Good-Time Charlie DeShon, legendary Joetown philosopher and politician, died decades before the wisdom of his plan to resuscitate downtown became so obvious and popular.

Sadly, that is all too often the fate of true visionaries. Their brilliance blinds mere mortals until long after their passing.

Good-Time Charlie launched more than one run for the mayor’s seat on the promise that legalizing gambling would revive the once- vibrant downtown business district. He would also add, based on the audience, that legalized prostitution would certainly cinch the deal.

As an aside, Good-Time Charlie also proclaimed once that his credentials for the office included the fact that he was the only candidate on the ticket who had been certified sane by the good staff at the state hospital. Write your own punch line here.

Still, I return fresh from the promised land — Las Vegas — to profess too late that Good-Time Charlie was right. Gambling and sex is a golden ticket that sells. Sex and gambling transformed a dusty train stop in the heat of the Mohave Desert into a lush, green paradise that sparkles all night with millions of bright lights and life high and low.

OK, I’m not really a good witness for the sex part. I’m no Eliot Spitzer, but I suspect those scantily-clad women on larger-than-life billboards advertising this or that escort service were promising more than a great evening at the theater.

I’m not even that much of an expert when it comes to gambling. I can tell you that gambling is everywhere you turn in Vegas, from the airport to the shopping malls and restaurants. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a poker face, even when it comes to quarter slots. Worse, I cry when I lose money. I shed about $20 worth of tears in about four days.

But when it comes to entertainment, Vegas knows how to turn up the heat on the sizzle fo’ rizzle. It’s not just the endless sea of twinkling lights or the multiple mammoth screens with undulating dancers and quick shots of cheesy comedians. It’s not even the life-size sinking pirate ships or the football-field-long spray of fountains dancing to Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.”

Nice touches, sure, but it’s really all about attitude. Vegas understands that it is all about entertainment — and warm weather for Midwesterners. My wife and I decided to flee the Midland Empire’s version of global warming after another predicted dusting turned into a half-foot of snow to shovel.

The Vegas ticket — airfare and hotel — is the best buy in the vacation industry this time of year. And while the shows can be a little pricey, the Strip pulsates with great shows for all tastes.

The Vegas formula works. Casinos are in a seemingly constant cycle of demolition and replacement. MGM Mirage, for example, is racing to open the CityCenter Las Vegas, a “gargantuan, $8.4 billion, 64-acre resort complete with casinos, plush hotel rooms and even plusher condominiums.” Opening day is set for 2009.

Attitude does matter. And that brings us back this morning to our own lovable downtown. Boosters are now convinced that the next great hope for Joetown’s tarnished treasure is to turn it into an entertainment district. I have always liked the sound of that.

After a trip to Vegas, it is obvious that just rebranding the downtown an entertainment district won’t be enough. It will take more than a half-dozen bars, two restaurants, a hotel, a pizza place, a historic theater and civic arena (which now consistently operates in the red) to pull this off. And I’m not talking about dumping $40 million into the dream of a second hotel and a convention center. You can hold your breath on that one, but it should be noted that Vegas will have three hotels built in just about the time it takes the city to finish working on Felix Street at Civic Arena.

Downtown boosters needs to prove that they understand the basics of entertainment. Here is the opportunity: Every August, the Trails West! festival pulls tens of thousands of good people into City Hall’s back yard for three days of fun and entertainment. But that fun and entertainment ends at about 10:30 p.m.

Downtowners can prove that they understand entertainment with a plan to capture even a fraction of the Trails West! crowd after that festival closes down each night. It might mean bringing in bands to Coleman Hawkins Park. It could involve closing off a street. I’ve always liked the idea of stringing a canopy of lights over the heart of the bar district to set a festive mood.

Downtown can be entertaining. It will take cooperation with the Trails West! people. It also will take some hard work on the part of those downtown boosters. But if downtowners aren’t willing to work for their own dream, taxpayers may not be willing to gamble another $40 million on the next great plan to rescue the downtown.

Opinion Editor Mark Sheehan’s column

runs on Sundays and Wednesdays.