COLUMN: Elected officials should focus on duty

It all comes down to leadership.

No matter who tries what, the problems facing the Las Vegas Valley will be solved only when politics takes a back seat to civic responsibility -- when our elected officials care more about acting in the best interests of the citizenry than in being re-elected.

That was the message conveyed Tuesday by Bruce Katz of The Brookings Institution. As director of the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Katz has a handle on the problems that cities are facing nationwide.

Katz said an area's success is dependent upon public-private partnerships, along with help from philanthropic foundations.

However many quick fixes are put into place, the economic and social viability of the Las Vegas Valley would depend on the ability of the valley's leaders to cooperate.

Katz pointed out the successes in other areas of the country were accomplished by cooperation among civic and corporate leaders. Success also is incumbent upon having a long-term plan.

"Get a playbook -- think in 20- to 30-year cycles," Katz said.

Equally important is getting on the national radar screen.

"Companies such as Hewlett-Packard care about developing the West, not just California. If you can get on this radar screen, you can attract the high-tech industry that is important for the continued growth and success of Las Vegas."

As an example of getting on the radar screen, Katz cited a vote in St. Louis for consolidating the city and county. He said consolidation raises the population of St. Louis into the Top 10 cities in the U.S. This will attract more federal dollars, streamline local government and make the area more attractive for businesses.

An intimate group of about 30 people assembled in a meeting room in the new Foundation Building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to hear Katz speak to the Nevada Urban Planning Summit sponsored by Fannie Mae.

Several of the attendees were professors from the College of Business at the university. These educators were gratified to hear Katz stress the importance of a viable university system to the productive development of the valley. He also said we were in an enviable position to have a consolidated school district rather than myriad school districts that plague cities in the East and Midwest.

Katz said leaders too often look at colleges and universities as being a drain upon tax dollars instead of positioning them at the center of a thriving economy. Virginia Commonwealth University created the Virginia Bio-Technology research center that offered 27,000 square feet of laboratories ideal for biotech start-ups in downtown Richmond. The center has generated 26 new companies.

Attracting high-tech companies would help raise the median income of Las Vegas, and greater family wealth results in greater civic wealth.

Katz said we are in the enviable position of having federal land as a natural barrier to urban sprawl, but must act now on solving problems such as clean air, water and easing traffic problems.

While he considers our affordable housing market an asset, it could turn into a problem unless Las Vegas can become less dependent upon private transportation.

As solutions, Katz suggested five building blocks:

1. Know the context: Tailor strategies to market reality;

2. Fix the basics: Modernize government;

3. Build on assets: Focus on higher education strategies and create a living downtown;

4. Build family and community wealth: Enact state tax credit for the working poor;

5. Influence metropolitan growth: Enact smart growth reforms.

The linchpin of all of these solutions is leadership. We need our politicians to join together for the good of the Las Vegas Valley, not just what's good for each city or the county. Actually, we don't need politicians, who usually are most worried about their next election than cooperating to do the job. We need civic leaders.

Carmel Hopkins, real estate product manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@ lasvegasnewspapers.com. Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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