Columnist Jeff German: District F deserves better fit

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 | 11:28 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

Lynette Boggs McDonald is looking like the favorite to succeed County Commissioner Mark James.

Gov. Kenny Guinn is getting pressure from within the Republican Party to appoint the city councilwoman, who also is heavily lobbying for the job.

Republicans want someone in the seat capable of winning in the November election. And Boggs McDonald, who doesn't currently live in the district, is seen as having the ability to go toe-to-toe with any Democratic candidate, such as state Sen. Mike Schneider or Assemblyman David Goldwater.

For that reason conservative Tim Cory, who narrowly lost to James in the 2002 GOP primary, now is said to be out of the running, even though Republican County Commission Chairman Chip Maxfield is backing him for the District F position.

It would be a shame, however, if Guinn didn't give serious consideration to finding someone who can best serve the residents of this booming southwest area, which faces a variety of growth issues. The appointment is expected to be made soon, so whoever lands the job will be serving the residents there for at least nine months, which can be a lifetime in politics.

Boggs McDonald definitely looks like a bad fit.

James became a political hero to District F residents by leading the charge against a housing development, proposed by influential homebuilder Jim Rhodes, in the Red Rock area, and then voicing opposition to the size of a megaresort on West Charleston Boulevard planned by neighborhood gaming giant Station Casinos.

Beyond that James played an integral role in getting the County Commission to finally begin looking at growth in a responsible way.

Unless she steps aside, Boggs McDonald would be joining the commission as a board member of Station Casinos, a rapidly expanding company that has an interest in uncontrolled growth. That would be a step backward for the new progressive commission.

With three proposed casino sites, including the controversial Red Rock Station on West Charleston, Station Casinos is a major player in District F. If Boggs McDonald stayed on the company's board, she would have to abstain from voting on most issues involving the company to avoid a conflict of interest.

What good would she be as a commissioner if she couldn't vote on the issues most important to her constituents?

There have been rumblings that Boggs McDonald is willing to leave Station Casinos to get the appointment. But even if she did that, her ties with the company already have been cemented. She would have many opportunities down the line to pay back the company's generosity with a political favor. She could end up becoming more valuable to Station Casinos by not being on its board.

From the very onset Boggs McDonald would have trouble getting the residents of District F to trust her.

She already has demonstrated that her loyalties lie with the special interests, not the residents.

Surely the governor knows that's not going to play well on Election Day.