Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Jeff German: Las Vegas displays a lack of class

Las Vegas celebrated its 100th birthday less than two weeks ago in style -- but with very little class.

The weekend bash, jam-packed with entertainment and fun things to do, saw the return of the Helldorado Days parade through the streets of downtown. It also saw the re-enactment of the May 15, 1905, railroad land auction that led to the development of Las Vegas.

The city even baked itself the "world's largest birthday cake," a 130,000-pound yellow monstrosity with white frosting, and gave away giant slices during a Cashman Center gala.

The public was invited to party all weekend long with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, the city's No. 1 cheerleader and party animal.

But he's the only Las Vegas mayor the public got to see.

Noticeably missing from the festivities were Goodman's three living predecessors -- former Mayors Bill Briare, Ron Lurie and Jan Laverty Jones, who together served nearly a quarter of a century at the helm of the city. Briare was mayor from 1975 to 1987, Lurie from 1987 to 1991 and Jones from 1991 to 1999, until Goodman took over.

All three former mayors told me that Goodman and the centennial committee made no effort to include them in the weekend's major events. There were no invitations and no informal phone calls from Goodman seeking their participation.

These are people who each played a significant role in the history of the city -- just as much, if not more, than Goodman. Yet no one could find them a role in the centennial celebration?

"It's ridiculous," Jones said. "It sort of goes along with the mayor's image that Las Vegas began and ended with his tenure.

"What does he think -- that we were going to steal some of his press coverage?"

Jones, now a senior executive with Harrah's Entertainment, said that if the centennial had fallen during her time in office she would have made a point of including her fellow mayors in the celebration.

"This is about 100 years of Las Vegas," she said. "It's bigger than any one person."

Briare, who still sounded like a politician even though he's been out of office for 18 years, said he wasn't upset with city officials.

"I'm happy as a lark," he said. "I'm too fond of the city of Las Vegas and the people of Las Vegas to be bothered by this."

But Lurie, now executive vice president and general manager of Arizona Charlie's, said he didn't appreciate the snub.

"I kind of felt left out," he said. "I understand how city government works. You don't want to take away the limelight from the people there, but we had a lot to do with getting us through these 100 years.

"It would have been nice to get a call from the mayor. He's got my phone number."

City officials put up the old stone wall when asked to explain why the former mayors were slighted.

Communications Director David Riggleman said he was having trouble finding Goodman to get his response.

Riggleman also tried to distance the city from the planning of the centennial celebration.

He said all of the arrangements were made by the centennial committee, a public-private partnership that is not controlled by the city.

But guess who chairs the committee?

Goodman.

Stacy Allsbrook, the committee's executive director, wasn't much help, either. She didn't even bother to return phone calls.

It tells me that lacking class at City Hall is becoming contagious.

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