Columnist Jeff German: Hoping to hear from Lynette

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

From: Jeff German

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003

To: Lynette Boggs McDonald

Subject: "Do-not-call registry."

Dear Lynette,

Your e-mail of Sept. 29 was just forwarded to me, so I apologize for not responding sooner.

In your correspondence, you told Diana Sahagun, a public information officer for the city, the following: "I'm not talking to Jeff German. He's been added to my 'Do-not-call registry.' I will NEVER take his phone calls."

You failed to give Sahagun the reason for NEVER wanting to speak to me again.

You also made it clear to your staff that I was on your do-not-call list when you copied your remarks to your secretary, Audrie Dodge, and your community liaisons, Larry Harala and Trina Robinson. You even copied David Riggleman, the city's communications director.

Naturally, I have trouble understanding your animosity toward me.

Sahagun, as you know, simply conveyed my request for an interview on how your $56,000-a-year position on the Station Casinos board was creating conflicts of interest for you. In particular I was wondering about conflicts stemming from the neighborhood casino company's plans to build Red Rock Station, a controversial megaresort that will border your Ward 2 in northwest Las Vegas.

Monday morning I asked Sahagun to inquire whether you cared to give me an explanation for not taking my calls. But I haven't heard back from either you or her, which leads me to conclude that you'd rather keep me guessing.

So I'm guessing that you didn't appreciate a July 30 column I wrote in which I questioned why you would want to give your constituents the impression you were under the thumb of the casino industry, the biggest special interest in town.

I'm also guessing that you are uncomfortable discussing the Red Rock Station project, which, though certainly beneficial to the community, is drawing heat from environmentalists and many of your constituents because it includes an oversized 300-foot tower that will go up in the shadow of scenic Red Rock Canyon.

It looks to me as if you don't want to answer hard questions about the project and upset the mighty Station Casinos bigwigs who have fattened your pocketbook as they push to get the project approved despite objections from many of your constituents.

If you're wondering, Lynette, whether not returning my phone calls will stop me from asking hard questions about your ties to Station Casinos -- well, that's not going to happen unless you also rip this computer terminal from my desk.

And putting me on your do-not-call registry is likely to be only a temporary inconvenience.

If you keep doing things like accepting a well-paid seat on the Station Casinos board, soon enough someone else will be sitting in Ward 2's seat on the City Council.

Best regards,

Jeff