Jon Ralston on how Las Vegas Mayor Goodman knows what’s best for his own city - at least in his own mind

Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 | 7:11 a.m.

Richard Nixon's reincarnation returns to Las Vegas City Hall, smoke from the anti-smoking group and a promising effort to promote female candidates:

So imagine what happened Thursday when Alana Roberts, a special publications reporter for In Business Las Vegas (a sister publication of the Sun), had the temerity to try to ask the mayor a question. Goodman seemed hardly in the holiday spirit and added to his priceless catalog of Nixonian utterances.

Roberts initially asked about the jewelry mart downtown and His Honor was only too happy to gush for a few minutes about how wonderful the project was - the same speech he gives for any endeavor a developer has sold him on.

After he finished, Roberts politely rejoined: "Some in the jewelry industry have questioned whether Las Vegas can support that kind of "

Goodman cut her off and declared, "You know, I really don't like people who question me."

Yes, that's what he really said. Some in the council chambers began to chuckle, believing Goodman was not serious - and, of course, he was. The mayor turned away from Roberts, but she gamely pressed him: "So what are your thoughts?"

Goodman: "I'm sick and tired of naysayers ... I really don't have any use to use my energy to rebut naysayers I know what's right for this community, and the jewelry mart is right."

And then he turned away from Roberts for good and pointed to another reporter.

I know what you are thinking, folks: I must be making this up. No public official would behave in such a hostile manner for no apparent reason and essentially declare himself omniscient and omnipotent. But remember, this is the same fellow who, when he was asked about ethics charges filed because he tried to help his son's business, fulminated, "I'm going to run the city the way I want to run the city."

And with a short supply of vertebrae on Stewart Avenue, a seemingly endless reservoir of fans of his shtick among the city's electorate and with a major donor community that has neither the energy nor the respect for the job to find anyone else, whatever Oscar says will continue to go. And don't you dare question him or he won't like it. Oscar knows best.

Herndon's decision to stave off the smoking ban Tarbox wants and approved in Question 5 has raised the real possibility that what could happen in Nevada has never happened anywhere else - a voter-approved smoking ban overturned in the courts.

"What is particularly disturbing," added Tarbox in a news release, "is that those opposed to Question 5 have already had their day in court on the same issues they're contesting now, and they lost. Yet once again, those special-interest groups are trying to usurp the will of the people."

Well, not really. A District Court judge and the state Supreme Court said the constitutional issues now being raised were not ripe for discussion before the ban passed. Now it has, and it is ripe for discussion.

The seminar will include presentations from the husband-wife team of Clark County Commissioner-elect Chris Giunchigliani and consultant Gary Gray, as well as Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates. The former pair will not, presumably, talk about how to beat incumbent Democratic women and the latter will not give a blueprint to becoming a developer while on the commission.

Give Bilbray-Kohn credit for doing what Nevada NOW and others have not done in the wake of the defeat of Dina Titus: Looking ahead and leaving the past behind.