Letter: Not just politician, Woodbury is public servant

Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

Kudos for Tony Cook's Sept. 1 story on Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, "He saw to county's rise."

I moved to Las Vegas eight years ago, and as a casual observer it took me less than a year to become aware of four basic facts about the Clark County political scene: The county was controlled by a small group of long-time citizens with "juice"; the County Commission contained some rotten apples; Oscar Goodman was the best politician in the Las Vegas Valley; Bruce Woodbury was by far the best public servant in the county and probably in the state.

Eight years later the juice remains in power, the County Commission is cleaner, Oscar Goodman still works the room like no other mayor, and Bruce Woodbury's status has risen. He has become a professional public servant, a breed that is almost extinct.

Words such as smart, honest, far sighted, effective and team player are just a few that apply to him. The best part is that his constituents appreciate what they have - a highly effective county commissioner who works under the radar. Look for his vote count next year to exceed Oscar's recent 85 percent.

Don Merz,