Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: Read all about it here

Friday, Nov. 22, 2002 | 4:19 a.m.

IT WAS QUITE the County Commission meeting. But not one that you'd notice.

It was a nervous time Wednesday night at the Clark County Commission chambers. For the public and the commissioners. That's because what had not been a very public process in the past was laid bare for all to see and what most of us saw was not very pleasant. That caused some concern with the people with much to gain, the people with much to lose and, especially, the elected officials whose job it is to sort through the various messes that come before them.

It all started with two of my good friends, Ed Nigro and Billy Walters, squaring off against each other over a zone change request that would have added some competition in the substantially vacant but soon-to-be-booming southwestern part of the valley. It involved land that was owned by the Bureau of Land Management, turned over to the county for the benefit of McCarran Airport and, as best I can tell, left to the airport honchos to pretty much determine who gets what and for how much.

The purpose of this column is not to discuss just why the airport gets to pick and choose among the various brokers and developers in town. Just why and how some people get to be winners and others get nothing but aggravation is a story for another day. But there were plenty of skittish onlookers Wednesday who knew that the agenda item between Walters and Nigro would quickly be about much more than those two. And they were right.

Nor is my effort today a discussion of the tizzy in which the county commissioners found themselves trying to sort through the pros and cons of the arguments tendered by the two well-known and well-liked developers.

It was sad to see elected officials scramble as best they could for some kind of cover because they had to choose between two good people and two very good supporters of the political process. Why the fight landed at their feet is also a story for another day, although it is a story as old as time.

What I want to talk about is something I believe is far more important than what property will be zoned for what use and which commissioner supports which position. While each of those subjects would provide an interesting trip into the political process, the fact remains that the most important topic discussed Wednesday night was notice. As in the right to be heard; due process; and common sense government.

I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that many of the people wrapped up in what was to be a rather unpleasant debate would rather have been anywhere else than in the middle of the muddle that consumed a great part of the day and night of the County Commission hearing.

As is often the case, when one side doesn't think that they have the necessary votes for victory, they look for a way to postpone or delay the outcome. And when a sincere questioning of public policy merges with the need for delay, so much the better.

Such was the case this past Wednesday when a couple of commissioners sought to challenge the agenda item on the grounds that there wasn't sufficient notice given to the public.

Nothing can stop a trainload of zoning changes in its tracks more effectively than a legitimate claim that the public did not receive adequate notice of the matter up for discussion. And that is how it should be, because a democracy only works well when the people have the opportunity to be heard on all matters affecting them. So the notice card is played sometimes when it is justified and sometimes when it is not.

From what I could tell the other night, there was reason to question whether or not the public had been adequately informed of the hearing prior to Wednesday. Once it became clear that the county staff followed the law, however inadequate that law might be, there was no reason to delay the matter. If we learned anything, though, it is that government should err on the side of more notice rather than less.

If there was a silver lining to the storm clouds that hung over the county building that night, it is a rethinking of the kind of notice people should get in the future. And that will be good for democracy.

What struck me, though, was an argument from a woman who is known quite well for her advocacy and involvement in many public matters. Lisa (last name not important) tried to argue that the public did not have adequate notice of the matter under discussion.

It was lost on me how that argument could prevail, given the fact that the chambers were adequately staffed with people anxious to speak for one side or the other, and given the fact that county staff did what the law required pursuant to the notice provisions. Throw in the fact that every media outlet in town had covered the impending controversy and it appeared somewhat disingenuous to claim foul.

It was when Lisa stated that the public should not have to read either Las Vegas newspaper in order to learn about such matters before the commission that she got my attention.

Now, I understand that a case can be made that reading the other newspaper will do nothing to inform the citizens of this valley. But that wasn't what Lisa meant. She was referring to the law that requires a publicly printed notice of each meeting so that the citizens may know what is happening. Lisa did not think it necessary for citizens to have to read such notices in the paper in order to be informed. While that may not be her considered judgment, it is what she said. And I beg to differ.

We live in a very complex society today. So much more so than the one in which our parents and grandparents grew up. It is more important for us to stay informed about what our government is doing in our name than ever before because so much of what it does affects us in ways unimagined just a few decades ago. To suggest that as a condition of citizenry we need not even inform ourselves about what is going on around us makes no sense to me.

In fact, just the opposite is true. If we are to function as good citizens, we have a responsibility to inform ourselves about what is happening in our name. And reading the newspaper -- I have my preference, of course -- is one of the ways in which we get informed. Especially when the notices of government are published therein.

It may seem easier for us to expect government to knock on our doors to inform us about each and every matter taking place, but that is not feasible. Better that we perform our jobs of being good citizens, and that means staying informed.

The daily newspaper is still the best place to turn for that job. Just in case you hadn't noticed.

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