Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Illustrations through the years: Las Vegas’ own Oscar Goodman

He touted the benefits of drinking gin to a fourth-grade class, recommended that graffiti taggers have their thumbs cut off and suggested that brothels would be one solution to revitalizing a run-down Fremont Street.

That’s our quirky Oscar Goodman, outgoing mayor of Las Vegas.

But there also is the wise, lawyerly hizzonor, who played a major role in securing 61 acres of railroad property for Union Park, a high-rise downtown residential and business project, and supported downtown cultural projects such as an arts district.

A stickler for parliamentary procedure, Goodman has run a tight ship at televised City Council meetings, moving them along at a brisk pace by limiting to just a few minutes the once-voluminous commentaries by gadflies and others.

During his three terms as mayor, Goodman has left an indelible mark on the city, which has begun what he called the “Manhattanization” of downtown with the erection of tall buildings that better use limited prime real estate.

And his tough policies against the urban blight of chronic homelessness drew criticism from social groups, but praise from area homeowners.

Illustrator Chris Morris has chronicled Goodman's 12-year tenure as mayor of Las Vegas. Click through 10 of his favorites below:

    — By illustrator Chris Morris and former Sun reporter Ed Koch.

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