They just can’t help it

Watching local governments try to go "on the wagon" and stop spending increasingly scarce tax dollars during tough economic times can be like watching a family member try to "go cold turkey" on his or her own drug of choice.

You awaken at 2 a.m. to find the kitchen light on. And there's your loved one, puffing away on old butts recovered from a hidden ash tray.

Las Vegas' plans for a new city hall have become more expensive and possibly unaffordable, Mayor Oscar Goodman confirmed back on June 18, marking the second time in two days that one of his signature downtown projects had hit a snag.

"I've asked the city manager to have a manager's review concerning the feasibility of city hall," Mr. Goodman told his weekly news conference, that week. "Everything's changed. It's a new world."

The mayor blamed skittish financial markets, saying the city originally planned on an interest rate of around 5 percent but that -- as of mid-June -- it appeared the best the city could do was 7.5 percent.

"That's a difference of millions of dollars," the mayor said.

That same week, meanwhile, the downtown Mob Museum project became embroiled in a dispute between two contractors bidding on one of the final phases of the project. The matter could head to litigation, tying up the museum's opening for years.

Struggling taxpayers who are expected to fund all these fancy plans may have been tempted to breathe a sigh of relief. But that would have been premature.

As of July 1, it appeared both the projects were back on track to get hooked up to their long-term intravenous taxpayer feeding tubes.

"Most Las Vegas City Council members are still interested in building a new city hall," The Review-Journal reported on July 1. "Today they told staff members to nail down construction and financing costs so they can vote, perhaps as soon as September, on whether the city can afford one."

The council voted 5-1 to proceed.

"I don't think we have a choice," said the new, revised, July 1 Oscar Goodman. "Unless we want to throw up our hands and go back to the direction this city was going in 10 years ago."

Added Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese: "We get chastised for even thinking about it -- and that's all we've done. Now we're going to get out there and really try to buy that new car. And if it turns out we can't afford it, I won't support it."

The city has already spent 10.1 million precious tax dollars on planning and preparation work, including relocating utility lines. Figures presented today estimate the new city hall's cost at $157 million, plus $28.9 million for a nearby parking garage.

The city has approval to borrow up to $267 million to finance the project. But Chris Bohner, research director for Culinary Local 226, points out "I think the financial markets have a better understanding of risk than the City Council. The financial markets have said, 'We don't think your project's feasible.' "

Going over that $267 million limit would require the city to start the approval process all over again, Mr. Bohner pointed out.

The Council members act like they're being dragged forward by some invisible but irresistible force. They attempt to create a record of reluctance that they can cite, later on, when the project turns out to be yet another over-budget boondoggle. Why not, instead, simply shelve the plans till they -- and we -- find out where the economy is really headed?

With the Democrats in Washington, D.C., busying themselves raising taxes on America's remaining private-sector employers to pay for everything from "universal health insurance" to "global cooling," the promised recovery could still be a long time coming.

Meantime, despite declining tax revenues and a stable (at best) school-age population, three construction contracts were approved by the Clark County School District last week to build three new tax-funded elementary schools in North Las Vegas, southwestern Las Vegas and western Henderson.

Oh, good grief.