Columnist Jon Ralston: Commission contest holds allure

Sunday, May 7, 2000 | 8:37 a.m.

Jon Ralston, who publishes the Ralston Report, writes a column for the Sun on Sundays and Wednesdays. Ralston can be reached at 870-7997 or by e-mail at ralston@vegas.com.

This Clark County commission race could have all the intrigue fit to print. An incumbent at odds with labor. Gamers in a pickle. A possible primary. A commissioner being sneaky.

I speak not of Lance Malone, whose station has been elevated to heavy favorite despite union problems, casinos out to politically maim him, a primary from his former campaign manager and his maneuver to tape a meeting with a lobbyist.

No, this story is about Mary Kincaid, the florist whose outlook was rosy before that thorny Wal-Mart ordinance caused her to buck her traditional labor allies and whose colleague, Erin Kenny, is now acting as de facto campaign manager for her prospective primary opponent, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith.

The race also pits two laws of politics against each other -- the one that mandates punishing bad behavior so it will not be repeated by the miscreant and any prospective imitators, and the other saying generally consistent friends should be allowed occasional transgressions. The Culinary Union, which successfully pushed through the anti-Wal Mart ordinance for its brethren in the Food and Commercial Workers Union, was furious with Kincaid for not toeing the labor line.

Working with Kenny, the Culinary has been eager to find a candidate willing to teach Kincaid a career-ending lesson. The union hoped fireman Steve La-Sky would be their man. But personal and professional considerations -- not to mention a visit at work from the flower lady with the green thumbscrews -- caused La-Sky to demur. They had all but given up when Smith, encouraged by Kenny, her friend and fellow ex-assemblywoman, evinced an interest.

Smith has yet to make a decision. She recently had knee replacement surgery, so that, as well as other personal considerations, may yet keep her out of the contest. But Kenny is pushing hard, and the Culinary wants a candidate.

The question is what do the gamers, the Culinary's traditional partners in business and politics, do, considering that Kincaid has good relationships with most of them. A couple of industry insiders expressed the view last week that the union may be pushing too hard on this one, that it should not be forcing the industry to support Smith -- or at least hedge its bets -- because of one aberrant vote.

Kincaid has been there for the gamers, including as a leader on the controversial quarter-cent tax increase. And her vote against Wal-Mart was a principled position, although special interests usually don't give much allowance for such trifles as convictions.

The Culinary view, though, consistently has been that this is no minor vote Kincaid cast. This was a paramount issue to organized labor. The ordinance passed without her. But if Kincaid is not there on the truly tough ones, when will she be again, the unions ask.

Kenny and Kincaid obviously don't like each other -- personal enmities down at the government center are hardly news these days -- and this surely will not be a source of future bonding. Kenny has wanted to alter the balance of power at the commission since the 1998 election made the Yvonne Atkinson Gates-Myrna Williams-Kincaid alliance the most consistent voting bloc.

Removing Kincaid would help, but even with Smith, Kenny probably would be at least a vote short of becoming chairman of the board. But no one is more aggressive in local government, and she surely will keep trying.

All of which could put the gamers at cross purposes from their labor pals, which happens very, very rarely. If both sides are lucky, Smith won't file, labor will forgive Kincaid and the gaming industry can do what it does best, which is load up on a commission incumbent.