Casinos stuff Guinn coffers

Larry Henry

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 | 10:13 a.m.

Casinos, developers and hundreds of smaller contributors have helped Republican businessman Kenny Guinn amass more than $2.4 million in campaign contributions for the governor's race next year.

Thirty-five percent of Guinn's money, or approximately $836,000, comes from the casino industry, according to a contribution report due at the secretary of state's office today.

Circus Circus Enterprises Inc. contributed about $300,000.

That figure was achieved by companies in the Circus Circus empire each giving the maximum amount. Individuals and companies could contribute $20,000 each before Nov. 27, 1996, and $10,000 after that.

For instance, Circus Circus Enterprises contributed $20,000 on Nov. 26, as did Circus Circus hotel-casino, Circus Circus Development, Gold Strike hotel-casino, Gold Strike Finance, Gold Strike Fuel Co., the Excalibur hotel-casino, the Luxor hotel-casino and more.

Guinn's casino contributions also included $20,000 from Frontier hotel-casino companies and $10,000 from former owner Margaret Elardi.

Guinn, who hopes to win union support, said he discussed the Frontier and Elardi contributions with labor officials.

A strike at the Frontier, which has lasted more than six years and is the nation's longest, is expected to end in February after a new owner, Kansas industrialist Phil Ruffin, receives a gaming license.

Guinn said union leaders understood his philosophy that he won't allow adherents on either side of an issue to determine which contributions he accepts.

"I'm independent," he said during an interview Monday with the Las Vegas SUN editorial board.

Guinn also received contributions from numerous developers, including at least $35,000 from Del Webb Corp. affiliates and at least $20,000 from companies affiliated with the Howard Hughes Corp., Southern Nevada's largest developer.

Among smaller contributions, Guinn accepted $600 from Ed Allison, a lobbyist for the Nuclear Energy Institute, which is urging the federal government to dump high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Allison also helped Guinn sell tickets to a November event that raised $30,000 for the campaign.

Guinn said the fund-raiser was not associated with the nuclear industry and that Allison was only assisting on a personal basis.

Guinn said he opposes nuclear waste storage in Nevada.

"I'm absolutely against it," he said. "I always have been."

Guinn said he has spent about $500,000 on various expenses, including 13 staffers working in Las Vegas and Reno offices. He said he doesn't plan to run TV advertising until the spring.

Guinn hopes to raise more than $4 million, which would exceed the most ever raised in a Nevada governor's race. Gov. Bob Miller raised $3.2 million for his 1994 re-election.

Totals were not immediately available from two long-shot candidates, Hollywood producer Aaron Russo, who also is a Republican, and state Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas. Candidates who didn't raise $10,000 weren't required to file a report.

Russo and Neal, if he enters the race as expected, are likely to run anti-establishment campaigns that portray Guinn as the casino industry's favored candidate.

Neal, who attempted to raise casino taxes during the 1997 Legislature but was unsuccessful, said he supports a proposed initiative petition that would increase Nevada's nation-lowest gaming gross revenue tax rate.

During Monday's interview, Guinn would not say whether he favors an increase in casino taxes.

"I'm not going to take a position on taxes until I look ... at the (state's) income stream," he said.

"There are a lot of people who aren't paying a fair share," Guinn said, but he wouldn't elaborate when asked who they are.

Guinn said he isn't bothered by critics who complain that he hasn't taken a stance on key issues or laid out an agenda that he wants to achieve if elected.

Guinn, a former UNLV interim president and utility and banking executive, said he has been involved in community affairs for 33 years and wants to use that experience in guiding the state.

"Issues come and go," he said. "I don't think people should elect a governor on issues. They should elect a governor on leadership."

Although Guinn wasn't required by law to name supporters who contributed less than $100, he provided a list of every donor who has given money since he received his first amount in June 1996. By law, he only was required to list contributions from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.

"It's the right thing to do," Guinn said. "My background has been to lay everything on the table."

Guinn's report included 559 contributions of less than $500. Several contributors gave $1 and $3 amounts.