Mayoral candidates spout more hot air than specifics about jobs
From the look of their websites and early public statements, talking about jobs is Job One for those seeking the Las Vegas mayor's job.
Some make it sound as if putting Las Vegas back to work will be almost as easy as voting early. A few of the high-profile candidates appear so focused on talking about jobs and job creation that you might find yourself wondering why they are seeking public office and not, say, the top spot at Nevada JobConnect, Manpower or Kelly Services. But no, they believe the best way they can turn around Southern Nevada's nightmarish jobs market is by winning a job that traditionally has been more about ribbon-cutting than employer recruitment.
Unquestionably the most job-obsessed candidate is City Councilman and labor union leader Steve Ross. Here's an excerpt from a new Ross mailer:
"Stiff suit politicians just stood there while 50,000 Las Vegans got thrown out of work, and they did nothing to diversify our economy. It's time for a leader who gets it and who has a plan that'll fix it. I'm Steve Ross. A working man who'll put Las Vegas back to work on Day One."
Those are some fighting words, but just for the sake of argument: Where is Ross hiding all the jobs he'll produce on "Day One" to get Las Vegas back to work?
(And all this time I've labored under the delusion that it might take until, say, Day Two or even Day Three to get Las Vegas back to work. Live and learn.)
Ross is a Working Man, but he's also a Running Man. I like the fact he offers bullet points and some details about his goal to generate employment opportunity.
Like mayoral candidate George Harris, Ross favors reducing "red tape" and temporarily suspending building and business license fees to spur business growth and encourage companies to move across the county or across the nation.
Business good, red tape bad.
For County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, it's a broad-brush approach that accentuates high-tech business. She said recently, "We need the 'can do' attitude of new ventures to grow new businesses and create good paying jobs. We must change the culture of government to help business prosper, not sink them in red tape and paperwork."
Ah, more red tape.
For County Commissioner Larry Brown it's essential to "change the face of government" and protect and improve local infrastructure because "That public infrastructure is critically important to creating the jobs we so desperately need now."
In her Oscar-night commercial, candidate Carolyn Goodman stressed that, as mayor, she'll focus on "diversifying our economy and creating jobs."
Candidate "V for Victor" Chaltiel takes the business theme a giant step further. As he touts on his official website, victorformayor.com, he's "A Businessman. Not a Politician."
Now where have I heard that line before?
Oh yes, from every businessman who has ever entered a political campaign. But in addition to focusing on making Las Vegas an even easier location for moviemakers, "Victor Chaltiel will make Las Vegas the most people friendly and business friendly city in the world. Victor, as mayor, will help eliminate unnecessary red tape and costly delays for our citizens and businesses, lower taxes and make our city run more efficiently."
Business good, red tape bad.
How fascinating.
I don't blame any of the 18 candidates for wanting to do something about the abysmal job market. It's heart-breaking to watch fellow citizens suffer. But I do chide them for pumping up their proposals with more hot air than specifics.
Then again, playing politics is the easy job.
So is playing armchair quarterback, come to think of it, but that's my job.
After much analysis, I've concluded the greatest problem we face isn't a lack of jobs in Las Vegas.
It's this dangerous proliferation of red tape I keep hearing about.
John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.
