EDITORIAL: Others chosen to sell Nevada

Should Nevada companies be given preference for deals that promote Nevada?

You would think the answer would be yes, but you would be wrong.

That question came to light recently when the Nevada Commission Tourism entertained proposals for a two-year, $3 million contract to sell Nevada as a tourism destination.

Four advertising companies were selected as finalists. And none of them is from Nevada.

In a recent story by The Associated Press, tourism spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale defended the selection process, saying that every company had the same chance to land the deal.

"We are looking for the best and the brightest to represent our agency based on the criteria that we ask for," Drysdale told a Northern Nevada newspaper.

Finalists were chosen by a committee that ranked the companies on a 10-point scale, results of which won't be released until a final selection is made late this summer. And no, the process doesn't include a preference for Nevada companies.

That seems incongruous, considering Gov. Brian Sandoval's commitment to promoting economic development and job creation. Sandoval is on record as saying he wants to create 50,000 jobs in Nevada by 2014. While a two-year, $3 million advertising deal won't create bunches of new jobs, it might generate a few.

But do you get a point or two extra on the 10-point scale for actually being from Nevada and maybe having some understanding of Nevada's uniqueness?

The answer to that would seem to be yes. That doesn't mean Nevada companies vault to the top of the ranking, but it does mean that if it's a close call, the edge should go to the company who would hire Nevadans and whose employees could probably correctly pronounce "Nevada."

Of the 19 companies that submitted bids, eight were Nevada-based.

And the finalists? They are from New York, Los Angeles, Arkansas and Ohio.

New Yawk?

You would have to wonder if there's a company from Las Vegas or Reno or Carson City or Sparks that just might be up for the job. And which might hire a few more Nevadans in the process.

It's time to review this process and give some preference to companies who might know their product and actually be from the state they are promoting.