I’m no hater of Oscar “used to be a Mob
Lawyer” Goodman. He’s actually done some good things with the city and has done a decent job keeping this city somewhat above water in economic crisis. Yes, as political candidates go, he’s a joke. But then again, the city he represents doesn’t tend to take itself too seriously either. But the truth remains, good deeds aside, this city needs solid political
leadership if we’re to ever truly overcome the hump of this depression. We need a leader to move us in a positive direction and be pro-active rather than just deal with the blows as they’re dealt out.
For decades, Las Vegas has always been a city that has been able to recover. With a low-cost of living index and high job availability it’s been the place to go to get your career started, go to school, buy a home, start a business, or retire. But that margin has dropped incredibly since 2008 giving way to the highest foreclosure rate in the country, layoffs due to lower tourist numbers, and one of the worst rated school districts in the nation. On the scale of things, there’s not much a mayor can do to change these things. But there are ways they can give a push in the right direction. Mayoral candidate Chris Giunchigliani has a proven record of doing this. As a member of the city council, she has done her best to give businesses better opportunity to open shop and fought for the “little guy” in Vegas. Thus making life a bit better.
Carolyn Goodman is nothing more than an extension of her husband. A glorified grandmother figure from Summerlin whose political affiliations aren’t much better than the PTA or local Pop Warner Football Club. That’s not to say that she isn’t charismatic or that she’s a bad person. It’s just that aside from being the wife of the mayor, where has she been?
I’m not a political backer by any means. In fact, the mayoral race is restricted to those in the City of Las Vegas proper, of which I live just outside city lines. What I am is somebody whose life could be effected by such leadership. I’ve seen Giunchigliani in action. I have yet to see Carolyn Goodman in action.
If Goodman wins, it clearly was based on popularity of contest and not political campaigning. If she wins, it’s because her husband made the right friends in the right places. It’s because Carolyn Goodman is riding the coat tails of her infamous husband. Not because she was a solid candidate.
Dallas J. Martin 