Goodman, Giunchigliani trade jabs in first mayoral debate

Carolyn Goodman appears to have settled on a line of attack in the Las Vegas mayoral race: She's not an elected official.

At the first debate with rival candidate Chris Giunchigliani, Goodman -- wife of the current mayor, founder of a well-known private school and one who previously has noted her connections all over Southern Nevada -- pitched herself as the outsider candidate.

"I'm not a politician. I haven't been sitting in office for 22 years," Goodman said, a pointed reference to Giunchigliani, a Clark County commissioner and former state legislator. Later she added, "I am tired of pretty words and empty promises.''

And, she said, "The county is a mess."

Giunchigliani responded to the direct jab, but she also tried to undercut the popular image of Mayor Oscar Goodman as a downtown champion by pointing out what had not been done on his watch.

"I am proud of my 16 years in the Legislature. I am proud of my years on the commission," she said.

"The county has needs but we are not a mess. I believe we have opportunities to build up, not tear down."

More than 100 people crowded into a room at the Pearson Community Center for the debate, which was organized by the Las Vegas NAACP.

The two candidates emerged from an 18-person field in this month's primary. They will compete in the June 7 general election to succeed Oscar Goodman, who is term-limited.

Carolyn Goodman talked about the "momentum" generated by her husband in and around downtown Las Vegas and the need to sustain it.

"This is a time for all of us to be pulling together to continue the momentum," she said. "The city is doing and has done so much this last 12 years."

Giunchigliani responded to audience members, though, who questioned whether the benefits of downtown development were filtering to people most in need of jobs and economic opportunity.

"It's a plop-plop, fizz-fizz approach," Giunchigliani said, criticizing downtown parking meters and the lack of sidewalks in some areas. "You don't have quality of life."

She was more prepared with specifics than was Goodman.

While both agreed that business licensing needs to be streamlined and perhaps consolidated with other local governments, Goodman otherwise begged off when asked for a list of services that could be consolidated within 180 days of taking office.

"That would be totally irresponsible of me," Goodman said, saying she would rely on input from city management.

In addition to licensing, Giunchigliani ticked off code enforcement, animal control and possibly park maintenance as areas to share.

There were similar responses when asked about a proposal to tighten employment rules for the redevelopment area, a subsection of the city where developers are eligible for incentives in exchange for building and combating blight.

While there are rules setting targets for women and minority hiring, there are exemptions for public works projects and union projects, which makes the rules useless, said Frank Hawkins, NAACP president and the debate's moderator.

"I think that's appalling," Goodman said. "I will find out what's happening ... I'm a very forceful mouth, as you can tell."

She said she wanted to learn more about the bill before promising to support it.

Giunchigliani endorsed it: "I don't support any exemptions," she said. "The redevelopment area has been abused in the past."

She also outlined a criticism of Goodman, although it wasn't as overt as Goodman's attack.

Goodman referred to the school she helped found, The Meadows School, as a "nonprofit school." Call it what you will, said Giunchigliani, it's still a private school that was started because of concerns that the public school system wouldn't meet expectations.

"Ninety-nine percent of our kids are educated in a public school," Giunchigliani said.

Contact reporter Alan Choate at
achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.