By Sunny Day
Las Vegas Tribune
After four long hours pretending to be listening to the long line of concerned citizens who parade in front of the Clark County Commissioners to express their opinion on the capricious desire of changing the name of the seventy-year-old Las Vegas McCarran
International Airport, the seven Democrat County Commissioners voted to approve unanimously to change the airport name as they had already decided before the meeting started.
They all sat there, perhaps answering personal letters, communicating with family members and friends or even playing poker on their fancy computers provided and paid by the same taxpayers that they blatantly ignore when they already have their minds set, and knew that, regardless of what the people might say, they were voting for the airport name change.
There was no need for the County Commissioners to waste the peoples’ time; there was no need for such a parade of naïve residents
expressing their opinions on any issue when they already had decided what their vote was going to be, insulting the intelligence of these naïve constituents who believed that their elected officials do in fact listen to their opinions.
Just on February 17 of this year, the Las Vegas Tribune wrote in its editorial that there were other names as well known, and as well
respected — or even more so, than Harry Reid; people who deserve that honor more than the former old-time politician.
The first item on the February 16 Board meeting agenda, right after the Pledge of Allegiance, was a public comment to listen to or not,
because they do not listen to what the public has to say — to allow the public to comment on items before the almighty County Commission.
But later on, under item forty, the commission may “discuss and give direction to staff to submit to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a request to rename McCarran International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport. (For possible action).”
The day after the February 16th Board of County Commission an editorial in the Las Vegas Tribune, unaware that the Commissioners
already had their mind set and had given direction to “staff to submit to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a request to rename McCarran International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport for possible action” wrote a few other name suggestions, but Commissioner Segerblom and Jones, who are financially obligated to former Senator Reid, had already manipulated the rest of the board and the name change was approved.
“Why not use names outside politics, names in the gaming industry, our main industry, and our money-making industry? Names like Benjamin Siegel whose birthday is in eleven days from today, on February 28.
“But no, Ben Siegel’s name, despite the fact that it belongs to the man who has the honor of,being the founder of Las Vegas” (even if he was not) is too despicable for our new society, a society in which men no longer wear suits, ladies wear jeans with holes in the pant legs and men appear on national television in tennis shoes.
“How about names like Steve Wynn who rebuilt the Las Vegas Strip? How about Charles Kendall or Carl Cohen from the Sands Hotel? How about Ross Miller from the Riviera Hotel, or Charlie Meyerson who was instrumental in building and creating the Mirage Hotel?”
Naming the Las Vegas Airport after Harry Reid for personal, economic or political payback is not the best reason to use it for the name change.
Those who live in Clark County for a good period of time may remember when Senator Floyd Lamb had a park named after him (a simple little park) for all the good things Senator Lamb had done for many people and for the community as a whole, but when Senator Lamb had to do prison time after being entrapped by political enemies and later they wanted to take his name off the park ignoring and forgetting all the good the senator had previously done for, not only the community, but the state of Nevada in general.
Perhaps naming buildings, parks or any other place after individuals with friends in the right places or for their input or contributions
to the community should wait until they are no longer alive to avoid controversy of this type.
Speaking in front of the county commission the newspaper suggested that the name of the airport if it is imperative to change the name, should be changed to Las Vegas International Airport and someone with expertise and sufficient monetary backing should be able to suit the County for using their position as elected official for personal or political benefits.
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