Who are these people?

Saturday, April 2, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONE and also publishes the daily e-mail newsletter "RalstonFlash.com." His column for the Las Vegas Sun appears on Sundays.

WEEKEND EDITION

April 2 - 3, 2005

On. Nov. 17, 1999, the appointment of The Accidental Councilman changed the course of City Hall history.

Up until 24 hours before the deal was publicly consummated, it appeared that Orlando Sanchez would join Lawrence Weekly as the appointments to an expanded Las Vegas City Council. Councilman Michael McDonald had the commitments from two of his colleagues -- Gary Reese and Lynette Boggs McDonald -- to secure his favorites for both appointments, thus ensuring he would control the newly constituted board.

But when Michael Mack became the serendipitous beneficiary of Boggs McDonald's eleventh hour change of heart, the maneuver changed him overnight from political corpse (until his slow, painful hara-kiri began) to councilman. But Mack's appointment did much more -- it cemented Mayor Oscar Goodman's ascendancy and began Michael McDonald's descent from shadow mayor to erstwhile councilman.

Now, on the eve of the election that will relegate Mack's unfortunate five-and-a-half-year tenure below the rubric of "accident of history," the question is whether his successor is an accident waiting to happen.

The primary Tuesday is likely to winnow a field of 11 to two -- the odds are remote of one candidate securing 50 percent and winning outright. But while it might seem like stating the obvious to say any of the contenders would improve on the incumbent, who became known for his tone-deafness to any notion of ethical rectitude and for gaffes that made Archie Bunker sound erudite, a few of these folks might make the Mack era look like the halcyon days.

To call this field colorful is like using that adjective to describe Goodman; it's just not adequate. From a Devil Dog to a Bahamian job applicant to a county commissioner's crony to a police union proponent to a couple of everywomen with spirit but without any money -- and that's not even half of them -- this is a field that makes Goodman look sepia-toned.

Although the candidates may be engaging, voters certainly are not. Early voting turnout has been abysmal -- about 2,000 people had either gone to the polls or voted by mail as of Friday morning -- meaning less than 4 percent of the ward's 52,000 registered voters have cast ballots. Total turnout may not make double digits after Tuesday's voting. These are small shoes to fill, and only a small number of voters will decide who fills them.

With that minuscule a turnout -- what if they held an election and no one came? -- the anything-can-happen syndrome takes effect. Although only two candidates have raised large sums of money -- both Police Protective Association manager Mary Gillins and contractor Steve Ross have six figures -- such small numbers could emphasize the importance of their grass roots efforts -- or subvert them. Ross and Gillins have to be considered the favorites to move on to the general, but they and their advisers have to be a little shaky this weekend looking at those early voting totals.

Could Steve "Devil Dog" Sanson, who actually wanted his former Marine status listed on the ballot but settled for his nickname, or Jeff Crisman, who has the backing of some GOP activists, or Las Vegas Planning Commissioner Byron Goynes, who in his mind has gone to Nassau, actually surprise everyone on Tuesday?

Doubtful. But stranger things have happened. After all, The Accidental Councilman had plenty of accidents and beat the odds by serving his entire term.

The result of the election could change the dynamics of the council, although this truly is Oscar's World, where what His Honor says always goes, unlike the days of Michael McDonald. By losing Mack, who is pawning his tenure on the council to help run Goodman's new political action committee, the mayor loses a reliable button whenever he needed one and a beard for his son's business interests. But whatever usefulness Mack had for Goodman surely has become outweighed by the mayor's guilt by association with the council embarrassment, whose ethical woes induced him not to seek re-election.

Goodman still has reliable allies on the council, albeit not quite so panting as his faithful terrier, Mack. Gary Reese and Larry Brown remain Goodman backers and, for the most part, so is Weekly. Relative newcomers Steve Wolfson and Lois Tarkanian, however, seem more likely to be mavericks who wouldn't mind bucking Goodman once in awhile.

Add one more neophyte without any reason to toe the mayoral line into the mix and the dynamic could get interesting with three wild cards, although the force of Goodman's personality and his enduring popularity surely can surmount anything.

So who are these people who nobody seems to know or care about?

Based on their comments in the media, and even more so during a series of debates last week on "Face to Face," most know little about city issues and have almost no idea what the job entails. But neither did Goodman when he ran and Mack, a former planning commissioner, knew a lot -- and look what happened.

Only one contender has any relevant experience and that is Goynes, whose dad was a North Las Vegas councilman for many years. But Goynes has raised about a fourth of what Gillins and Ross have collected, vitiating his chances. And he clearly was not totally committed to running as he applied for a job in the Bahamas late last year.

Responding to a Web site posting, Goynes wrote: "My wife is from Nassau Bahamas. We'd love to relocate from Las Vegas, Nevada. Attached is my resume."

