You know you're living in a topsy-turvy world when the Voice of Reason is embodied by none other than Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, a man usually associated with intemperate outbursts. However, Hizzoner's recent behavior has been -- how shall I put it? -- positively statesmanlike.

First, when all state agencies were frozen with indecision and impotence, Goodman took upon himself to pull the license of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, a menace to public safety. (Just ask the 40,000 people who are having to be tested for hepatitis and HIV, our own Jean Scott among them.)

Now Goodman has some sagacious things to say about the disingenuous pair of petitions being circulated under the aegis of ex-state Treasurer Bob Seale, who is believed to periodically morph into this man. The petitions, if passed and enacted, would roll back Las Vegas Convention & Visitor Authority funding to 2006 levels and freeze them there, save for small adjustments to soften the effects of inflation.

Protesting that Seale's initiatives would wreak havoc with local-government funding, diverting room-tax dollars to Carson City, Goodman couldn't resist pointing out that the Nevada budget "is a giant black hole at this time." (Short by $800 million, with no relief in sight.)

"Seale has said the petitions were his idea and Las Vegas Sands is not involved." What a jokester. Of course any shortfall in the LVCVA budget (say, in its growing debt-service load) would have to be made up out of higher rental rates, which just might redound to the benefit of a certain Sands Expo Center, where the rates are considerably higher.

It's an interesting concept of free enterprise: If you're having trouble competing, don't lower your price -- get guvmint to force the other guy to raise his. Maybe it's a bidness concept that Adelson, I mean Seale picked up from that worker's paradise, Communist China.

But let's let the ever-quotable Oscar have the last word: "We have a pretty good thing going in Southern Nevada. Southern Nevada drives the rest of the state. Why tamper with something that seems to be working?"

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