Nevada Week S1 E13 | The Goodmans
Support. For Nevada week is provided, by Senator. William H Ernst, at, Cashman. Equipment. De. Castro Verde Law Group. Valley. Electric Association and. Additional. Supporting, sponsors. Welcome. To Nevada week I'm your host Casey, Smith thank you very much for joining us we have a very special show for you with, the two people who, have led the city of Las Vegas for almost twenty years mayor, Carolyn, Goodman and former, mayor Oscar, Goodman now it's fair to say that between, the two of them they've, presided, over some of the best of times for Las Vegas and perhaps, some. Of the worst of times for our city too Oscar, Goodman was mayor from, 1999. To 2011 when. There was unprecedented. Growth and prosperity until, about 2008, but, then he had to deal with a crashing economy nationally. Worldwide, and to a certain extent here in Las Vegas Carolyn. Goodman took, over as we were starting to come out of the Great Recession and things. Were going pretty smoothly until, one. October, and that's where we'd like to start thank you both for coming and speaking, with us today it's a pleasure to have him it's an honor it's great being here one. October was was quite an event where, were you when you first heard about it and what were the first thoughts in your minds, we were both asleep, at home and, I, had a phone call from our head of communications whose. Job it is to notify, us and it. Was actually, it was probably about 10:20, and he. Said just, learning, you there's been a shooting we don't know how, many and whether it's a terrorist attack or what and. My. Husband said what's happening I told him I got. Dressed and I, was told in, the preparation. We had at FEMA training, this is your job get dressed be ready to be picked up and go and so. I sat there and then got impatient with what was supposed to be happening and called, the sheriff and I said I live, a block and a half away from trauma, one I know. You're transporting. Would it help if I go over there he said yes hung up the phone and that's, where I went and basically I didn't see it for three days after that we. Were both very fortunate, though because in our capacity, as the mayor one of the first things that each. Of us did is we attended, as Carolyn says the FEMA training. In Emmitsburg, Merlin and its, really remarkable, we went down with about 70. Citizens. First, responders. People, from the hospital. Politicians. Average. Joes and, we. Went through tabletop. Exercises. In. The field exercises, and they, told us basically what. Each role was going to be and as, a mayor they made it very very clear that we, should stay out of the way of the first responders, because they know what they're doing but, we. Are the voice as the mayor for, the community, to tell the community the truth as to, what the situation is, evolving into, and that's, what Carolyn did I'm, so proud of her because. Of the fact that she went to bat she. Was a spokesperson, for, the entire Valley notwithstanding, the fact that the, horror. Show took place out, on the strip which is it under her jurisdiction, she. Is a spokesperson for, the community, and the. National and international, media came to her and she. Did a phenomenal, job because, she told the truth, she.
Assured. People, that we were going to be. Strong. And we. Were going to have a tomorrow. But. To remember, how sensitive, everything, is today with the ours that, were taking place and as a matter of fact I wanted to bring that up you, tweeted out then the next day October 2nd, a year ago the, Acton insanity of a madman shall not define, us or keep us from living whole and meaningful, lives with. Pride in our shared humanity. And it. Rang true then, and it, probably rings just as true now without. Question, I mean when my husband, talks about the response, from not only the national, press, but I mean I sat after, that first 24 hours just, in our studio, at City Hall, speaking, to people from all over the world who, were so. Sensitive and, caring we heard from politicians. Around, the world offering. Help and whatever they could do and as we were trying to figure out what it was but, it was it. Was really. Earth-shaking. Painful. A horrible. Time but, yet a wonderful, time seeing how, we bonded. How everybody. That was here visitors. And community, members alike just what can I do and of course the first thing I said when I had the microphone, that morning. Was, blood give, blood to the point that the Red Cross and the blood banks, called and said, please stop but right we. Have enough with their people people, lined up almost immediately, which is typical. Of this community, in just about every emergency isn't it yes and that's, one of the things that I think the world learned about us that we are very empathetic. Community. That we, take care of those who live. Here and visit your maybe. More. So than any other place and I think they have a whole new image of what, Las Vegas really is all about how wonderful we are throughout, this turmoil, the. Phrase Vegas, strong came up and it's it started, we'll, say grassroots and it built and it built and it built and a lot of the things like. Boston. Marathon, were, the words that, said Boston. Strong in fact I heard from the mayor