Political notebook: City Council gets its Irish up

Erin Neff

Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 | 9:24 a.m.

It's long been proven that bettors who follow Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's advice will usually end up ripping up their tickets.

Now it seems three of his council colleagues are no better at picking underdogs.

Both of the McDonalds -- Michael and Lynette Boggs -- are rabid Fighting Irish fans and big-time bet losers, forced to part not with money, but pride.

Boggs McDonald graduated from Notre Dame and was an Irish cheerleader while in school.

McDonald, an Irish Catholic, just loves everything South Bend. He named his bulldog Rockne and checks out as many games as he can each year.

Too bad both of the Irish fans bet the 11-point 'dog against the University of Southern California last weekend with fellow councilman Michael Mack, who went to the University of Southern California.

If his Trojans lost, Mack was going to be forced to wear a kilt and an Irish jersey to Wednesday's council meeting. Thankfully for everyone who attended that meeting, USC won handily and Mack kept his pants on.

And while Boggs McDonald was attending a National League of Cities meeting in Salt Lake City and unable to wear a USC helmet at her desk, McDonald did wear an SC jersey and jacket, and spoke about the rabid Trojan fans who made his trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum with his dad uncomfortable.

"I left at halftime," McDonald said. Final score 44-13.

The third losing bettor on the dais was Councilman Lawrence Weekly, sporting a light blue Southern University jacket after his alma mater, Grambling State University, lost the Bayou Classic. Weekly was forced into the embarrassing attire after his beloved Tigers lost 48-24 and Weekly lost to two city officials on the other side of the action.

Fire Chief David Washington and Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-North Las Vegas, who works in the city's Neighborhood Services Department, both went to Southern.

Signs of the future

Politicians always have one eye on future races and possible positions.

So two of Nevada's leading Republicans, Rep. Jim Gibbons and Secretary of State Dean Heller, are doing their part to stay in the post-election limelight.

Gibbons, who is pondering a run for Senate against Democratic Whip Harry Reid in 2004, proudly announced he will have press availability prior to marching in Sparks' Hometowne Christmas Parade on Saturday.

Heller this week took two steps to improve his track record as SOS. First his office requested a bill draft that would order campaign finance reports be filed electronically.

And on Wednesday he announced the changes (as first reported here last Friday) to the finance reporting forms themselves, saying they are now "more user friendly and a more useful tool for citizens and journalists."

You know -- the journalists that would cover Heller's bid for Gibbons' congressional seat if Gibbons does take on Reid.

The changed campaign forms will be used for the third contributions and expenses report of the election cycle due to be filed Jan. 15. Every candidate and elected official will get a letter from Heller explaining the changes.

Leadership positions

Although the top jobs in the Assembly still rest with Speaker Richard Perkins and Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, sophomore John Oceguera will officially become Buckley's assistant when the Legislature convenes.

Oceguera, D-North Las Vegas, is a Boyd Law School student and captain in the North Las Vegas Fire Department. He steps into the assistant majority leader position previously held by David Parks, D-Las Vegas.

Parks will be busy chairing the Assembly Taxation Committee. Oceguera will serve as vice-chairman of Judiciary.

Other Democratic Assembly leadership positions remain the same, with Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, serving as majority whip and Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, serving as assistant majority whip.

Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, will no longer serve as a Leslie's co-assistant whip. He has been tabbed to chair the Government Affairs Committee.

Code of ignorance

The university regents will vote Dec. 12 to impose a code of conduct on themselves, since the oaths of office they took don't seem to cover some of the elected members' antics.

But maybe regents should also vote to brush up on their knowledge of university issues.

During an interview this week about proposed hikes to the state's prepaid tuition program, Regent Chairman Doug Seastrand was asked why the university system had to raise tuition (and thus lead to the prepaid tuition hikes).

Seastrand said the tuition hikes were minor.

"It's not 15 percent," he said, "It's not even double digits for the two years."

Seastrand did refer more specific questions to Chancellor Jane Nichols, apparently fearful that he didn't have the numbers down.

But you'd think that after hiking tuition 15 percent over the next two years, the chairman would remember what his actions did to the students at UNLV and UNR.

Should judges be elected

or appointed? That's one theme of a "Judging the Judges" symposium set for Dec. 10 at UNLV's Boyd School of Law. The event, co-sponsored by the law school and UNLV's Center for Democratic Culture, features Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Becker, U.S. District Judge Philip Pro, District Court Judge Nancy Saitta and Family Court Judge Cynthia Steel. Newly elected District Court Judge Jackie Glass and unsuccessful candidate John Curtas, who is on the board of governors of the Nevada State Bar Association, will also attend. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room 102, with a lunch panel scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost for lunch is $24. For reservations, e-mail cdclv@ unlv.edu.com