Columnist Jeff German: Cheers to our mayor's efforts

Jeff German is the Sun's senior investigative reporter. He can be reached [email protected] or (702) 259-4067.

GOD BLESS the mayor of Las Vegas.

In his never-ending drive to beef up the city's coffers, Oscar Goodman has started a bidding war for his services between Beefeater and Tanqueray, two of the most recognized gin companies in the world.

Goodman announced last week that he has broken off talks to be a corporate pitchman for Beefeater because the gin maker only was offering him $25,000. He said he has a hunch Tanqueray may be willing to part with as much as $100,000, a heftier sum that can be deposited in the city's general fund.

If you've been anywhere on the planet, you know this is the latest in a series of Goodman brainstorms, among them lending the Las Vegas name to an Internet gambling venture, aimed at bringing home more bacon to the city from private industry.

Only Goodman -- who earned a reputation as a mob lawyer before entering politics -- could hook up with an alcoholic beverage company and remain popular with the voters.

City residents have been longing for an elected leader with this kind of moxie. Finally we have a mayor who can promote Las Vegas the way it should be promoted -- as Sin City.

Bugsy Siegel would be proud of you, Mr. Mayor. Who cares whether Goodman is turning his back on Beefeater, the maker of his favorite Happy Hour beverage?

If it can bring an additional $75,000 to the city, go for it, your honor.

While you're at it, take up smoking and persuade Camel or Marlboro cigarettes to capture you on billboards puffing away -- for the right price to the city, of course.

But don't stop there.

Get your favorite sports book to pay up for your endorsement. All you have to do is film a television commercial placing $500 on the Philadelphia 76ers.

And what about the pawnshops? The massage parlors? They've all got extra cash to donate to the city. Go for it.

Better yet, wear a tattoo on your back promoting the next title fight in town. What do you think, Don King? Can you spare a dime?

And don't forget about the topless nightclubs. Olympic Garden or Crazy Horse Too probably would be willing to part with a few bucks -- for the city's benefit -- to be known as your favorite place to enjoy a lap dance. Clear that first with your wife, Carolyn, though.

Here's an idea you may like. Charge a street tax to mob families across the country for the privilege of opening a licensed loan-sharking operation in town. The mob has been down on its luck lately, especially in Las Vegas, so this might pump up our reputation as an "open city" for organized crime.

Just don't run this idea past the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

If you want to earn real money for the city, however, you've got to think bigger, Mr. Mayor.

Soliciting $100,000 from Tanqueray is a pittance compared to what you could get for a corporate sponsorship of the Fremont Street Experience, the anchor of the still-unseen revitalization of downtown Las Vegas.

Think of the millions you could earn for those redevelopment projects that never seem to materialize.

For cold hard cash, it would be easy to change the name of the Fremont Street Experience. Some possibilities: Miller Genuine Draft Experience, Coors Street Canopy, Johnnie Walker's Walkway, Pall Mall Mall and Stoli Station.

And what about selling the naming rights to City Hall to the highest corporate bidder? How does Heineken Hall sound?

Then there's the streets of Las Vegas. Beefeater Lane anyone? Tanqueray Boulevard?

Yes, you've got to love the mayor of Las Vegas. God bless him.

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