Our governor is remarkably unpopular. That is not a partisan statement. He happens to be a Republican. But neither Republicans nor Democrats are impressed by him. And, both speak better of him than his wife.

Among those with no respect for Governor Gibbons there is Nevada’s largest private employer, MGM-Mirage. I have already blogged how strongly MGM-Mirage has endorsed Democrat Rory Reid to replace the current governor.

I don’t know if any of that is relevant to the bizarre letter sent by Perini Building Company to the governors’ office about a pay dispute with the MGM-Mirage managed and partly owned CityCenter. But the letter makes for fascinating reading for Vegas watchers. Primarily written in lawyer, the letter does break free to offer the occasional phrase of human melodrama.

One reason this letter seems odd to me is that Perini is already suing MGM-Mirage for the money in question, and so I am not clear what they expect the governor to do about it? In response to the letter MGM-Mirage has taken the “high-road” with the press by deciding to await court to respond. I like that because Perini says in the letter that they too are on the “high-road” though apparently these two high paths have not crossed–what are these people smoking?  But reading the letter,  if even a small part of the incompetence alleged against MGM-Mirage is accurate, the high-road will also spare MGM-Mirage from having to discuss so many embarrassing details especially regarding the unopened and unusable multimillion dollar stump building in front.

But to me what is breathtaking is Perini’s  hypocrisy. That is what really amazes me most about the Perini letter.  Now, the people and government of Nevada are called on by Perini to work as a collection agency because of our strong sense of community. But, and this is what makes me angry, Perini had no sense that they owed the people of Nevada any explanation at all back when so many people were dying on their construction site that “CityCemetery” was how workers dubbed the project. They had virtually nothing to say to the public, as The Las Vegas Sun published story after story, eventually getting a Pulitzer exploring the topic.

So, when human life was the issue Perini was a private company with no obligation to communicate with the public at length about its safety practices; and, Perini, certainly  did not invite the governor to come examine why people kept dying on their construction sites (CityCenter was not the only Perini project with a body-count) on the Strip.

Of course, now there is money involved, and so Perini have a sudden sense of community and want the governor to abandon state business, interfere with a court case and advocate for them. Gross.  (Photo: Lanie Crossman)