Editorial: No-shows displayed cowardice

Monday, April 9, 2001 | 9:21 a.m.

It was the height of irresponsibility for such conspicuous no-shows by elected officials. Five members who sit on the Clark County Debt Management Commission failed to attend Thursday's meeting, effectively killing the chances that four new libraries could be built next year. In order to get the question on June's municipal ballot, eight of the 11 members of the commission needed to vote for it. The fact that all six members present at Thursday's meeting voted for the ballot question meant nothing, though, since five members didn't bother to attend. The $46 million bond proposal to build the new libraries has been controversial, but not having the decency to publicly vote against the project was cowardly.

Admittedly it would have been a tough vote since there were questions as to whether voters would have the appetite to approve two separate measures on the June ballot -- an $80 million bond question for a children's hospital and a $46 million bond to to build four new libraries. So supporters of a children's hospital, such as Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny, may have thought that leaving the library question off the ballot would have been the politically shrewd option, enhancing the odds that the hospital would be approved by voters. But even if that were the case, they still owed it to the public to make those intentions known by casting a vote against the library expansion.

Those who didn't show included Henderson City Councilman Steve Kirk, Clark County School District Trustee Sheila Moulton, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald and the aforementioned Kenny. (Kenny told the Sun she didn't show up because she had to attend a class; the others didn't return the paper's phone calls seeking a response as to why they missed the meeting.) Routinely these officials must vote on controversial, politically unpopular matters. If they were to excuse themselves from meetings every time a political hot potato came up, they never would show up for their jobs. If some members of the Debt Management Commission don't have the courage to vote on proposed bond questions, then they should resign from the commission and let someone else replace them who cares about this important r esponsibility.