immediately. What, can we do I mean it was a text, a phone call can we help and the, mayor of, Orlando. I mean impulse, and, so we you know we just had, that response, but Vegas strong became. The. Call the clarion, call for everyone, that you know we can rise above this and so there's so many things I know you're going to ask but you, know it was galvanized. And we are a community, as, diverse, is any huge, metropolitan area. And it was wonderful because people, of all nationalities all. Languages. All colors races, everybody. Was out there what can we do how can we help and it was it was a beautiful, thing to see the human. Feeling. Come together as, one people it's a great community we're all so lucky to live here have we recovered fully how much work is that you never recover, fully from something, like that I think what, it was a lesson, for us being able to to, speak to the world and say we will never mention, the may the name of that heinous. Crime, criminal. We will never, and we didn't for all those days I sat in front of the TV cameras, and never mentioned, his name because it denigrated. The very souls of these people, who, lost their lives and those who will carry that, pain with them forever, psychologically. Oscar, you were the mayor during, 9/11, now that didn't happen in Las Vegas clearly, but. It it was a tremendous, economic burden, on our city at least for a short time and it let us know I mean that's when we first realized we, could very definitely be a target of terrorism in whatever form well not only that but it's, interesting whenever I get, involved in a traffic, jam here I smile. Because. I remember, what it was like on 9/12, the. Day after the, horrific. Events, back east, the. Town became a ghost town there, weren't any cars the. Hotels were laying. Their employees, off I I accused. Them actually, of trying to create, a new bottom line they. Had their own reasons for doing what they did but it. Was scary because of, something, that happened 3,000, miles away at. Least physically, away, I had. Such a, unbelievable. Impact to all in Las Vegas and there's, basically a reason for it Las Vegas doesn't, produce anything, Las. Vegas is a place that provides. A wonderful. Place for tourists. To come to those who are interested in gaming eating, shopping. All those kind of things shows theater, it's, great for that but. It's. Not a mercantile, type situation. With banks, and big. Businesses, but everything you say makes us a target and. There. Were a lot of things that were put in place after 9/11. And how, many of the things that were put in place by the city of the county and our, emergency preparedness, were, used for now. Question, this FEMA the Federal Emergency, Management, Act. Was. Created, to.
Train And to teach, communities. How, to deal with possible. Terrorist. Attack natural. Disasters. Or unfortunately. Now human, acts of. Tragedy. And and let's talk about the human aspect, of this too because there's, a research. Says that there's a phase called reconstruction. Not just of communities, but of but of souls of people and it, usually starts, right. Around the first anniversary because, that's, when things kind of set in if, people say okay I've lived through a year of this where. Do I go from here what. What are what's in place right now to help the people because, Vegas Tron could also be. Helping. People who need help who aren't crying out for help well, you have the organized, and, the organizers. Creating. Events at this point but what's simply beautiful is you have different clusters, of individuals. From our community. Who individually with, their group are doing things so, you're seeing a variety of, honor. And, respect, to. Me it is a time, really of. Memory. You know memory, and. Revering. Those. Souls and those again who are caught in it, we. Do have things planned Metro. Has been honoring, their officers, the Highway Patrol we at the city all those, were involved, that we are doing that in September of course we have an event at the Healing Garden and there, are events all around Southern, Nevada I think it really you should expand. On the Healing Garden concept. Because to me that's, the most remarkable thing within a matter of days, from. This. Horrible. Thing the. Community, I'm talking about the grassroots, people, developed. A concept, in the downtown. Basically. In the urban, core which. I think symbolizes. What. We're, all about why don't you talk about that a little bit well, I mean it is a garden, it's right there on casino, Center in Charleston it, was created, by those when the blood bank, said stop they, felt they had to it wasn't about money and it was about I have to do something, I'm in such pain with these people, and the, families, and so, about, 400 people, work, 24/7. I would not seven days a week excuse, me 24, for because, from. The point that we donated, the land for this garden and Shapley gonna fuel and his, partner, went ahead and, orchestrated. To build this magnificent. Garden, which, we will be holding a memorial at, on, October. 1st just. It. Was it was a terrible, tragedy and and you both jumped to. The forefront to the leadership position at what point did and asked each one of you individually did. It set in that oh we. Really have a tragedy.
