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June 2, 2000/28 Iyar 5760, Vol. 52, No.39
Mayor offers glitz, not substance
MARTY LATZ
Special to Jewish News
I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I knew he was Jewish. I knew he was a renowned criminal defense lawyer who had represented many alleged mobsters. And I knew he was elected mayor of Las Vegas about a year ago.
So I showed up last week to hear Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman speak at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Young Leadership Division's spring event, to hear a provocative, entertaining and funny series of stories about Goodman's life and times. Oddly, not once in his prepared remarks did he touch upon his Judaism.
Goodman spoke about how he decided to run for office. He spoke about his underdog campaign. He spoke about some of his former clients. He spoke about his role in the movie "Casino." He even spoke about his love for alcohol and gambling. But he said nothing about being a Jewish mayor - until he was asked.
During the question and answer session, he responded to a question about how his Jewish faith affected his position with a very interesting comment. He said: "(Judaism is) the most ethical religion" and "for my money, it's the best way to go." Like many of his remarks, I suspect this latter comment was meant to be funny.
Both the tenor and substance of Goodman's remarks left me disappointed. He is the Jewish mayor of one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. By all accounts, he has had a distinguished career as a premier criminal defense attorney and has spent, according to his biography, "his entire career assuring that government action is just (and defending) the principles of freedom and justice."
So what does he do when he has the opportunity to share his advice and thoughts with a few hundred young Jewish leaders? He regales us with stories about his famed "Goodman," the name of his signature alcoholic beverage.
In truth, some substantive remarks would have been of interest to this group of young leaders. He likely was invited to speak because he is seen as a role model for young up-and-coming Jews. This is not to suggest that he should have used the entire forum to preach the importance of public and community service, nor to share with us the long-term challenges facing Las Vegas. I enjoyed his entertaining stories as much as the next guy.
Still, more balance would have been nice. It would have been nice to hear this bright and articulate speaker discuss the historic role Jews played in the extraordinary growth of Las Vegas. Or share his unique perspective on the challenges of managing a city growing by leaps and bounds, much like Phoenix. Or give us a sense of the nature of Las Vegas' Jewish community, another desert community facing similar issues.
Goodman has led a fascinating life in one of our country's most unique cities. Unfortunately, he squandered an opportunity to use his bully pulpit to teach and inspire some future leaders. I hope these leaders will not follow his example when they have similar opportunities.
Marty Latz is a Valley attorney and negotiations consultant. Send comments to mlatz@negot.com.
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