a Yucca Mountain repository 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

This year, Goodman became the city's most vocal leader in the Yucca fight, traveling to Washington to speak to other mayors who would be affected as nuclear waste makes its way to Nevada.

National media have flocked to Goodman to capture his fierce comments on officials who have paved the way for a repository. Most notably, Goodman called Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham a "big jerk," and former White House chief of staff John Sununu a "big fathead."

Although his attempt to bring the issue to the national airwaves was at times overshadowed by his comments, Goodman says people in Washington listen to what he's saying.

"I'm the only person that they hear back in Washington," Goodman said. "It's like I am on their shoulders screaming in their ear, and they cannot stand it. Everything I've said is true and it drives them nuts."

Wark, though, says people start to tune Goodman out because he changes his stance on issues, including Yucca Mountain. For example, in 2000 Goodman suggested sending nuclear waste to a Third World country, a statement for which he later apologized.

"The mayor has to be careful that if he has a propensity to grandstand on issues, then he needs to make sure he's been consistent on his message all along," Wark said. "Otherwise he just looks foolish."

Bob Faiss, the state's leading gaming attorney, said Goodman is a true leader in Nevada's fight because he has captivated both the local and national audience.

Faiss said Goodman's strength lies in generating a large base of support throughout the country -- a necessity if Nevada is to be successful in its fight against nuclear waste. Faiss said he doesn't pass judgments on Goodman's comments about Sununu and Abraham.

"He's been a force that people who do believe in the future of Las Vegas can rally behind, and while some of us may disagree with the manner in which he does things, everybody should know that he is trying to do the right thing as he sees it," Faiss said.

"He is sometimes reckless but he always has a sense of direction and generally has an objective in mind."

Versus homeless

Frustrated with the homeless encampments that have become a permanent sight near downtown, Goodman has taken the lead in seeking solutions. He's done everything from creating a regional task force, to last month's sweep of an encampment where 175 people had been living on the sidewalks. Although the sidewalks were cleared, critics say the homeless are simply being pushed from one vacant lot to another by city marshals.

Goodman's effort ultimately caused a backlash from civil-rights organizations and a national homeless advocacy group, which called for a boycott of Las Vegas.

Goodman was also assailed last year for suggesting sending the homeless to an empty prison in Jean. While Goodman says he received calls of support from constituents, his statements were called insensitive by civil-rights leaders, activists and Sun editorials.

Allen Lichtenstein, the American Civil Liberties Union's lead counsel, said the mayor should be applauded for taking awareness of the homeless problem to a regional level.

"Other things the mayor has said have been less helpful, in the sense that certain comments he has made have certainly suggested a desire to solve the homeless problem by getting rid of them, sending them away someplace," Lichtenstein said.

Goodman defends his remarks and says those who criticize him have not suggested a way to solve the homeless problem.

"If there's anything that makes me angry, it's when people just take shots, saying you're not doing this, you're not doing that and then don't offer solutions," Goodman said.

"I wouldn't mind if someone came up with a solution for a very giant problem like (the) homeless, and if I didn't follow through and accomplish what the solution was, shame on me. But right now I'm sort of out there by myself trying to rectify social ills that really are monumental."

Mr. Popular

Former Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., described the mayor as "the quintessential Las Vegan" during a convention last month.

"He is Southern Nevada's most ubiquitous and most popular public figure," Bryan said. "He combines charisma, wit, intelligence and irreverence. This is no plain vanilla sky. He gives you all the colors of the spectrum."

Tim Fackler, a UNLV political science professor, said public figures such as Goodman and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura enjoy waves of support because they're outgoing, full of charisma and are like a breath of fresh of air to communities plagued by voter apathy.

Both Goodman and Ventura have been magnets for controversy, but Goodman's success has come in terms of bringing notoriety to Las Vegas, Fackler said. Goodman is the official most sought after by the national media for comments on Yucca Mountain, homelessness and any other issue affecting Southern Nevada.

"He's made himself a pipeline of communication," Fackler said. "How can you put a value on something like that? It's invaluable."

Popularity is one thing, but Goodman says he is respected by his constituents for more than just personality. They know, Goodman says, that he has the city's best interest at heart.

"They know I'm honest, which they ordinarily would feel is not necessarily a trait shared by a lot of elected people," Goodman said. "They know I'll always tell it the way it is, I'll never lie to them.

"I am told by my constituents that they like me or love me because I say what they think. They don't say it but they love me to say it."

Wherever he goes, tourists and residents recognize Goodman and immediately offer him their opinions on the issues of the day, asking for autographs and pictures. They're also tuning in to what he's saying on a daily basis.

"We were just saying how great of a guy you are," two Clark County School District employees told Goodman after a recent Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority meeting. "You're really straightforward."

Students mob him.

"I saw you on TV!" one child says during a Chinese New Year celebration. "There's the mayor," others whisper.

Mayor for life?

Goodman says he wants to continue leading Las Vegas, to see some of his dreams come to fruition -- particularly the 61 acres, which he would like to watch blossom into a source of pride for the city.

That hasn't stopped him from dabbling with the notion of running for governor. Goodman has floated the idea, but says he does not plan to make the move.

Even the recent news that Valentine, his closest City Hall ally who he calls "the glue that holds the city together," is resigning effective May 31, has done little to stop his love and commitment to the job.

"I love being the mayor," he said. "I haven't had a bad moment since I've been elected. As long as the people like me and I'm having a good time, I'd like to stay.

"I am going to accomplish everything I set out to accomplish. I am not going to fail."

Terry Care, state Democratic chairman, said Goodman can have a big political future if he chooses one. Whether that future is a second term as mayor or a shot at the governor's race remains to be seen.

"Given his popularity, and given his ability to make a quick study of an issue, and given as well the seriousness with which he has taken his role as mayor, I would say he definitely has a political future if he wants one," Care said.

"As to anyone not taking him seriously, when this guy has shown to be the most popular figure in Southern Nevada, you have to take someone like that seriously."

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