It's roasting time, Amodei's on the spit

Mark Amodei's quick wit has skewered numerous public officials over the years but, as former Mayor Marv Teixeira says, what goes around comes around.

For the outgoing Republican state senator from Carson City, it comes around March 12 when the Carson Rotary holds its second annual fundraising roast with Amodei as the scheduled victim.

"Ah man, I'm going to be licking my chops," said Teixeira. "He's been kicking me for years.

"Let's just say he's target rich."

Teixeira said Amodei was one of those who roasted him last year.

Amodei made it clear he'll be prepared, saying Teixeira's advice to him was that, "you really can't drink at this thing until after because you have to defend yourself."

"There's the high point of my life," he said. "Marv Teixeira giving me advice on drinking in public."

Amodei was tabbed for the roast because he will leave the Nevada Senate at the end of this year, his 12-year tenure ended by term limits.

"I've known Mark a long time," said Justice of the Peace John Tatro. "Yeah, I've been through therapy. I should be OK."

"We're going to keep it a secret that he ran down King's Canyon totally naked and his mother had to come and pick up him and six of his friends," he said.

Tatro, who will be master of ceremonies at the roast, said he expects someone to at least mention Amodei's legendary inability to get anywhere on time and his tendency to leave meetings a bit early when no one is looking.

The opening day of the 2009 Legislature, Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio was asked whether it was wise to give Amodei the seat closest to the rear exit in the Senate chambers. Raggio was halfway through saying that wouldn't be a problem when he looked over at Amodei's seat and saw the senator's back as he disappeared out the exit. Shaking his head, Raggio told the sergeant at arms to make sure Amodei didn't leave the building.

Amodei said he has been warned some "friends" are asking to join in the verbal equivalent of a stoning. Tatro confirmed that fellow state Sen. Bernice Mathews of Reno found out about the roast and asked to participate.

"She'll be there," he said adding that there are still seats available for others who want to either join in or just watch Amodei suffer a bit.

Also on the list are Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, WNC's Helaine Jesse and longtime Carson businessman and lawyer Steve Hartman.

Facing that kind of line-up, Amodei said he sees what's coming.

"This is one of those things where you just get as long a snorkel as you can and hunker down and hope you can breathe through the thing," Amodei said. "The rules for this are there are no rules."

Steve Reynolds, in charge of fundraising for the event, said the idea was to "pay him back for all of the years of having him put it to us local folks."

The money raised, he said, will go to such things as local student scholarships, the Boys & Girls Club, Children's Museum and Advocates to End Domestic Violence, among others.

"I think with the current economic situation we are going to find a lot of the local charities coming up short so we wanted to have the freedom to spread it around a little bit," Reynolds said.