Ex-Chicago mayor says alliances can boost Las Vegas economy

Savvy politicians know politics is a game of addition, not subtraction.

And on Thursday in Las Vegas, a member of one of America's savviest political families said the same holds true for economic development.

Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said if Las Vegas wants to expand its global reach beyond the gambling and partying business, then political leaders need to forge alliances, not rivalries, with other cities, nations and even each other.

And it starts, according to Daley, with setting aside party politics when it comes to attracting business to a community.

"I was not a partisan servant, I was not a political servant, but I served the people," said Daley, who was Chicago's longest-serving mayor, from 1989 to 2011.

Daley, who rose to prominence on the back of the legendary Democratic political machine built by his father, former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, spoke to an audience of about 150 people at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Despite his background in machine politics, the younger Daley said some of his greatest successes in burnishing Chicago's reputation as a global city came when he stepped outside party lines.

He described taking the initiative in 1995 to take over the city's faltering school system, a move that was opposed by Democrats and the teachers union, one of their most potent allies.

"Everybody told me not to take it over because it would be the end of my political career," Daley said. "But I got the support of all the Republicans."

Daley viewed the move as a necessity for advancing education in Chicago as a means to attract and keep talented workers and residents.

He said that after the takeover, the city expanded magnet schools, language programs, libraries and partnerships with the business community.

In addition to going beyond traditional allies in politics, Daley said community leaders should think of neighboring communities and even other countries as partners, not rivals.

He described working with Chicago-area suburban communities to keep Sears headquarters in northern Illinois, though it wasn't in the city.

Traditionally, Chicago is a Democratic city surrounded by Republican suburban communities. But when it came to hanging onto Sears, Daley said it was important for the local communities to avoid looking at the problem through partisan filters that can dominate state and federal government.

"People were trying to divide us continually in Washington and Springfield," Daley said of the situation. "It would be better to get everybody together because if we don't, we will die as a region."

The notion of collaboration over confrontation should apply to other nations too, Daley said.

He cited the example of Toledo, Ohio, Mayor Michael Bell, who criticized both Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney for bashing China on the campaign trail. Investment from Chinese companies, Bell said, could benefit Toledo.

Daley said other community leaders should take a page from Bell's book and stop viewing China as a rival.

Daley's talk was organized by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. It was also part of the Global Cities Initiative, a $10 million collaboration between the Brookings Institute and JP Morgan Chase. The initiative, chaired by Daley, is an effort to help city leaders and businesses acquire the skills and connections they need to thrive in a global economy.

With the speech from Daley, the event included a panel discussion with business and government officials.

The discussion covered what Las Vegas leaders can and should do to improve the community's standing in the global business community.

"I would say that no we are not a global city, not yet," said Missy Young, executive vice president of co-location at Switch, a Las Vegas-based data storage center that is among the largest of its kind in the world. "My impression ever since I moved here is that this is a big small town."

Young said Las Vegas does well marketing itself as a destination for visitors but should improve business marketing. She said it could start by targeting the nearly 40 million people who already come to Las Vegas annually for vacations or conferences.

"Whatever it is you are in, I guarantee there is a show here in town at least once a year that is going to bring a bunch of your customers in," she said.

Tom Skancke, newly appointed head of the Las Vegas Regional Economic Development Council, said to expect more efforts to marry business recruitment to tourism promotion.

He cited the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's many overseas branch offices as places that could also contribute to business networking.

Another opportunity for Las Vegas to increase global clout is the upcoming World Route Development Forum, a global aviation industry conference that will be holding its first conference in the United States in Las Vegas in October.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285 .