Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Moncrief's memo

One thing you can't call first-term Las Vegas Councilwoman Janet Moncrief is slick. Her initial six months in office have been marred by repeated gaffes, allegations of campaign-finance shenanigans and a couple of high-profile setbacks on issues affecting her own Ward 1.

On Sunday, Ms. Moncrief poured gasoline on the political fires. She issued a press release challenging her council colleagues to defend "honest government" and revoke the liquor license at Cheetah's, the topless club now owned by Jack Galardi -- father of Mike Galardi, who's under indictment as part of Operation G-Sting. The council vote follows the County Commission decision last month to pull the liquor license at Jaguars, another strip club owned by Jack Galardi.

Ms. Moncrief's move smacks not just of naivete but desperation -- a point not lost on other council members, who expressed dismay at the press release.

The release also drew the ire of Dominic Gentile, Jack Galardi's attorney. Mr. Gentile says the council sits in a "quasi-judicial" role when it deals with liquor licensing issues, which in his view subjects council members to the same canons of behavior that judges are expected to follow. If Ms. Moncrief -- who's stated her position without first "hearing the evidence" -- refuses to abstain from Wednesday's vote, Mr. Gentile suggested he may challenge the entire proceeding in court.

Nice try. Council members are politicians, not judges. They play a different role in our system of government, and owe their constituents a public accounting of their positions on issues ... or at least a basic outline of their political philosophies.

Ms. Moncrief says she intends to vote today. Which is as it should be, notwithstanding the bungled lobbying campaign or any lawyerly intimidation.