Editorial: Latest plan offered by mayor is a doozy

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2000 | 9:24 a.m.

Thank goodness the Las Vegas City Council had the good sense to oppose Mayor Oscar Goodman's proposal to change a state law to allow him and other public officials to invest in downtown redevelopment projects. Goodman eventually withdrew his idea after it sparked an uproar. Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald was correct to liken Goodman's idea to "insider trading," because much of downtown redevelopment is sustained through the use of public funds.

Sometimes it seems that whatever pops into Goodman's mind, he repeats it without hesitation. It is refreshing to have a mayor who's not worried whether his remarks will ruffle feathers, but this can be a double-edged sword, hurting his credibility so that his other substantive policies run the risk of not being taken seriously. Goodman would be well-served if he would think through some of these more sweeping changes before he offers them up as serious proposals.