Here And and, how did it affect you I knew. It immediately until. I knew what it was we weren't sure at that first phone call whether, it was a terrorist attack. And Metro, certainly didn't know if it was just a single shooter, or many so. The, enormity, of it and then the devastation. And then, hearing, the numbers, and then seeing and hearing all those who were wounded in fact just two days ago I visited, believe. It or not someone. Who's still in the hospital, recovering. From wounds, and so, you. Knew immediately this. Is something, that is really. Unbelievably. Awful. Oscar, what was your interaction well I was. Thinking in terms of the the human toll that it took of course we're, never going to forget that and that's, something that the. Public shares. With us everyone's, going to remember October, first for being what it was, but. In. My, position that the convention, authority as the chairman of the host committee it's, very important, to me to, think about how it's going to affect us economically here, as far as tourism, is concerned, and basically. I understand, that tourism at certain of the places is off I don't. Know whether we attribute, it to the. Events of October, 1st or whether there are other reasons, because. A pretty good economy, out there otherwise so. I think you can do the deuce that. It has a lot to do with what happened on October the 1st but we're. Out there we're telling us at people that Las Vegas is, just, after. 9/11, same, thing it's, a place to come to to celebrate freedom, to. Try. To put aside the best you can the. The, sorrow, not. That you're going to forget it but to put it aside and come out here and relax, a little bit and have a good time I think I think the families, I might add the families, of those who lost. People. They, want something positive. Coming out of there they've asked please every. Time I hear from any one of them, please, make this a positive we've lost somebody so special, in our lives were forever marred, but, we want to see something good and positive and. Of course and we have a responsibility, and, that that's a perfect segue into what we we, all know what we're gonna talk because we have the worst tragedy, we could have possibly imagined, and within. A few days to a few weeks along, comes something that. We. Knew there was gonna be a Vegas Golden Knights but we had no idea how, special it was going to be right off the bat and, describe. How that felt, to have something. So good, follow, it was how they treated. Our community. That's, what was really special having. The first responders. There at. One. Of the games the very first game and then the. Memorial. Wall that they created they they've, been so involved in our community. And it took your mind and your focus off this very darkness. And it, began to shift and then. It started, to rise and, then, they became an embodiment, of, we're. Okay we can survive, we're. Going to be just fine and so, it it's that, transition. And. The, only nice that we knew about Las, Vegas before and I ice, rink was what was in our drinks. Now. You're encroaching on my talk but, anyway it was just I mean it, was meant to be obviously. An Oscar your dream was always to have sports. In here and we. Got it it's just the right time the right time but, it, could have didn't. Necessarily have, to turn out that way as far as it being the right time if, the, team and the. The. Golden Knights didn't. Participate, and Carolyn. Use the word before galvanized. The community they brought us together they they, took us out of this this funk. That, everybody naturally. Was in and gave us something that, unified, us that we could root for and they, they did a phenomenal job and, it's so important that they were here at that time no question and they. They brought something to the city like you said, and. It happens, in a lot of let's say major-league cities where there's pro football teams which we're going to get baseball, teams which we may get we may get an NBA team there's even talk about that absolutely, gonna be here and that would really galvanize the city because you know so. Many people are not from here and and. There's that there's a spirit, in the, city that needs to be cultivated more do you think this is going to work with the sports teams you know I know it, will be here but the interesting, piece to all of this while we're bringing major league sports in and Oscar was the first promoter, of, trying to even through Commissioner, Bettman bring. In hockey was the first choice but. Beyond that we're, seeing gaming, and sports. Betting moving, out and, so. While we're concentrating, on, bringing sports, in here the very heartbeat, of Las.
