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Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Carolyn Goodman says she started the Meadows School because she feared public schools were not adjusting to the county's changing demographics.
Time is growing relatively short for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman to decide whether he will run for governor. The mayor told reporters Thursday that he has until the end of the year to change his party affiliation to non-partisan, which would keep his options open.
Beyond the Sun
Now that she is set to give up the reins of the Meadows School, Carolyn Goodman is no longer saying she won’t run to succeed her husband as Las Vegas’ mayor.
In the past, she had always brushed off the idea by pointing out how dedicated and busy she was as president of the prestigious private school she founded a quarter-century ago. But this week she informed the school’s board and its more than 900 students’ families that her last day on the job will be July 1.
The announcement is being seen by some as an indication that Oscar Goodman does intend to run for governor next year or that Carolyn Goodman intends to run for mayor in 2011 — or both.
When hizzoner was asked Thursday whether her retirement was tied to his gubernatorial decision, he said, “Oh, no. She is completely independent of me. She spent 26 years at the Meadows and she wants to explore other avenues.”
Like the one that leads to City Hall?
“You’d have to ask her. My wife is her own boss. That is one person over whom I have zero control,” he said, then laughed.
But she told the Sun he is the reason she is considering a bid to keep a Goodman in the mayor’s office, because she may be the one who is most likely to see her husband’s downtown redevelopment plan to its fruition. Her husband has been telling her that for more than a year.
In September 2008, he told the Sun that she was his first choice to succeed him for that very reason. And “morning, noon and night” he is still telling her she’s the only one who can finish what he started, she said.
Two sitting council members, Gary Reese and Steve Wolfson, have also expressed interest in being sworn in as mayor in 2011. Reese has long served as Mayor Goodman’s lieutenant on the council and has said he expects to have the mayor’s support.
But Carolyn Goodman said her husband has told her: “ ‘Everyone on my council is very wonderful and so capable, but they don’t have the passion for the pieces that I have. You’re the only one who understands all the pieces.’ ”
And he’s not the only one encouraging her to run. An increasing number of people have been telling her she would make a great mayor — and they figure she would be a shoo-in.
She’s got the name recognition — and access to more than ample campaign financing — needed to be a successful candidate. The ranks of Meadows School students’ parents and grandparents include many of the valley’s most wealthy, influential and famous residents. They could easily finance a massive campaign.
How would the mayor’s wife do as mayor?
One political operative, who did not want to be identified, didn’t think she could put up with the job because she is “not one to suffer fools lightly.”
“I really like her, but Oscar’s really easygoing,” he said. “You get some nut who asks Oscar crazy questions, and he just laughs. She’s not that type.”
Then there are people such as longtime Las Vegas developer Irwin Molasky, who has known the Goodmans for decades. He was tickled at the idea of Carolyn for mayor.
“I think she would be fantastic and so dedicated,” Molasky said Thursday. “She’s a bright lady and it would be wonderful if she ran. It would be great for the city.”
Ironically, the one thing that could prevent her from fulfilling her husband’s hope is her husband. If he is elected governor or a U.S. senator, she says, that would keep her from running because she couldn’t bear to be away from the man she has been married to for 47 years.
“He has told me ‘I’m not going anywhere without you,’ ” she said, adding that the mayor’s job wouldn’t be appealing if he was in another city.
About the same time his wife was talking about the possibility of her first bid for elected office, the current Mayor Goodman was telling reporters at City Hall that he is still considering a gubernatorial run in the November 2010 election.
But candidates can’t file to run for the Las Vegas mayoral office until January 2011, so if one Goodman runs and loses — the other would still have an opportunity to run her own race.
Sun reporter Dave Toplikar contributed to this story.
Our city, county and state desperately need qualified, competent, experienced and serious leadership.
Not to say Mrs. Goodman does not have some of those qualities-
I look forward to her "platform" (do politicians in Nevada have those?)
Or do we have themes?
I say bring on the Goodmans, they have to be better than what we have right now...
She's a bright lady,and would make one one hell of of Mayor JUST A NEW Mayor Goodman..... have my vote.Your husband has done allot for Las Vegas and I am sure you will do just fine maybe even better.
Too many people hate Carolyn Goodman for her to become mayor. She has many supporters, but also many, many detractors
NOW YOU CAN HAVE THE "GOOD OLE BOY'S" AND THE
"GOOD OLE GAL'S"
(DUMMIES)
"YA NEVEA KNOW WHATCHA GONNA GET"
Oh, hell... Why not let Carolyn Goodman run? She's probably smarter than her husband, and I doubt she'd have problems running Las Vegas. While I'd still prefer someone with a more sustainable vision for Las Vegas' future, maybe "Mrs. Mayor" will be more open to change. After all, she's been running Nevada's top school for over 20 years.
Nepotism sucks. Who's next, Prince Ross? Is it any wonder Nevada has the worst elected officials in the U.S. Nevada resembles an Italian or Balkan Duchy of the 14th Century.
My children attend the Meadows School and I have seen first hand the outstanding leadership attributes Carolyn Goodman possesses. She would be an excellent choice for mayor and I certainly will work to get her into office if she decides to run for the position.
I am sure it is VERY difficult to be a leader in an organization as god awfully wealth as the Meadows School...I am sure she faced REALLY difficult choices...
Nepotism sucks.
Reese the village idiot. Wolfson a terrible attorney married to his once office partner who is a terrible judge. I agree with Og just how difficult could managing the Meadows with all of that wealth and influence at your disposal? Oscar has issues but he is a damn good politican as far as Mrs Oscar she should sit down and be quiet.
Mikegino is right only in Nevada do you see the most incompetent people elected to office. There are judges in the Clark County Justice Center that could not represent misdemeanor crimes in any other state and without their legal assistants guiding them would not know where to look in the statutes for the correct interpretation of the simplest laws. And lets not forget the juiced political career of Dawn Gibbons simply becuase she had the misfortune to marry the idiot who failed at everything he tried or was elected to including governor. The list goes on.
This could be the City's next best issue that the council could spend hundreds of thousand of our tax dollars investigating her running?. I believe this is the normal S.O.P. for the city council members! I am sure "they" have a pet company that can be employ for this purpose! We do not need to be passing the torch from one "family" member to the next. Limit ALL US politicians to two terms. One in office.
One in prison.
homer: have a nice weekend! Feliz fin de semana!
Why won't these Goodmans just go away? They've become like Jay Leno...like a long, lingering illness that just keeps coming back. It's almost like they really think they're wanted and needed.
They're not. Go away. Let's get some fresh leadership into this city, and this state. Retire and fade away.
Obviously Homer and OG have not leadership experience. Wealth has nothing to do with leadership. Carolyn Goodman is an outstanding leader. There are many thoughts as to what makes a leader such as were they born that way or developed. However, I don't recall having wealth as a characteristic necessary for leadership.
I've been in battles, with the infinite resources of the U.S. Military, and have observed so-called leaders exhibit no leadership ability whatsoever. So I disagree that having access to resources is what makes a person a leader.
Go Carolyn Goodman. I know you will win if you run.
Just keep the crazy white trash Mormons and selfish right wingers out of public office.
Would she go around with a`Chippendale on each arm?
Really, must we?
blake You sound very full of yourself and yet no nothing of myself or Og.You sound very narcissistic to me and in reality an underachiever who lives ther life vicariously through ohters.Get some help soon. If you are capable of reading the wealth and resourses reamrk is regarding the parents of the students at Meadows. Are you stupid? You probably spent your time fighting dishonorable discharges from the military.