Las Vegas mayoral candidates debate at forum

Twelve of the 18 Las Vegas mayoral candidates showed up for a community forum Saturday afternoon in West Las Vegas, and most of them staked out similar positions on issues such as economic diversity, job creation and giving local governments more control over their own purse strings.

Many of the questions submitted by the audience focused on jobs and economic development, and almost all candidates said Southern Nevada relies too much on gambling and tourism.

Steve Ross, a Las Vegas City Council member, said local government should tap into existing capital improvement funds for public works projects that would employ people.

Carolyn Goodman, Meadows School founder and wife of current Mayor Oscar Goodman, talked about establishing a business incubator and said the city is headed in the right direction on "medical tourism" -- developing health care treatments that people will travel to receive.

Others sounded that theme, including Chris Giunchigliani, a Clark County commissioner, and businessman Victor Chaltiel, whose endeavors include companies in the health care industry.

They also said Nevada should be doing more to attract movie production companies.

Giunchigliani and Goodman broached the idea of recruiting hydroponic vegetable growers to the area so that Southern Nevada doesn't have to ship in so much of its food.

Katherine Duncan, who heads the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce, focused on renewable energy and energy conservation. Some kind of public effort toward a large-scale building retrofit effort would employ construction workers and improve energy efficiency, she said, and Las Vegas should be a leader in solar panel manufacturing.

Most of the candidates who answered a question on home rule -- Ross, Giunchigliani and Larry Brown, also a county commissioner -- called it a good thing.

"Local government should have the absolute authority to make their own decisions," Giunchigliani said.

"We don't control our own destiny," Brown said.

But there were contrary voices.

Ed Uehling, a real estate investor who once ran unsuccessfully for sheriff, noted that a government with home rule would gain the power to levy taxes.

"I would really think about who's running the city when they do it," Uehling said.

He also dismissed calls for economic diversity.

"Turn around and run from that," Uehling said. "It is an excuse to blame our problems on outside sources."

He said allowing more tourists from abroad, particularly China, would provide the economic boost to restore Las Vegas' economy and growth.

There was also a dissenting voice to the generally expressed belief that Las Vegas is a popular brand with an attractive image around the world.

Larry Jeppeson, a retired teacher who is fiercely critical of fire department salaries, criticized the way Oscar Goodman has occupied the mayor's chair.

"We have a toxic image," said Jeppeson, who spent most of the forum wearing a plastic fire helmet with fake money hanging from it. "What do we send out there? We send a mayor with a mug of gin and a couple of showgirls."

Other candidates attending the forum, sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, at the West Las Vegas Library were Deborah Love, A. "Duke" Breuer, Joe Falco and Tim Gamble.

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