Vegas And Nevada. With, the gaming is. Going. Everywhere. So, it's, more important, than ever before, the, the uniqueness, of, who and what we are and how we have the finest, and dining, and entertainment, and now, a cluster. Of sports and it's, the only city where you can be in a hundred and fifty five thousand, hotel rooms 15, minutes from an airport, and so. In there plenty, of different, sports in a very confined area. It's, only gonna improve and, we, are worth just like this ever since he handed, me the gavel, right in the depths, of this, recession, let me tell you we, weren't or is he coming out and it, was hard, but, we are seeing nothing, but excitement, and, growth, and, yet. Still, the. Pain the, respect, and the, optimism. There is no other place it just makes us think more makes. Us be more innovative, more creative in. What we're doing being. The focal. Point of innovation. Here, and IT doing. So many things but capturing these. Fabulous sports, and it's not a question of if they, will all be here so I got I got a pin you down for a second you you seem pretty confident we will get an NBA team you think without question I I know because Oscar first, of all he was talking, with David Stern in the day I've never never never your gaming your, dirty whatever, and then, we became friends, and then Adam. Silver, and the poor thing I mean all the texts I keep sending him there's, just no question we have the WNBA. Here, we have the summer league here, I'm sure, we'll have a draft here before we get the team but, you know some teams in the NBA aren't, doing so well, they, do better here wouldn't it they, sure would. Okay. I believe. I, could, be wrong about this but I think this. Is the first husband-and-wife team that have succeeded each other as mayor's. First, time ever in the history of the United States state, bears, sporting their spouse to succeed, them and so, at, first you are the first lady now. You are the first gentleman, know about on the consort, the consort. It's. Mine. 56. Years of mine and. We're going to get to the 56, years of marriage animator, - but. How is okay well I'll just come by any questions how has that worked as because. You you, certainly commingle ideas I. Just. I feel so sorry for him if, ever there was a perfect, match in someone's. Life it was, for him with his personality. And, his intellect, to, have found the, perfect. Employment. And that was being mayor of this great city and I, felt terrible he tried so hard to. Extend. And get rid of term limits or whatever, but, when I fell my, gosh when I was sworn in I just my heart broke I felt so bad I don't feel that big it really, wasn't the worst life representing, reputed mobster okay.
So, I had it both I went, from 35, years representing. People all over the country whose, last. Name and then in vows right. Then. Became the mayor of the greatest city in the world and, he reveled in it I loved it I loved every single second people asked me whether or not I miss it and I say I miss, it every single moment of every single day but it's better sleeping, with her. And. Carol you I've, been, I've. Covered your city council meetings and you're you're you're in charge you would seem to enjoy yourself - well, let me tell you we have four children that are 40 months apart and you don't raise four children without, learning how to get control, mediate. So, everybody, wins and everybody's, happy and so that really has been the focus, of what I tried to do so. 56, years of marriage I believe 54, of them here in Las Vegas, how. Have you how, have you managed, that for, children that the the city the, the. Everything. That you've had to do and and, still you. Still seem to be more in love than you ever have it that's, true we are well, Carolyn. Said it at one time she says marriage is not a 50/50, proposition that's, 100 percent each one has to give a hundred percent and she's. She's. Led the way I could. Have there's, no telling what would have happened if I was married to somebody else I. May, not have behaved, as well as I have behaved, she's. Been a great wife great. Mother great, grandmother, can't. Get any better than that I mean I thank God every single day how lucky I am it's. Love it's, laughter, it's. Respect. It's. Trust, and it's. Honesty. And one. Step at a time, and it's, just it's been so great for us I mean we have, been so, blessed. And fortunate and, the best thing was that my, parents initially, had said don't marry him it will never last, then, he insulted. Them further by bringing me out to Las Vegas in, 64, when there was less than a hundred thousand, people, best. Thing he ever did so mr. mrs. mayor where. Does our fair city go from here, Heights can you change the chief everything. I mean it you can't, imagine, Oscar and I say every day give. Us 50, more years this is such an exciting time to be