An Open Letter to Las Vegas City Manager Doug Selby
Dear Doug:
We read your comments in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday regarding the secret proposals to build a sports arena downtown. Frankly, while we were disappointed with your support of that secrecy, we were not surprised. (After all, as the Las Vegas Sun noted today, state law demands that certain bids be kept under wraps.)
What did surprise us were these remarks:
"If we weren’t second-guessed every time we do something, we might be more inclined to release them. But we’re criticized, unfairly, I think, because a reporter sees it differently than the elected body."
As one of the reporters who often second-guesses the city on varied subjects, let me be the first to say: Welcome to America, dickhead! In this country, reporters have been second-guessing elected officials since before we were even a county and had elected officials! Surely, they taught you that in city manager school? It’s kind of our obligation.
Furthermore, your wounded pride is no reason to keep proposals secret. If you can’t stand a little second-guessing, then perhaps it’s past time for you to retire and let somebody into the job with a little thicker skin. (How about Mayor Oscar Goodman, who told the Sun for today’s story that "I don’t mind being second-guessed"?) After all, it’s not like everybody doesn’t he’s really running things anyway.
And another thing: Do you think reporters will second guess you less or more as you keep things confidential? It doesn’t really take a rocket scientist to figure out that a transparent government, while having to put up with more pesky second-guessing, also runs better than one that’s run in secret, where backroom deals can fester.
Mayor Goodman did say in the story that the public should "trust us." But we’d only point out — with all due respect to his honor — that the R-J story about secret arena bids appeared directly below another story headlined "Another payoff detailed." Quite frankly, Doug, trust isn’t at an all-time high right now.
And finally, it’s not that we don’t have reasons to second-guess the city and its elected leadership. There are plenty of examples of horrible decisions that dot the municipal landscape, practically screaming at residents to toss some much-needed attention your way. Take Neonopolis, for example. How’s that underground government-financed parking garage doing these days? What about that little incident with the allegedly "free" city birthday cake that cost the Centennial Committee $95,000? Or the sweetheart deals with groups like The Tennis Channel, which obligate the city to roll out the red carpet for VIPs at taxpayer expense? The tax subsidies given to downtown businesses, just so they’ll locate there? The much-needed scrutiny of that den of corruption, the Crazy Horse Too, that came only after its owners pleaded guilty to crimes in federal court? An ordinance against feeding the homeless? We could go on, but you get the point.
So you see, Doug, not only is it our job to second-guess the city, it’s also kind of an obligation. But thanks for making it so fun!
Love,
Us at Various Things & Stuff
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