Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Some wins and losses

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000 | 10:47 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

Let's see if I have this straight. County Commissioner Dario Herrera, a likable public official, wanted County Recorder Judith Vandever, a hard-working county executive, to appear for a meeting. "Meeting" in this context could read "dressing down" with embarrassing questions and remarks from a couple of commissioners who are receiving political pressure to slap down Vandever. Without getting into all of the details, the recorder refused to appear because she is an elected official in her own right. In 1998 Vandever received 127,794 votes countywide, and Herrera in the same election received 14,696 votes in his district. Reminds me of the state assemblyman who was going to call the governor before his committee back in the 1970s. Because this is a family newspaper, we won't print what that assemblyman was told. I'm sure that the controller, a lady, was much nicer to the county commissioner who wandered beyond his political boundaries.

Before leaving the absurd, let's consider the firing of Darlene Jespersen after 21 years with Harrah's in Reno. The lady bartender doesn't wear makeup, but after more than two decades with Harrah's she was told to wear makeup or be fired. She has reason to wonder whether suddenly she isn't pretty enough or is too old for the management of the hotel. I can't believe that Harrah's top executive, Phil Satre, will tolerate her firing. He has a long record of respecting the equal rights of women and minorities. It wasn't too many years ago that Satre told an all-male club to openly include women or find another hotel to host their prestigious luncheons. Jespersen, 44, told the press that she has been humiliated because suddenly "I wasn't good enough to do my job anymore because I refused to look like a clown." Darlene, it's less offensive to look like a clown than act like the clowns your bosses have become.

Yes, I watched the presidential debate last week and found the exchange between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush very interesting. Was there a so-called "winner" in this controlled debate? I've watched every televised debate since 1960 and have picked up some new information in one, two or three 90-minute disagreements. Each debate has helped me get a better feel of the personalities and grasp of the policies displayed on the screen. Following past debates, spin doctors did their best to put their candidate's appearance in the most favorable light. This time a vast majority of the press drew their own conclusions reviewing editorials from across the nation; they ranged from the ridiculous "Round one to Bush" to the reasonable "Debate: No Knockout." Viewers know what they saw, and what effect it has on them will be apparent the first Tuesday of next month.

Jerry Fullerton, owner of Superior Limb and Brace Co., says the next president of our country should make a promise like President John F. Kennedy did 40 years ago. Remember, it was Kennedy who promised to have a man on the moon in 10 years. The next president should tell the world he has a plan to make our country energy independent in 10 years. "Then watch the price of oil start downward," Fullerton predicts. Our country, when directing its brainpower and energy toward a goal, can't be denied success.

Now that the Nevada Supreme Court has denied a hearing to Republican Assembly candidate Rev. Chester Richardson, he is thinking about going to federal court. Maybe the federal court will get involved, but being that it doesn't concern a race for a national office, the complaint may again properly be returned for the Legislature or the Nevada voters to decide. Richardson's argument that a partisan primary election win, this time Democrat Sen. Joe Neal's, shouldn't determine a final winner isn't without some merit. He wants the primary loser, Democrat Uri Clinton, to again face Neal in November so Richardson, a Republican, can have a whack at Neal. The rules of the game were clear when filing took place, and the voters have had their say. For the courts now to be used to overturn an election, because some individuals don't like the results, isn't good government. If the law should be changed, do so in the Legislature or challenge the issue prior to primary time, not after a decision by the voters.