alive there's, so much happening we see so much growth, but, it has to be controlled and as you know this is a hugely. Transitional. Time we, have a new governor we don't know that's going to yes we don't, have yet a president, of UNLV. We have a new Medical, School we, have a new head of Clark County School District, we have a new head of the College, of Southern Nevada, and. So. Everything's. In flux and we have a new legislature. Taking, place and. We have a new head of the Las Vegas Convention, of, Visitors, Authority so. Very. Important, to be, stabilized. And be. Very secure, in our planning. And that it's wise and, fiscally, responsible. So. It, is just the most exciting time I can't, tell you we have so many things happening downtown, you, don't have enough time on the show but. So many things that are happening everywhere. And -, Oscar what do. You miss about the old days oh, it's. A different kind of town - Casey it was a town where a handshake, went a long way where you can rely on somebody's, word where. The local. Newspaper was, halfway honest, that. There. Weren't, the kind of people here who are negative, it, was it was a nicer, town and a nicer. Time but. Of course we didn't have the great things that we have today we, have as, Carolyn, says the best food the best entertainment, the, best of this the best of that and we'll keep one having the best but I wish people were a little bit nicer you. Know there's an old expression that I know you've heard of it was some, people say the town was more fun when the mob ran it is that true you'd be the expert I, think, was I well, I am, an expert, I. Played. Myself in the movie Casino and, I yeah that's right had I only known who. I was representing, at the time I hadn't watched a movie movie to find out I'd. Be a rich man today, I don't islands, in the Caribbean, and private, planes but, I didn't, know those things in those days but, it was a more exciting, town as far, as the people were concerned a, lot, of people in Las Vegas were characters, we don't have any characters anymore there, are no personalities. Out there it's sort of like.
With The casinos, they're all interested. In the bottom line we have parking, that you have to pay for these days. Surcharges. On spas and, rooms and that guy that's not what Vegas is all about we better not kill ourselves it's. Like a slow death, by a thousand, blows if we, keep on changing. What. People think of Las Vegas is a place where they're supposed to have a good time at, a reasonable, price and enjoy, themselves we could leave the doors to our homes unlocked, your. Keys in your car I mean. And every, hotel was trying outdo every other one, hotel, because they were privately-owned, today. Is the day of the big conglomerates. And so, it's it's a different flavor and. How have you dealt with that because the. Politics, of the entire, country is different but, within our city it's different to you. Know you just take one step at a time you have to hold on to the values if you know what's right we. Do remember, we do often, when there were so many people while we're a big community, of 2.3, million the. Same, old folk are still here and it's, wonderful, to talk with them and then, to the movers and shakers they're, different movements, going on now and different money speaks, but, do. You take a one day at a time and you try to hold a line on what you know is good for everybody, in, this community and embrace. That diversity that, we have not, only socio. And economically. But in all, factions. So, it's, just it's wonderful, every day and you take a one step at a time I've got 30 seconds left each one of you 15 seconds what advice would you give to citizens. To improve our community. Do. Something, for somebody else. Put. Your little. Phone away and. Smile. Say. Thank you say please shake. A hand you, do that then we'll. Make it very very nicely, it. Has been a pleasure. Having, both of you on it's been very insightful, and. I'm. Sure, it's an Oscar, you you've moved on from being the mayor of the lvc VA Carolyn, well we need to have you back to see what your plans are after I guess you've got the at least one more election to go don't you guys next, year I'm, running again because we all, have things to do very. Good thank you thank you for having us we, would like to thank our special guests of course Las, Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman and former, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman now, if you'd like to learn more about any of the topics we discussed here on Nevada week or if you have a topic or question you'd, like us to explore visit. Our website find, us on social media or email the show that's. It for this edition of nevada Week I'm Casey Smith thank. You for spending part of your Nevada, week with Vegas PBS we'll see you next time.
2018-10-06 09:20
