Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Mayor was on target

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002 | 8:33 a.m.

LAS VEGAS MAYOR Oscar Goodman hurt the feelings of the gambling fraternity last week when accusing the owners and operators of remaining silent about the battle against nuke waste.

It didn't take the gamblers long to have their spokesman Bill Bible respond. Bible, a highly respected government leader for several years, came back strong by calling the mayor a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to fighting nuke waste being dumped on Nevada. He claims that gamblers have been deeply involved in the fight. That sure was news to me and thousands of other Nevadans worried about the environment in which we are raising new generations of Nevadans.

Read these excerpts from this column: "So why the silence on the part of the state's largest and most important industry. Ignorance? No guts? A behind-the-door agreement not to say anything to disturb the pro-nuke wasters they dine with and entertain? Don't ask me, every answer I come up with isn't adequate or doesn't make good sense.

"Maybe it's just one more case of the gaming industry being more interested in what affects it tomorrow and next year rather than down the road five or 10 years from now. Those big hotels are built to last well into the middle of the next century. Most of the owners and operators won't be around that long but the nuke waste problem aimed at them will be here for 10,000 years at least. Only the gaming industry leaders today can be effective and help prevent the damage the nuke waste can do to their hotel occupancy and stockholders earnings come the year 2000.

"So why the silence? A Tennessee study has already pointed to the problem that nuclear waste would create for that state's tourist economy. A similar study concerning Nevada will soon be released that doesn't bode well for the tourist industry of this state. Neither study should be necessary to convince the gamblers that it isn't good for the people of Nevada or their industry.

"We know that some gaming leaders had a meeting with the gold miners and agreed to not become openly involved in pushing additional taxes down their gold-lined throats. When a key casino owner openly supported more taxes for the foreign gold mine owners operating in Nevada he was chastised indirectly, but publicly, by a casino owner of equal importance and stature.

"My question is whether or not the casino industry and its lobbyists have a hidden agenda and agreement with the nuke waste people that demands their silence? It's difficult for me to comprehend such a shortsighted approach to a major problem hovering over Nevadans and their major industry.

"If there is a conspiracy of silence, then it's time for a few of the big leaders to break the silence and for their lobbyists to let the Nevada Legislature know that nothing short of a loud NO can be tolerated in any bill concerning the nuke waste dump headed for this area. Such a bill has already been put in the hopper by Assemblywoman Myrna Williams.

"The gaming executives of Nevada may think that their past and present problems are big and could hurt the greatest of all tourist destinations and profit-making hotel-casinos. They ain't seen nothin' until there is an accident when nuke waste is being transported by the tons into the Silver State. Yes, and any good gambler will wager that several accidents are bound to happen with hundreds of trucks and train cars rolling into the state with the deadly material.

"So why the silence? Ignorance? No guts? An industry conspiracy? The people of Nevada deserve an honest answer and some positive action from the casino owners and operators!"

That was my Where I Stand published Sunday, Feb. 12, 1989. It was greeted with a few nasty phone calls but mostly with deadly silence from the gamblers. Two years later they passed a toothless resolution about not wanting the waste.

I have seen very little positive action on the part of the gamblers as a group to make any major changes in what I wrote 13 years ago. Even what it has done lately may be too little, too late.

If there is any Johnny-come-lately on the nuke waste issue it's the gamblers and not Mayor Goodman.