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DAVID: The face of downtown is constantly changing. What are you doing to revitalize the area? What are your hopes for the future of downtown?
GOODMAN: Efforts to revitalize downtown started several years ago, and you can really see the changes starting to meld together in each of the areas of the city, with downtown becoming the place people really want to be. The core of the city is a place of incredible energy from the 18B Arts District to the nightlife on the Fremont East Entertainment District. I really feel like we continue to gain great momentum downtown. And I think you will only see that grow as Zappos moves in, and with the 2012 openings of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the new City Hall, the Mob Museum, Neon Museum and Discovery Children’s Museum and the remodeling of some of the landmark hotels.
DAVID: Las Vegas is notorious for imploding its history. Why are sites like the Neon Museum so important for keeping a small piece of that history alive?
GOODMAN: The Neon Museum and the Mob Museum are both about preserving the history of Las Vegas. There is no place on earth like Las Vegas, and we want to make sure that we tell the stories of our past – warts and all. Las Vegas is forever reinventing itself, but that does not mean we can’t remember our history as it has been, and at the same time.
DAVID: Following in your husband’s footsteps must have been a difficult decision.
GOODMAN: I had no intention of running, but as I thought about the wonderful path and vision that my husband had set the city on over the last 12 years, I wanted to make sure that the city continued down that path. I really wanted to ensure that the priorities he had set forth of bringing world-class medicine, medical research and medical tourism, establishing a strong cultural base and bringing in a major league sport were accomplished.
DAVID: How much of a role does the former mayor play in the decisions you make on a daily basis?
GOODMAN: My husband is a great resource. After all he did this job very well for 12 years, but we are both very different people. He is busy with his job as Las Vegas’ host for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and with a potential television show, a restaurant and a pending biography. Yet he is always there if I want to discuss something with him and get his input.
DAVID: Do you ever argue with your husband about policy?
GOODMAN: Not at all. When you’ve been married as long as we have, you get a good sense for where each other is at any given moment. As I mentioned, my husband is a great resource, but we don’t infringe on each other. The foundation of our marriage is really one of great respect for the other
DAVID: What is a typical day like in the mayor’s office?
GOODMAN: Busy, in fact extremely busy! Everyone who comes to Las Vegas wants to meet the mayor, so I have a lot of meetings and tours, am constantly on the speaking circuit with engagements in the city and out in the community, and then, of course, have ongoing appointments with members of the City Council and city staff. The city staff does an excellent job of briefing the City Council about issues that need to be addressed but they all take time. Sometimes I get home at night and my husband asks how my day has been, then I ask him how much time he has to listen.
DAVID: How involved are you and Oscar in the Jewish community?
GOODMAN: Time permitting, we have always been and will remain very involved. We are proud of our heritage, devoted to our religion and have raised our children in the Jewish faith. They, in turn, are now raising our six grandchildren similarly. It has been grand seeing the Jewish community grow and participate in Las Vegas life.