Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: Problem at the polls

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

"Danger, Will Robinson."

Some of us still remember that quote, or something as close to it as approaching senility will allow, as a warning of impending doom. A recent headline in the Las Vegas Sun made me think of those words and the real possibility of being lost in some kind of space warp of our own making.

The headline itself is not cause for immediate concern unless, of course, you are tracking a generation-long trend which the story behind the headline confirmed in an all too real way. It stated, "Few voters expected at Clark County polls." I know most of you are saying, "What's new?" and that is exactly the point. Now that the actual results are in and the numbers are lower than those expected in that pre-election story, what is new is that there is nothing new, and that is what presents a clear and very present danger.

Throughout my voting career there has been this constant decline in the percentage of registered voters finding their way to the polls. With few exceptions, it is all too apparent that a large number of voting age Americans think either all is well and, therefore, they are not needed, or that all is so messed up that even they can't do anything to right the ship. Either way, the result is that a smaller percentage of voters are finding their way to the voting booths to let their voices be heard. At the same time, there are alternatives and far less democratic methods being employed that give voice to those who, most likely, have failed to exercise their most important responsibility of citizenship. Over time, the vehemence and destructive nature of talk radio and nonfact-driven Internet chat rooms and postings will drive those numbers down, furthering the divide between those who participate and those who don't in this great democratic experiment.

Being somewhat realistic, I can't figure out a way to solve the greater national problem today. But I would like to try to focus the people with whom I live and work -- Southern Nevadans -- on the dangers that lie ahead if we continue to post low voter numbers with each new election.

With one caveat -- that is the concept that those who don't pay attention to the candidates and the issues ultimately do more harm than good to the body politic -- I believe that Las Vegans have more at stake in our local elections than most of our fellow citizens elsewhere in the nation have in theirs. And that is because of the nature of the industry we support and which supports us and the geography that surrounds where we live. In short, the twin issues of gambling and nuclear waste are of far greater significance to us than any other American and by not informing ourselves and voting, we are conceding those issues to those who do not have our best interests in mind.

If any city, county or state should be vitally proactive at the polls it must be those of us who live in Nevada. The rest of the country is trying to find the ways and means to limit, if not totally legislate out of existence, the concept and practice of legalized gambling. Hey folks, that's where we live, eat and breathe, and shame on us if we allow others to determine our destiny for us. By voting in fewer and fewer numbers, we are leaving it to others and to chance the quality of elected officials we have to represent our interests. The lower the quality, the less our chances of survival.

And for those among us who are convinced or who have, at least, convinced themselves that the anti-gambling forces are "just kidding," consider that issue of nuclear waste. There are 49 other states that want the most deadly poison known to man out of their back yards. They don't necessarily want to send nuclear waste to Nevada but, given the choice of their back yard or ours, what do you think their answer will be?

Why is it not a surprise to anyone, for example, that Gov. George W. Bush won't answer a simple question -- the way President Clinton already has done -- about whether he will veto an attempt to send 10,000 years worth of misery and death to Nevada? The runner-up state years ago for top burial honors, by the way, was Texas. If there is a puzzlement attached to Bush and nuclear waste, it should be why our own Gov. Kenny Guinn is pushing this guy so hard in the face of such an inevitability should he be elected!

If we were lost in space, the issues related to Nevada in this election would be matters of life and death -- of the industry that drives us all and the quality of life to which we can all look forward. Danger, danger, low voter turnout in Clark County. The stakes are just too high for such poor citizenship to continue.

This one is from the "I forgot to mention" file:

When my friend, John Moran Jr., was appointed by the governor to a seat on the Nevada State Wildlife Commission, I immediately thought, "Who better?" After all, John has been a hunter and sportsman ever since he could walk, so when it comes to experience he is at the top of his game. But he is also well aware of the fragility that exists amongst man, the animals and our environment, and is committed to make sure that future generations will enjoy all that he has during his life. You can't ask much more from a citizen than an outlook like that. Also, his vast experience as a former chairman of the Colorado River Commission will come in handy when those meetings get out of hand. And, in case they don't, I am going to make sure my sister, Janie, gets an advance copy of the agendas! Good luck, John.