Convention authority story reveals sense of entitlement

It never ceases to amaze me how people in high-level, well-paid positions never have enough and operate with a sense of entitlement — particularly when they are paid with the public’s tax dollars.

According to a Thursday Review-Journal article, Rossi Ralenkotter — president and chief executive of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority — earned more than $768,000 in compensation in 2016 and more than $900,000 in 2017, paid from room taxes. A wonderful salary to the average taxpayer.

Yet we find out that he used $17,152 worth of the authority’s airline gift cards for personal travel for himself and his family. These cards could have offset the cost of legitimate staff business travel. He can’t afford to pay for personal travel out of his nearly seven-figure salary?

Then Mr. Ralenkotter tells the authority audit committee that he would “never intentionally do anything” to embarrass the organization. How do you unintentionally take gift cards to pay for your family’s airline tickets?

It really is time for new management of the authority and new members on the oversight board. But the board is largely comprised of local elected officials who aren’t going to give up all the perks — e.g. first-class trips overseas — that they gain as members.

So it is just a matter of time until the next extravagant use of tax revenue by the authority is exposed.