The year 2005 turned out to be a celebration of 100 years of Las Vegas history and one of the worst years in history for public confidence in local government.

Whether it's corruption or ineptitude, elected leaders or bureaucrats, no matter whether it's the city or the county, the news was more dismal than usual.

A quick recount:

• Former Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone was convicted in San Diego of bribing a city councilman there on behalf of Michael Galardi, former owner of topless clubs here and in California.

• A probe of land exchanges between McCarran International Airport and local brokers and developers concluded that no criminal actions had occurred in the swaps themselves, although the after-swap activities remain under investigation by police. However, citizens were shortchanged untold millions by exchanges that favored developers who bought low from the airport and sold high.

• Attorney General George Chanos launched an investigation into whether taxpayers have been shortchanged in agreements struck between developer Billy Walters and the city of Las Vegas. If Walters' friends are right and he pushes the line but doesn't cross it, that might parallel the airport audit: A savvy businessman got the best deal by working inept bureaucrats.

• Father and son duo Don and Larry Davidson were indicted on conspiracy, money laundering and mail fraud charges. The federal indictment alleges that former County Commissioner Erin Kenny was bribed with $200,000 and received a $3,000 a month bribe on top of that for three or four years, all to help developers get what they want. Kenny is now a government witness. Don Davidson is a developer and former executive with Triple Five of Nevada. His son is a disbarred lawyer already serving a six-month sentence for forging a federal judge's signature to defraud his clients.

• The FBI is checking out some personal injury attorneys, some doctors who are expert witnesses for those attorneys, and whether any improper payments were made to medical consultant Howard Awand. (I cannot confirm the persistent rumors making the rounds that one of the docs has flipped.)

Some of these investigations are unresolved. Guilt remains in question. But the continuous allegations of wrongdoing to help others at the public's expense is depressing and dismaying. Is it any wonder that Southern Nevadans are disenchanted with the politics and governance of 2005? And 2006 is an election year, in which candidates will be pitching their integrity to an incredulous public.

State Archivist Guy Rocha said the only comparable period to this dismal year was in the early 1980s when the FBI's political corruption probe Operation Yobo was under way and simultaneously U.S. District Judge Harry Claiborne was being investigated and was ultimately indicted. "There's more corruption and possibly it's more pervasive, but it's not new, it just seems to be bigger," he said.

Federal officials have chased corruption in Las Vegas since the 1950s when the mob reigned openly. "We've danced this dance before, but obviously there are more dancers now," Rocha said. "But when all is said and done, Las Vegas is resilient, and it moves on."

What's odd is the lack of outrage by most elected leaders. Commissioner Bruce Woodbury wrote a letter of support for Malone before the San Diego sentencing.

During the Clark County Commission hearing Tuesday on the land swaps, there was no sense of outrage by the commissioners with the exception of Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates.

The commissioners seemed more relieved that no criminal charges would be filed on the land swaps, rather than outraged that incompetence cost the county so many millions.

At the Las Vegas City Council meeting where the Chanos investigation was revealed, Councilman Steve Wolfson and Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian were irked that they hadn't been given enough information by city staff on the past negotiations with Walters, but that was pretty much it as far as righteous indignation.

Happy Las Vegas Centennial. Our 100th year became the year citizens were fleeced on a regular basis through corruption or ineptitude.

Here's a glimmer of holiday cheer. Maybe next year won't be so bad. Maybe honest people will do the right thing.

Maybe.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.