Editorial: Casino execs are out of line

Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2001 | 8:47 a.m.

Richard Brown, the Stratosphere's chief operating officer, is frustrated with the city. Brown believes Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilman Gary Reese have failed to help the company reach a compromise with nearby residents who oppose the hotel-casino's controversial roller coaster project. So the Stratosphere is turning up the heat to get the Las Vegas City Council's permission to build a roller coaster.

Last week the Stratosphere said if the city rejects what would be the world's largest and tallest roller coaster ride, the company could resurrect a gorilla-themed ride that would climb the hotel's 1,149-foot tower. The gorilla thrill ride received approval from the city in 1996, but it's hard to believe that the Stratosphere seriously would consider building this "attraction," a monstrosity both literally and figuratively. "It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life, and it still is," Reese said in a dead-on characterization.

The hotel-casino added another threat this week: If the Stratosphere doesn't receive approval for its roller coaster ride, then the hotel-casino would pull its financial backing for a downtown monorail. This is a situation where a casino shouldn't be allowed to bully its way around -- no matter the monetary cost. Let the Stratosphere take its ball home in a huff if it feels it isn't getting its way. The City Council should reject the Stratosphere's project, which would create a noisy nuisance for those who live nearby.

Las Vegans have grown weary of casino executives' threats and blackmailing. Stratosphere executives should be reminded that in Nevada it is a legal privilege to hold a gaming license. The license doesn't provide carte blanche to run roughshod over your neighbors, who in this case have done a lot to preserve a neighborhood that often has been victimized by crime. The City Council should let the Stratosphere know that it is the elected officials -- not the casino executives -- who run the city.