LAS VEGAS -- The self-described "world's happiest mayor" walked on stage with his trademark showgirls by his side. But, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman began his final State of the City address on a somber note, remembering the shooting victims in Tucson, Arizona.
"Let's pray for the recovery of those who suffered such egregious harm and for those who passed away," he said. "May they rest in peace."
Just like a president does in a State of the Union Address for the country, the mayor outlined the challenges facing Las Vegas, including the fiscal crisis. But the speech was also forward-looking.
When Goodman first took office in 1999, he saw boarded-up buildings in Las Vegas. He made a commitment to transform downtown Las Vegas from worn down to world class.
"When I became mayor of this great city, lawyers were leaving like rats leaving a sinking ship. The banks were going out to the suburbs. This entire downtown was dead," he said.
The former mob lawyer pointed to downtown's success working with the private sector. He cited the World Market Center, Fremont East and Symphony Park as examples of that success. The latter includes the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which hosted Mayor Goodman's speech.
"The best of physicians are being brought into our community in order to go into cutting edge research as far as Alzheimer's is concerned," the mayor said.
He noted Zappos.com's recent announcement to relocate downtown and spoke about active negotiations to turn the old Lady Luck into a Doubletree.
"Those naysayers who say no new hotels are going to be built for five years in this community are full of soup," the mayor proclaimed.
He didn't stop there.
"They said, 'Dad, you can't win. You have more baggage than the sky caps over at McCarran,'" he said.
"The Hooker Lounge...the Hookah Lounge. See? That's what happens when you get used to something," he joked.
Goodman, on a serious note, said Las Vegas will continue to achieve new heights. "Let's not let anything happen to this precious jewel that we have, that we call home," he said.
Mayor Goodman will serve through the end of June, unless a mayoral candidate wins a majority of votes in the April primary. If that happens, the winner of the primary would become mayor, ending Goodman's tenure earlier.
