Nor'Town: Politics in North Las Vegas, Nevada

Commissioner Ex Machina

Oh, who doesn't get excited about seeing a Clark County Commissioner at Nor'Town City Hall?

Commissioner Larry Weekly dropped by the Commission meeting Wednesday to back his spokster from McCarran Airport, who gave us and the local TeeVee folk a presentation about the Nor'Town airport. Weekly showed up because the county owns the airport that says "North Las Vegas" on the front.

Hey, the "Las Vegas" Strip ain't in Las Vegas, either, so get over it.

The main thing I got out of the presentation is that if anybody wants to restrict the types of aircraft flying into the airport, they need to get the Fed Aviation Administration to change the rules. In other words, neither the city nor the county have jurisdiction, and the only way to change anything is to find a way to twist the feds' arms. And the only way to do that is to start whining to the Nevada congressional delegation about it, which is what Weekly finally asked the council to do.

Well, the three mayoral candidates tried to take advantage of the TeeVee cameras to try to look mayoral, despite the fact that nobody there had the authority to do anything about the problem. Then, Weekly left along with about half the room as reporters chased after him.

And it looked like the whole story got nudged off the local TeeVee, at least as far as I could tell. The school meetin's was apparently much more entertaining.

Lezsee. What else? The city passed the $100,000 loan from the contingency fund to move folk out of Casa Rosa. And Shari Buck made some disapproving noises about allowing something like the 10 millionth convenience/grocery store to sell booze in "neighborhoods". I suppose she hasn't been in the local Von's/Lucky's/Smith's lately to see where Nor'Towners spend the money they borrow from the payday loans--to get liquored up for their trip to Casino Alley.

How Could I Forget? [Corrected Version]

While I've been keeping track of candidate sign-ups, I left out Lawrence Weekly, who is running for Clark County Commission in District D.

My deepest and sincerest apologies to D districters.

Weekly is the fellow made the Sun for spending over $22,000 from his tax-payer funded office budget on various, um, projects for his constituents. It looks like he's still doing it, too, since the latest newsletter from his office shows him paying for the prom for some future voters.

He also made the news for taking campaign contributions from notorious Republican enabler and warmonger, Sheldon Adelson. (Sun)

Marilyn Kirkpatrick has picked up an opponent for Assembly District 1: a Sharon Gobel (R), who has switched parties since she unsucessfully ran for the state senate as a Democrat in 2002. (Sun,Sun,Sun). Kirkpatrick beat Gobel's father Ed Gobel in 2004 when she first ran for the Assembly 1 seat. (Sun,Sun)

Man, I need new glasses: Kirkpatrick's opponent is Linda West Myers, who has been an activist against airport noise and for rural preservation within cities. (Sun,Sun) Hey, at least she's worked with Ed Gobel on some of those projects. Myers lost to Kirkpatrick in 2006 (the date currently on her website, by the way). Myers had 35% of the vote to Kirkpatrick's 57%.

$22,036!

Boy, howdy! What could you buy with $22,036? Well, Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, whose District D covers some of Nor'town, spent some of that on Par-tays for constituents (Sun). Clark County Commissioners are alloted $15,000 a year for "discretionary spending". Weekly got to double dip because his first eight months in office has covered two fiscal years.

So, what does $22,036 get you these days?

• $650 for a Halloween party for kids in "Las Vegas." Las Vegas? What about Nor'Town??
• $848 for a Mother's Day Celebration with a Frank Sinatra impersonator
• $2,475 for pool passes
• A senior citizen Luau for $4,375
• $11,994 for peewee football uniforms
• $1,244 for his county cell phone

All worthy causes, no doubt, but wouldn't it be simpler--and more straightforward--just to hand out fifty dollar bills at the neighborhood polling place? Okay, okay. Maybe twenties.

The Sun editorial board was none too pleased:

Weekly defended his prolific spending by labeling it community outreach. "Why let it sit there?" he asked, referring to the discretionary fund.

To answer his question: Because if it isn't spent, the money reverts to the county's general fund, which needs every cent in light of diminishing tax revenue for true public needs, such as child protective services.

The other Nor'Towner commissioner, Tom Collins (district B), only spent $1,000. You know, District B just happens to be my district. Blast you Tom Collins! Where's my party?? And why is Collins wasting his "discretionary spending" on that bastion of the Republican Party, the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce?? Man, should have bought a luau instead.

Nor'Town Talking Points: Weekly's Edition

• Looks like Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly whose district D covers some of Nor'Town, is now a made man, by which I mean he has crossed over into that Nevada Nirvana in which Nevada politicians enjoy a virtual lock on their "elected" positions as change-wary maga-businesses pump big bucks into their campaign coffers. In a flyer from a fund-raiser, you'll find all the usual suspects: Garry Goett and Olympia Land Properties--as if there were a difference--Big Casinos, Big Developers, Cab Company Owners, and Harvey Whittemore. Congratulations, Larry!
• So, now that North Las Vegas police have their contracts, do you think the union will endorse someone other than an incumbent? (RJ).
• Boy, after that story about the incompetence over at the North Las Vegas Housing Authority, things sure got quiet. I suppose that's because it makes everybody look bad. Could give an outsider a chance to run for Mayor against the usual suspects. If there were any outsiders in Nor'Town politics, that is. If that story had been about Henderson or anywhere else in the Valley, there'd have been some follow-up, like embarrassing interviews with the Mayor and members of the City Council, in the papes today. Guess everybody's out at Balloonapallooza getting rained on.
• Now, all of a sudden, everybody's glad North Las Vegas has R.C. Farms in it. (RJ)