When I ran for mayor, my purpose was to change the physical appearance of Carson City. I didn't run hard because I had a feeling I couldn't handle the bureaucratic slow speed involved with how government operates.
I am more of a just do it and get it done type of guy. I effectively took the flop house built in 1862, the Pony Express Hotel targeted by some politicians for demolition, and redeveloped the building into the Saint Charles Hotel in about six months.
A great help to me at that time were a few positive-thinking people in city government including Tom Tatro. They not only helped me financially with redevelopment funds but mentally with their no bull attitude, "let's get it done." They continued working on Carson City's image after my project was completed by spending $1.6 million to install antique fencing, street lights and landscaping where redevelopment was needed, downtown!
The state, noting the improvement of our downtown, then spent $17 million to redevelop the Legislative Building and the capitol plaza. The city officials topped off their work by inventing a very successful farmers market and placing it in the center of the old downtown at the St. Charles Hotel on Third and Carson to attract people to the old downtown.
As I predicted four years ago, this working attitude is gone. So is the farmers market. It moved to help attract people to the Pony Express Pavilion at Mills Park because year after year there is so little activity at this site and it happens to be in the redevelopment district.
There are elected officials who create energy to get things done, and there are officials who just greet, meet and eat and spend a lot of tax dollars without any vision in mind. They just talk so much about things like the new bells in the old federal building, "You would think they installed the bells themselves." I've seen Tatro at work. He's got my vote.
BOB McFADDEN
Carson City