When I asked him about this on "Face to Face," Goynes acted as if it had never happened:

JR: Shouldn't people worry about your commitment to this race because from what I understand you were trying to get a job in the Bahamas? You put your house up for sale just a few months ago. Do you really want to be a city councilmen or not?

BG: Yes, I am going to be the next city councilman, Mr. Ralston. This is America. I have my house up for sale. I want to move further out in Ward 6.

JR: You don't want to move to the Bahamas? You didn't apply for a job there?

BG: No I didn't. No I did not.

JR: But you were interested. Weren't you?

BG: No I was not.

JR: Oh that is just completely fabrication then?

BG: That is correct.

JR: You were never interested in a job in the Bahamas then?

BG: That is correct.

Later, off camera, Goynes insisted he was just joking around by responding on the Web site, which strikes me as bizarre at least and lame at best. Goynes arrived at the debate with a stack of planning items to show his knowledge and wanted to go through them on the air. Since we would still be taping if I consented, I demurred.

But if Goynes' qualifications are mitigated by his wanderlust, the two frontrunners have made up for a lack of experience with connections and viciousness.

Accusations

Ross has accused Gillins of being a shill for the cops and of pushing the sales tax for cops, which narrowly passed this year and now is before state lawmakers. Gillins' folks have stirred up old domestic violence allegations against Ross, whose court documents in the case have been reprinted in a mail piece paid for by his former consultant, Billy Rogers, who has denied any connection to the Gillins campaign.

When I asked Gillins on the program about Ross' allegations that she and her cop spouse were pushing for the sales tax, she danced a little:

MG: First I would like to straighten that out. My husband is not a lobbyist. He is an 18-year veteran of the Metro Police Department. He (Ross) would lead you to believe that. That is incorrect.

JR: He doesn't lobby for the Police Department up in Carson City?

MG: He does lobby for the Police Department under the guise of Lieutenant Stan Olson. My husband is one of a team.

JR: So he is a lobbyist. Why would he even focus on that?

MG: I don't know either. He is a detective and I am very proud of that. As far as our police officers go and the sales tax issue, the majority of Las Vegas passed that initiative. That is not my initiative. The majority of Las Vegas passed that initiative to keep our city safe. I can't think of anything better than to have more police officers out there. You don't have to work for a police union to know that.

To her credit, Gillins stood behind an initiative that clearly has become less popular as opportunists and the public have conflated the Carson City surplus with the sales tax for cops issue.

As for Ross, he bristled and did a two-step a little himself when I asked him about that 14-year-old domestic violence incident -- he had brought his wife and ex-wife to the studio to help inoculate himself and he has a letter from his ex on his Web site now:

SR: Jon, it is quite evident and apparent to my senior staff members that this is a front by one of my opponents and it is obvious that it is one that is well funded and well planned ...

JR: Mary Gillins, who you are referring to, who you have accused of doing this on your Web site. Do you have any evidence that Mary Gillins has any ties to this group?

SR: We have good resources in regards to that.

JR: Wait a second. You can't accuse somebody of something this serious. This is a vicious piece, sir; I think you will agree more than anybody. Do you have any evidence that Mary Gillins put this out?

SR: Jon, it is obvious that the opponent with the most money and the most organization is the Gillins Camp and it has been well orchestrated and put out there. I will just leave it at that.

JR: Do you think it is a relevant issue or not?

SR: I don't think it is a relevant issue.

JR: Why not?

SR: Jon, 14 years ago one time I made a mistake and I have learned from that and it has forced me to evaluate who I was as a man, as a husband and a father. Since then I have been happily married for 11 years with my current wife Kelly, who is in the studio today. And Tracy, my former spouse, is in the studio also, supporting me today in regards to that. We are going to put this to bed. We are the success story of blending a family together. We have really worked hard to do that and we have done it. We are a success story. We have raised our family together as a team.

Pure ugliness

Of course the unearthing of the domestic violence allegations -- and Sanson's erstwhile charge also has been dug up -- is pure ugliness. And the use of an ex-spouse as inoculation is hardly a new tactic, although a potentially effective one.

But the more significant back story of Ross vs. Gillins is that this is essentially a Democrat vs. Republican contest playing out in a nonpartisan race. Gillins is backed by GOP players such as Sig Rogich and Sheriff Bill Young while Ross has the support of Democratic Party insiders such as County Commissioner Tom Collins, who clearly has helped him raise money, and operative Gary Gray. It is indeed ironic that despite that construct, Ross is trying to be the anti-tax candidate and Gillins is standing up for the sales tax plan.

Of course all of that is irrelevant to the job they are seeking and they have no say over that sales tax increase or the property tax solution, which Ross likes to talk about. But those comments are simply the product of polling and consultants who are looking for a candidate to stand out among a crowded field.

As for the rest of the political pygmies in the race, the other eight are a melange of self-funded entrepreneurs and average citizens who fought City Hall and now want to join 'em because they couldn't beat 'em.

