Neal delivers tough line on gaming industry

Cy Ryan and Jeff Schweers

Friday, May 8, 1998 | 10:08 a.m.

State Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, seeking to be the first black governor of Nevada, says the gaming industry has too much power over the legislative process and vowed to change that if elected.

"I will not let the gaming industry determine who is on the gaming control board and the gaming commission," Neal said.

Neal also said the tax on gaming revenue has been the same for too long and wants to raise it from 6 1/4 percent to 8 1/4 percent to bring in an additional $100 million a year.

Neal said he's not "anti-gaming" but adds the casinos should be paying their fair share of taxes. Las Vegas Strip casinos made $6.4 billion in 1997 but only paid the state $8.2 million in gaming taxes and $57 million in property taxes, he said.

Neal said that if elected, he would make his administration different from Gov. Bob Miller's by making changes at the top of government to "reflect the needs of the people."

Top Democrats such as Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., Miller and Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, have declined to endorse Neal. Bryan and Miller don't like his stand on nuclear waste, and Dini said Neal has not been effective in the Legislature.

Neal compared himself to former Gov. Mike O'Callaghan who didn't have a united Democratic Party behind him when he first ran for election in 1970.

Miller has been adamant in his opposition to nuclear waste being transported to Yucca Mountain. Neal said his position on the repository has been grossly distorted.

He doesn't want the repository to be in Nevada, he said, but he wants the state to benefit if a dump becomes inevitable.

"It never was my intent to campaign to bring nuke waste to this state, but to get benefits for the state if it did come," he said.

Supporters of an interim site for the waste in the U.S. Senate are only two votes short of overriding a promised veto by President Clinton, Neal said.

"If the train is rolling down the track," Neal said, "why not get paid for it?"

Neal said a $14 billion nuclear fund associated with the bill would "do miracles" for Nevada in education and road construction.

Neal declined to say how much campaign money he has raised, but he thought that $600,000 was an adequate amount "to run an adequate race but it's far less than the $3-million man," a reference to the campaign chest of GOP candidate Kenny Guinn.

In other filings in Carson City, Justice Miriam Shearing filed for a second six-year term. Shearing is the first woman elected to the Nevada Supreme Court and has brought a different view to the high court on many issues.

Brian Krolicki, 37, filed for the GOP nomination to succeed his boss state Treasurer Bob Seale. Seale has decided not to run again. Krolicki has been chief deputy for eight years.

And two Las Vegans filed by mail for the state board of regents. Darryl Carr, a field loan officer for a mortgage company; and Ed Gobel, a disabled Vietnam veteran, are both seeking the post being vacated by Maddy Graves.

In Clark County, Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, brought three other candidates to the elections office when he filed for re-election to his District 23 seat. Perkins paid their $100 filing fees.

"This is a sharp crew," Perkins said. "I am happy with the quality of the crew coming forward to run for office."

UNLV marketing director Lynette McDonald filed to run against Republican incumbent Merle Berman for the District 2 Assembly seat.

North Las Vegas Fire Captain John Oceguera filed to run against Republican incumbent Kathy Von Tobel for Assembly District 20.

And former assemblyman Vince Triggs filed to run for Assembly District 4, a seat Republican Deanna Braunlin has vacated to pursue a business opportunity.

Perkins said he hopes the candidates he brought to file will help the Democrats keep a majority in the Assembly. When asked about Genie Ohrenschall's bid for re-election following a child neglect conviction, Perkins said he would stand behind his fellow caucus member.

"I'm not getting into whether this is the best decision for her to make," Perkins said. "Our policy always is to support incumbents.

While the party doesn't discourage anyone from running, Perkins said, several have concerns about the type of campaign that could be waged against Ohrenschall.

"They don't want to see her go through a nasty campaign and have it affect her family," Perkins said.

Also filing for re-election to the Assembly was Democrat David Goldwater from District 10.

Sid Rudich filed for Las Vegas Constable, joining deputy Michael Countermann. Doug Branch also is expected to file for the seat being vacated by his boss Bob Nolen.

Perennial candidate Hilary Michael Milko filed as a Republican for the District 1 congressional seat Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., is giving up to run against Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat.