Labor leader Tommy White talks about attempts to recall Steve Seroka
Laborers Local 872 wants to recall Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Seroka over his opposition to development at the Badlands Golf Course. Local 872 secretary-treasurer Tommy White says that effort is doing “fantastic” and hinted they may organize more recalls in the future. White also said that while his union has endorsed Republicans, he doesn’t think it will endorse President Donald Trump.
Seroka voted “for an ordinance that’s basically going to stop us from building in a couple of areas in town, specifically Badlands Golf Course,” White said while filming Nevada Politics Today. “That golf course was never intended to always be a golf course. You could see how it’s built. Even the way the homes are situated. It was never really built to stay that way.”
The owner of the Badlands Golf Course has sued the city to develop the land, and a lawsuit is ongoing. Homeowners in the adjoining and wealth Queensridge neighborhood have been the most vocal opponents of the project. White said his interest in the development involves the opportunities it would create for his members.
“For us, it’s jobs,” White said.
“We want to build the buildings that we’re supposed to be building – the high rises there. There’s a hotel that was supposed to be there. There’s some restaurants that are also supposed to be within that. That’s really going to beautify the area. That’s actually going to raise the price of homes.”
White pushed back on the notion that his organization is abusing the recall process, saying that Seroka too focused on “protecting a specific group.”
“How far do you want to take corruption?” he said. “If you’re standing on a platform and you’re saying you’re for this, you’re for this and all of a sudden, $50,000 in campaign contributions come into your campaign coffers [from] people who live specifically in one area, you’re not really doing the job as a city councilman. The city councilman is supposed to protect his whole community. What’s best for his whole community, not a specific group. You can see what’s going on there.
White said the recalls are going “better than what we expected,” that they would end if Seroka reversed his anti-development positions.
Seroka “had an opportunity and I believe he still does, have an opportunity to resolve the issue, to allow us to go in there and build what we intended to build,” White said. “This could probably all go away. I don’t see it happening. He’s really locked in with a select few homeowners right now.”
White refused to rule out the possibility of recalling Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom who defeated a Local 872 member in a Democrat primary.
His union is one of the few in Nevada who occasionally endorse Republicans. White said that’s a reflection of his membership.
“I think the other unions want to (endorse Republicans)”, he said. “We just believe in a balance. I have 50 percent of my members are Democrat. Fifty percent of my members are Republican.”
White said his union likes “politicians that support growth.” Asked if that meant an endorsement of President Donald Trump was forthcoming, White replied, “I don’t think so.”