Editorial: Dubious improvement

Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004 | 8:47 a.m.

A group that monitors how local governments treat homeless people has noted progress in Las Vegas -- now we're only the fourth-meanest city in the country.

Last year the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless, in its annual report, gave Las Vegas its No. 1 ranking. That ranking, highly deserved in our view, generated a lot negative publicity for Las Vegas around the country.

Having now dropped to No. 4, behind Little Rock, Ark., Atlanta and Cincinnati, Las Vegas may be spared the national publicity, but that's about the only consolation. We're still way behind in providing even adequate services for our homeless population of about 10,000. And we're still engaged in making the lives of harmless homeless people even more miserable, such as when police are dispatched to sweep them from one area to another.

True, a little progress has been made. A regional homeless coordinator is now on board. And there is a plan afoot to reduce homelessness here by 2015. But what's going on now? The word from the Las Vegas Valley's foremost homeless advocate, Linda Lera-Randle El, director of the nonprofit group Straight from the Streets, is that "mean" is an understatement.

Mayor Oscar Goodman's staff said his busy schedule prohibited him from commenting on the ranking. We ask that he devote some of his busy schedule to thinking about the "meanest" list, and how to get us off it.