City Hall’s drama queens

Look out, Cher. Watch your back, Bette Midler. The biggest divas in Las Vegas aren't on the Strip. The valley's new standard for haughtiness is being set downtown, in the City Council chambers.

On Wednesday, Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilman Gary Reese pouted about being left out of negotiations for the sale of the closed Crazy Horse Too strip club. It appears that the group of investors attempting to buy the property hasn't properly kissed the rings of the council members.

Mayor Goodman offered his best impersonation of socialite Paris Hilton finding out she wasn't welcome at a party. "Nobody's talked to me about this," he complained. "We've been treated like a stepchild, and I won't have it."

The sale of the Crazy Horse Too, mandated by a federal judge after owner Rick Rizzolo pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion, has been a complicated affair.

The principals of LLC Cafe Nevada have asked for a temporary tavern license to help them raise the full $32 million needed to close the deal. This would let them reopen the club while a full background check is completed. If they can't pour booze within the next month, the property's grandfathered licenses could lapse, making it impossible to reopen under current zoning codes.

But council members proved investors' doubts were well-founded by injecting personal politics into a routine request of the body. As if running the transaction through the federal government weren't complicated enough, counsel for the company had to deal with a drama queen like Mr. Reese.

"Either come out and buy it or leave us," he huffed. "I just want it to be over with."

The council is far too busy planning the construction of its new palace to help businessmen, you know, open a business and provide jobs and tax revenues in this struggling economy. Despite a history of putting the public on the wrong side of land trades, the council moved closer toward building a new City Hall a few blocks from the existing one by approving an agreement to swap property with developers.

We hope these entrepreneurs know what they're getting into. Council members have a habit of making Barbra Streisand look low-maintenance. Remember Lawrence Weekly's tirade over being disrespected by developers before he was appointed to the Clark County Commission?

A tip for the council in dealing with people who want to do business in our city: Get over yourselves.