Oscar Goodman really wants a major-league sports franchise for Las Vegas. And the mayor really wants that team to play its home games in a state-of-the-art downtown arena.

But unlike the members of the Clark County Commission, who've expressed concern about whether local governments can afford the handouts pro sports franchises expect, Mayor Goodman is convinced that landing a team would be a good deal for taxpayers no matter the cost.

"The easiest thing for a politician to say is, 'We're not going to spend any taxpayer money,' " Mayor Goodman said. "But that's not what's at issue here. What's at issue here is to make this into a world-class city."

A task force which included Mayor Goodman determined that Las Vegas needs a $400 million arena to reach that plateau. The task force concluded that UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center simply doesn't have enough comforts to attract and retain the top-tier special events that help lure thousands of visitors to the valley every weekend.

A new arena would ensure that Las Vegas remains competitive with other favorable tourist and convention destinations, panel members said, regardless of whether Las Vegas lands an NBA or NHL team to fill 40 or 50 nights a year.

However, a consultant hired by the task force said a basketball or hockey franchise would require about $27 million in annual taxpayer subsidies because ownership groups typically demand control of all arena revenue -- tickets, parking, food and drinks, luxury suite leases -- even when they contribute nothing to construction costs.

Such an arrangement could leave taxpayers holding the bag for all arena financing costs. Without a major-league team, a new arena would require annual taxpayer subsidies of about $11 million, according to the consultant.

Mayor Goodman isn't worried about the difference. He wants an NBA or NHL team because he believes it would help revitalize the city's urban core.

But the mayor's position and the consultant's findings beg a question: However a new arena is funded, why should it be a foregone conclusion that a pro sports team will receive taxpayer welfare if it comes to Las Vegas? The consultant's findings need not be self-fulfilling prophecies.

Mayor Goodman should know, especially amid the holidays, that over-eager shoppers are more likely to land bad deals.