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Jan. 02, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gibbons continues spat with panel

Governor critical of tourism focus, disputes when Montero's application was received

By SANDRA CHEREB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jim Gibbons
Governor issued statement after business hours on New Year's Eve

RENO -- Gov. Jim Gibbons reignited his criticism of the Nevada Commission on Tourism over its rejection of his pick for its executive director and said the agency is wasting money by targeting the Asian tourist market.

In a statement issued after business hours on New Year's Eve, Gibbons essentially said the office of Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, who is chairman of the tourism board, was lying when it said the application of Kirk Montero was received too late to be considered.

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    • Krolicki, reached by telephone Thursday, said he was dismayed by the governor's statements.

    "I'm disappointed with the governor's tone and I find it unfortunate," Krolicki said.

    Gibbons criticized the commission for targeting Asia "and other parts of the world" that he said are outside Nevada's primary tourist markets.

    "In light of our current worldwide recession, I believe strongly that these efforts are a waste of taxpayers' money," Gibbons said.

    He did not elaborate where he thought marketing should be directed, and his spokesman, Dan Burns, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

    In 2004, Nevada became the first non-nation to win approval from the Chinese government to open a tourism office there and advertise directly to the Chinese public.

    "The Chinese economy remains one of the more vibrant in the world," Krolicki said, adding that with a population of 1.3 billion, the Asian market is important to Nevada's tourism-fueled economy.

    "The more Asian tourists we can bring to fill our rooms, fill our dinner tables, see our shows ... the quicker we will recover from our slowdown," Krolicki said.

    Krolicki also questioned Gibbons' defense of Montero to lead the tourism agency and his push to fill the post quickly, given the uncertain fate of the director's post.

    "It's somewhat confusing, the instructions we're receiving from the governor's office," Krolicki said.

    He said the governor's budget office informed staff Wednesday afternoon that the tourism director's job is targeted for elimination under a Gibbons proposal to merge the tourism commission and Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

    Gibbons announced the appointment of Montero on Christmas Eve to replace Tim Maland, who resigned in September.

    Montero, 60, is station manager for US Airways at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Before that, he was reservations manager for Reno Air.

    But the tourism commission rejected Montero's appointment on Monday. Under state law, the governor must appoint a new director from three finalists recommended by the commission.

    Krolicki said Montero's application was received after the deadline, and that to consider him would require reopening the process, something commissioners were unwilling to do.

    Instead, the commission voted 9-0 to continue its own search, and said it would narrow its list of candidates for the $117,000-a-year job by mid-January.

    Gibbons, in his press release Wednesday night, disputed the statement that Montero's application was tardy, saying his deputy chief of staff, Mendy Elliott, "personally hand-delivered Montero's application" to the lieutenant governor's office "long before the application deadline."

    "I believe Kirk is uniquely qualified for this position because he has intimate knowledge of visitor travel patterns into our state and we need someone to head the (commission) that can hit the ground running, we need someone for that position that has hands-on experience, not a Harvard MBA," the governor said.

    Krolicki denied receiving Montero's application, adding that the job announcement indicated applications should be addressed to a personnel representative at the commission's office, not the lieutenant governor.

    "We had 67 applicants who managed to understand the process," he said.

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    Ron Paul acolyte wrote on January 02, 2009 11:59 PM: Why do we need a state Commission on Tourism, anyway? The casinos spend tens of millions of their own dollars to encourage people to visit here, and it seems to be working. Oh wait, only 40 million people visited Vegas last year. Maybe not.


    getreal wrote on January 02, 2009 11:34 PM: It's those Harvard MBA's that have gotten the country and the world into this financial mess. I put my money on Montero that has 30 years of experience in the travel business.


    tuy wrote on January 02, 2009 08:58 PM: We can save the State of Nevada millions by having the "Luv" Gov and "Krook" Krolicki share the same jail cell for the next twenty years...


    Ben Dover wrote on January 02, 2009 11:29 AM: Gibbons and Krolicki...you'd think just maybe these two chuckleheads might have more pressing concerns than this....They're falling over each other in various scandals and missteps...
    The Republican party should be very proud.


    Brian wrote on January 02, 2009 11:23 AM: When will they impeach this buffoon?


    JustCurious wrote on January 02, 2009 10:41 AM: Being that it was after hours,is it official that the Lt.Guv is a liar? How much kool aide did the LUV GUV have down his snoot?Hard to believe the LUV GUV would have the audacity to call a fellow a liar after his escapades.Maybe he was just trying to impress some lot lizard,or maybe it was a damsel in distress.What's a person to believe,and who cares anyway?


    William D. Tomany wrote on January 02, 2009 10:21 AM: Governor Jim you must follow State Law with your tourism director and you didn't


    blind taxpayer wrote on January 02, 2009 09:34 AM:
    well maybe the so-called clean burning coal from harry reid
    will draw attention away from this issue.


    B wrote on January 02, 2009 08:31 AM: The guv is trying to create a " good job brownie " moment much as his mentor W succeded in doing. What a ploy, don't spend the money to attract a money stream from asia to Nevada so his benefactor Sheldon can raid the tourist tax piggy bank and not take a hit when his gambling houses in China can't keep them from coming to here. It's a win-win for both of them.


    Dan wrote on January 02, 2009 07:43 AM: jc-
    Gibbons wears cowboy boots. Controversy thus avoided.
    What bed he puts them under at night is still an open question.


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