(You can read some excerpts from their appearances on "Face to Face" on this page.)

Balance

It was heartening to see a few of them, especially Realtor Marlene Rogoff and even more so legal administrator Debbie Kitterman Burgos, balance their lack of knowledge of municipal government with an honesty and earnestness that was refreshing to see. Neither was especially polished and neither has much chance of finishing in the top two Tuesday. But both came across on the program as sincere and committed -- a rarity in today's world of consultant-created campaigners.

And when we know who the general election candidates are by Tuesday evening, the first step in relegating The Accidental Councilman to history, let's hope that they have at least one of those qualities. It would be heartening if Mack's successor was not sincerely dedicated to fixing his financial troubles by soliciting council supplicants and committed to ensuring the mayor's son has an income.

Perhaps April 5, 2005, will be remembered as the day an accident was finally corrected.

Ten of the 11 candidates running for Michael Mack's seat appeared on "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" last week -- only Troy Bulloch did not show up. Here are some excerpts of their comments on city issues:

Robert Glover, insurance agency managing partner: "I see a lot of development going on where there is not underlying infrastructure to support it. ... I know it is not going to make me popular with developers but I think at some point we are going to be looking at an impact fee. The developers are going to have to pay in order to put the infrastructure into place."

Jeff Crisman, retiree: "You need to know first what the infrastructure needs are. Basically you need to know what the public facility needs are. To say you are going to charge them fees doesn't mean that you are going to get anything accomplished. It will probably go into the general fund and then you are never going to see it again. It is like a sinkhole somewhere."

Marlene Rogoff, Realtor: "I think it is important that I have a fresh point of view here, ... having come from the San Fernando Valley, which used to be cattle and agricultural and over the years has turned into every worse urban problem that you could imagine. Horrible traffic jams, tremendous air pollution, overcrowding, lack of parks and open space. ... I live here and as a resident and talking to other residents, this is one thing that really disturbs them, that they bought a house thinking it was all residential and lo and behold there is a strip center or a printing plant or a Coca Cola bottling plant as we heard in this land swap fiasco."

Anthony Salas, disabled retiree: "We do have the power to stop builders from building until they talk to the county and get the county and build schools for the county and relieve that burden on the taxpayers that live here now. So there is a way of getting those schools in and ready so when the new developments come in they have a place to put them without shoving them into our schools until the school is built."

Mary Gillins, police union administrator: "We also have a master plan that we have to work within and I think it is more managed growth. I think that we need to take a good look at the developments coming in because the infrastructure is important and those schools are part of that. I would love to have the schools waiting for the children also. ... You have got to bring a consensus between people. You can't just stand up and say no to everything. We have to take a good look at what is coming in."

Byron Goynes, CAT bus manager: "I want to talk about my 12 years of commitment that I have already served to the residents of Las Vegas. I think truly, out of all the candidates, I am the most qualified. I am the one who has already served over 350 meetings of 5,000 hours and driven the community over 230,000 miles in a 12-year period. I think that right there in itself shows that there is a commitment. This is a job that takes somebody that knows the facts."

Steve Ross, electrical contractor: "There is going to be 28,000 new homes in this valley. All of those homes are going to go in tax rolls. There are six or seven new high-rise residential complexes being built that are going to be built and they are going to go in tax rolls. There are three or four new hotels and casinos that are going to be built on Las Vegas Boulevard. They are going to go in tax rolls. Those dollars are going to be there and we need to spend them better and I don't think adding an additional $72 million a year on the back of taxpayers is the right thing to do at this time."

Gary Ratliff, retiree: "Basically I see the challenges in Ward 6 as being mostly related to long-term planning and growth. I had many years experience in the military operations dealing with development, growth and those kinds of issues. The secret to success in Ward 6 is going to be the person who can see the long-term plan. These planning processes take years to develop. Every time you change directions, you lose the momentum that you have gained in the process. So the person with the vision that can see the end product, the value of staying with the process through its completion and resist the temptations to change will be the successful candidate. I did not see this value in the people (running against me)."

Debbie Kitterman Burgos, legal administrator: "Once the Fremont Street Experience opened up I frequented it. I actually went and visited not the casinos but the shops. So I think they are going in the right direction. I think they do need to focus a little bit more, especially the mayor needs to focus on the other areas, the other wards. I think he is pretty much putting his focus on the downtown development. I am really happy with the performing arts center. I think that we need more private sector involvement."

Steve Sanson, credit manager: "Jon, I believe in the Almighty Lord. But Devil Dog is who I am. The Marine Corps made me who I am today. I am active in the veteran community. I am out there with the veterans. I am (a) member of the VFW. I am the media spokesman for Veterans in Politics. So I am very active in the veteran community and Devil Dog is who I am. That is who I am. That is what makes me disciplined and steadfast and a go-getter and I don't quit and don't give excuses."

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