By Alan Snel
It was a first Friday in Las Vegas’ art district and a young ballerina in a tutu decorated with lights pointed her toe and danced in the street. Right next-door, a woman yelled, “Ribs,” and was selling barbecue. And across the street, an artist was peddling paintings.
Taking in the sights of this “First Friday” event was Jared Fisher, a small business owner and Blue Diamond resident who took his campaign for governor on the road yesterday to inform the artists, food truck owner and thousands of residents strolling the streets about his platform of energy, environment, education and entrepreneurship.
He enjoyed meeting and talking with Colleen McMillian, a former sound engineer who now works for an insurance company and who grew impressed with Fisher’s refreshingly candid responses to her inquiries.
“So what’s your platform,?” McMillian asked Fisker.
And then she just stood back and listened.
Fisher explained he was a UNLV grad who lived in Las Vegas for the past 27 years and who married his business partner and opened several businesses including an an outdoor adventure and touring company and a few bicycle stores.
“We’re very business oriented,” said Fisher, seeking the Republican nomination.
Fisher explained he was not a politician, but knew how government worked because he personally worked with state and federal government agencies.
“The good news is that I’ve never been a politician,” Fisher told McMillian. “I love entrepreneurship and people are tired of politicians moving from one chair to another.”
McMillian asked, “What was the biggest challenge for smallest businesses?,” and Fisher responded that there are too many regulations to start businesses and that he wants to promote entrepreneurship.
A few minutes later, their chat ended and McMillian told Fisher, “I appreciate you answering my questions with real answers and not canned material.”
And that’s Fisher, day-in, day-out, and it doesn’t matter who asks the questions.
Everyone gets real answers, not sound bites from Fisher, whether the question is posed at a Latin Chamber of Commerce luncheon, or an ultra-right political radio show, or at First Friday.
Last night, Fisher showed his loved for the outdoors by having a campaign supporter, Kevin Ford, pedal an ice cream storage bicycle that was quite popular with the First Friday visitors along 1st Street in the art district.
“Giving out refreshments,” Ford yelled to the crowd as he handed out the brightly-colored ice pops this hot September evening.
Fisher enjoys visiting people of all ages and backgrounds, including Canyon Springs High School student Naomi Farias who was at The Wasp skateboard tent.
Fisher spent 15 minutes talking with Farias and her three friends. In the end, Farias will be getting to know the Fisher campaign much better because she stepped up as a volunteer.
Fisher’s renewable, clean energy approach is just one strand of his love for the environment, and that approach of valuing the outdoors resonates with Republicans, Democrats and anyone who respects and treasures a green earth.
Fisher, a Republican, spent a solid 20 minutes chatting with the local Green Party at its tent. Fisher explained that his dad was a wildlife biologist for 36 years.
“I love taking care of our planet and I am a green guy,” Fisher said.
And that’s Fisher’s appeal. He rejects ideological talk, connects with people of all political stripes and stays away from the extreme political beliefs.
“The truth is nothing will get done if you go hard right or hard left,” Fisher said. “My goal is to bring the right and the left together and get things done.”
And that’s vintage Fisher, a man who brings people together — with his political platform and his ice pops on a hot, muggy Friday night in downtown Las Vegas.
