(Carolyn Goodman) – As the Mayor of Las Vegas, among my responsibilities is to extol the virtues of the City I serve, love, and to which I owe so much…for how very good it has been to both me and my family.
On rare occasions, I find myself obligated, along with its virtues, to express its perils. As the world faces the existential threat posed by COVID-19, so then, does my cherished Las Vegas. Sharing the unique challenges we face is my responsibility as Mayor. That is what I had set out to do this week.
Las Vegas is in a unique economic crisis. Our City, over the past half century, has worked diligently to become America’s and the world’s most beloved vacation and convention destination. In order to have accomplished this, we have had to structure an economy wholly dependent on the hospitality industry.
I believe all of America loves Las Vegas and wants very much to see her survive. It therefore, behooves me to explain to Americans from the other forty-nine states just how perilous and unique our situation is if our hospitality industry doesn’t reopen soon. The Las Vegas the world knows and loves, simply won’t survive.
My incontestable and incontrovertible responsibility is to see to it that this happens as soon as is possible while keeping our citizens and visitors as safe as is possible to do. Therefore we must examine all the available data from every major city in the world and determine the safest path to reopening.
Although, it has not been clearly determined as to the effect that extreme warmth will have on the virus, it is assumed that it shall deter its ferocity. We certainly are looking forward to having our desert heat provide that required substantiation. Our hot summer coupled with our unique economy compel us to be at the forefront of America’s ‘reopening.’
Las Vegans are smart and courageous. We need to act first…and we will. What I ask is that our brothers and sisters throughout America, the governments in both Carson City and Washington, DC and our healthy and vibrant free press show us both love and support as we, judiciously, reopen America’s city…for the wellbeing of us all.