Community Action against Racism in West Las Vegas by McKee Robert J.;

Author:McKee, Robert J.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1642899
Publisher: Lexington Books

Chapter Six

A Horrible Waste of Money

“This is racist blackmail, pure and simple.” —Comment by Alan Stock appearing in the editorial section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, March 3, 2012.

On May 23, 2009, the Nevada State Senate approved Assembly Bill 304 (AB-304), which included the reopening of F Street, as related to the preservation and improvement of existing neighborhoods in the state. Then-Governor Jim Gibbons vetoed the bill on May 29 and returned it to the assembly. On May 31, the assembly voted 29-13 to override the governor’s veto; and, on June 1, 2009, the Nevada State Senate voted 17-4 to override his veto and the bill passed into law. Governor Gibbons, following a series of bad publicity concerning his marriage and other events, failed to be reelected in 2010.

The construction project to reopen F Street was estimated to cost between $17 million and $20 million dollars. The bill also includes additional funding for general improvements to the surrounding neighborhoods in West Las Vegas. The city of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada would jointly fund the construction, which at that time was scheduled to begin in the late fall of 2012. However, due to infighting among West Las Vegas residents over the design of the project, construction activity did not actually begin until June of 2013.

In my estimation, no single action by the community or its supporters was responsible for this vote. The collective effort of the residents, led by a core group of courageous women, who exhibited a culture of perseverance, cooperation, and commitment ultimately prevailed. For the coalition, particularly those members who resided in West Las Vegas, the F Street wall symbolized the protracted history of racism and oppression they had experienced all of their lives. Many outside of the community, particularly whites, could not, or would not, comprehend the symbolic meaning of the wall for the residents of the Westside. But it was clear that our message had been heard, if not accepted, by everyone.

Given the history of race relations in Nevada, the contentious battle in the legislature, and the prevailing hostility we witnessed in Las Vegas during this period, members of the coalition questioned whether the legislators could be trusted to keep their word. And given the existing attitudes of many whites from outside of West Las Vegas, I wondered whether individuals with ties to local politicians would betray their own community for political gain and attempt to derail the plans to reopen F Street. As I suspected, the fight was not yet over. Now our efforts turned toward keeping the momentum, and the message, alive.

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