Oh, the lessons Vegas could teach the world

By Scott Dickensheets

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 | 2 a.m.

When news broke Tuesday that Las Vegas ranks 146th out of 150 cities worldwide in terms of economic strength — ahead of Dublin, Dubai, Barcelona and someplace in Greece — the obvious question arose: What can those lagging cities learn from us?

After all, ranking between 147-150 in a new study by the Brookings Institution and the London School of Economics has to be embarrassing, right? So those cities are clearly poised to learn a few lessons in prosperity from No. 146. And because Nevada is among the top 50 states when it comes to education, we’re naturally eager to teach.

First thing first: You need a leader who won’t let the effects of deep, painful cuts — including, for example, the end of home health care for many disabled people — stop him from making deep, painful cuts. Especially if it means avoiding new or extended taxes, which would hurt much worse. Check out this recent Sun headline: “Brian Sandoval sticking by ‘no new taxes’ pledge.” Some are surprised the supposedly moderate Sandoval isn’t softening his no-tax rhetoric, while others have assumed the magnitude of the budget crisis would force him to consider all options. As Assemblyman John Oceguera said last month, “When you take $3 billion out, even hard-core Republicans cannot stomach what those cuts are.”

There’s a data point for you, less-fortunate cities: Never underestimate the Republican stomach. In any case, if the flood of businesses drawn here by Gov. Jim Gibbons’ no-tax stance continues under Sandoval, that No. 145 spot will be ours in no time!

Of course, an iron commitment to option-closing ideology can only carry you so far. Your leader also must embrace bold new ideas — for instance, gubernatorial telemarketing. Tuesday, the Review-Journal carried word that Sandoval is calling CEOs nationwide, asking them to relocate here. For our children’s sake, we hope he’s not phoning during dinnertime.

According to Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, the measures that the state has been taking to diversify its economy are working. “There are things we are doing and doing right,” he told the R-J. “There are hundreds of companies looking at relocating in Nevada.” Excellent news! Suddenly, our surplus of empty commercial buildings looks less like the hubris of a heedless, barely managed, growth-fueled boom and more like … planning ahead. Taking notes, Dublin?

Another useful tip, beleaguered cities: If you have any decommissioned nuclear repositories sitting empty, look at ways to re-task it for new uses, which Sandoval is definitely doing, sort of. No word on specifics. Yucca Mountain Station, perhaps? Site of 2012 Libertarian convention? “It is all hypothetical now,” he said.

Of course, in your pursuit of Vegas-style success, you’re sure to receive advice such as this from Alan Berube of the Brookings Institution: “(T)his is an opportunity to rethink the growth model …” and “It’s the chicken and the egg (scenario). You need the education to build a workforce, but you have to make investments to attract those workers.”

Rethink the growth model? Invest in education? I’m sure that’s all hypothetical — you don’t claw your way to No. 146 by following advice like that.

Now, it’s important for these hurting areas to be realistic about what they can accomplish. Prosperity is a tough process, even for Las Vegas. “If the first year (of recovery) is any indication for Las Vegas, it could be a long, slow road ahead with the overhang from a damaged real estate market,” Berube told the Sun.

The incoming governor agrees: “These are going to be tough budget times. There is going to be shared sacrifice.” The important thing, as always, is who gets to share it and who has well-funded lobbyists.

Follow these principles, you Dublins and Dubais, you Barcelonas and unpronounceable Greek metro areas, and soon enough you can share our success.