Columnist Jeff German: Public or private servant?

Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | 11:22 a.m.

Journalists often are accused of being cynical. I guess it's part of our job description.

But once in a while a politician does something so unbelievable that even our jaws drop.

In today's unscrupulous political climate, as FBI agents investigate allegations of local corruption, it is mind-boggling that Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald would accept a part-time position on the board of Station Casinos -- and all of the conflicts that go with it.

It is equally surprising that Station Casinos, a gaming giant that prides itself on its community involvement, would enter into a financial relationship with an elected official that could further undermine our ethically challenged political system.

Usually, gaming has the decency to wait until after an elected official leaves office -- after it has squeezed every favor out of the public servant -- before adding the official to its payroll.

But these days, as Boggs McDonald has demonstrated, politicians have no shame about using their elected positions to enrich themselves. They see dollar signs and make a beeline for the cash and could care less whether their constituents approve.

Under our current part-time system of government, the deal between Boggs McDonald and Station Casinos is perfectly legal. Whenever a matter involving the company or one of its competitors comes before the City Council, all Boggs McDonald has to do is either publicly disclose the relationship or abstain from voting.

That allows her to supplement her $41,884 City Council pay with a $50,000 annual salary from Station Casinos plus $6,000 for attending four board meetings each year. She also earns a third salary running her own public relations business but would not disclose the amount.

Now I'm not questioning the honesty of Boggs McDonald, but it's pretty obvious that her association with Station Casinos creates the perception that she is under the thumb of gaming, the biggest special interest in the state.

Where is her loyalty? To the City Council? Station Casinos? Or her own consulting firm?

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of vendors supply Station and its 11 properties in Southern Nevada, and the company's executives and their relatives are involved in many other business ventures. How many times will Boggs McDonald find herself having to abstain from voting? Will she even know when she's supposed to abstain?

This partnership is simply another in a long line of examples of what's wrong with our political system, with Boggs McDonald following the lead of other City Council money-grabbers -- Michael Mack and Michael McDonald.

If Boggs McDonald really was dedicated to serving the public, she would have told Station Casinos, "No thanks. I already have a job." She would have stayed loyal to the voters who elected her.

Journalists are trained to be skeptics, but I know few who are genuine cynics, which is surprising when we have to deal every day with the blatant cynicism of politicians like Boggs McDonald.