A Stern Glance

Perhaps the month or all of this year: It’s a tie: Oscar Goodman and the Nevada Development Authority (NDA).

If we were to slice and dice, Mayor Goodman would win by a hair, followed closely by the NDA with Varian’s PR function picking up third.

Back in December there was a brief in The Las Vegas Review-Journal announcing that Varian, a billion dollar high tech company was expanding it’s manufacturing facility here in Las Vegas by nominally 85,000 square feet and adding new jobs to its then 160 headcount.

Considering the fact that the Las Vegas Business Political and Business Community constantly opine the need to diversify the economy here with non-gaming business, one would think that this is a major event. On the other hand, apparently Varian’s very presence here is somehat of a secret. However, to its credit, the Review-Journal discovered a rather obscure news release from Varian announcing the grand opening and on May 29 ran a rather long story on Page One of the Business Section.

Conspicuously absent: Our silver tongued Martini Mayor and County Commissioners. Did Hizzoner simply miss this important news? Notwithstanding the fact that Varian’s not technically within the city limits surely one can see that it  does and will have a positive impact on our local economy.

And how about that highly paid, silver haired top dog at the NDA who never misses a chance to extol the virtues of the “business friendly” State of Nevada. Remarkably silent.

On the other hand, The Review-Journal was able to get a comment from John Laub, who runs the CEO-CFO Group and arguably one of the city’s most consistent and cogent business boosters.

The fact that Varian selected Las Vegas as a facility site says far more for the city’s desirability as a business venue than can we; the fact that a couple of the city’s so-called “heavy hitters” weren’t available for comments says even more.