Print edition for December 3, 2006

FLASHPOINT for Dec 03, 2006: You have to give Craig Walton credit. The local ethics maven said he would come up with some thoughtful proposals for the 2007 Legislature, and he has. LLCs have to disclose partners when contributing. Lobbyists have to disclose more. Close loopholes in ethics laws. This is going to be some spectacle watching the Gang of 63, whose members love lobbyists and loopholes, deal with this issue. This is especially true after a year in which corruption was a huge issue nationally and we are still suffering from an acute G-Sting hangover. I can't wait to watch the contortions, the excuses, ...

John Katsilometes talks to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber about the spectacle that is 'Phantom' in Las Vegas: Lloyd Webber stopped in town for a quick overnighter last week, landing from London on Monday and moving on to Los Angeles and finally New York, where tonight he will be among those lauded by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at 29th annual Kennedy Center Honors gala (scheduled to air tonight at 7 on CBS). Lloyd Webber will be honored along with conductor Zubin Mehta, Steven Spielberg, Smokey Robinson and Dolly Parton.

Mega-law firms to join forces: By Jeff Simpson; One of the most influential law firms in Las Vegas is merging with a Denver-based firm in a deal that demonstrates the increasing importance of the city's business community.

Jack Sheehan on a lesson learned years ago in a cemetery while a trumpeter played 'Taps': And because there's no place like home, and because my neighbors realize I've been here almost forever, they tend to make unfavorable comparisons between their former place of residence and Las Vegas and unload their complaints on me.

Letter: Tourists already pay for too much in Vegas: If Las Vegas wants an arena, especially an NBA arena, Las Vegans or the NBA team should pay for it.

Cheering on Tom: J. Patrick Coolican, Las Vegas Sun; The results of the past four Iowa Democratic caucuses (eventual nominee in bold). If Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack makes a strong run, it could render the 2008 Iowa caucus a foregone conclusion, as in 1992 when Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin ran for president. If that happens, Nevada's 2008 caucus, which follows Iowa, becomes even more significant.

Some stuff you may want stuffed into many stockings: Ron Kantowski, Las Vegas Sun; If Kris Kringle and Monty Hall ever bumped into each other on a busy street corner with their hands full, the Las Vegas Sun holiday auction might be the result.

Letter: Actions show real support for troops: In criticizing the war in Iraq, Poupard states "Support the Troops" was just a code for supporting Bush in his "illegal" war against the Iraqi people. The war is not "illegal." It was supported by Congress. And, so far as the slogan goes, it was/is not the "code" that Poupard states.

Editorial: Failing the smell test: According to a story in Thursday's Las Vegas Sun, members of the Southern Nevada Recycling Advisory Committee have said that Clark County commissioners lacked the proper perspective when they rejected a proposal that called for reducing garbage collection to once a week, instead of twice a week, and increasing recycling pickups to weekly, instead of every two weeks. The group said its plan would have helped improve the Las Vegas Valley's poor recycling record.

Editorial: Time to evaluate room tax: This fiscal year the LVCVA expects to receive approximately $213 million from the tax.

Editorial: Demanding more detail: A recent audit, prompted by stories in the Las Vegas Sun, showed deficiencies in how the Research Foundation's former executive director Tom Williams accounted for nearly $84,000 in travel and meal expenses. Among the criticisms was that the meal receipts were not detailed, including whether alcoholic beverages were included in the reimbursement claims. State and federal guidelines prohibit reimbursement for alcohol.

Jeff Simpson talks to an upbeat Steve Wynn about good times for his resort properties: In a two-and-a-half hour interview, we discussed how his company is doing in Las Vegas and Macau, and Wynn's plans for the future, among other things.

Letter: Smart recycling plan starts with education: As a teacher, one way that I think recycling could work in this state is by teaching the children in this town to get more involved with taking care of their environment and being active in recycling in their own homes, neighborhoods and schools. This could be done through developing and implementing a curriculum and program through the Clark County School District or other youth clubs or organizations in partnership with Republic Services on a larger scale than what they are currently working on. I know it is a big effort, but the School District can do it. Help the ...

Reid's rise to power may be bad news for Yucca backers: WASHINGTON - When pro-Yucca Mountain advocates called on Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid to step aside from the nuclear waste debate, some saw it as an act of desperation over the stalled project.

Duo bets on long shot: By Liz Benston; Long-retired casino dealers Tony Badillo and Jack Lipsman are preparing for an unfolding labor battle that has injected new life into an old cause.

Letter: Flexing muscle won't cure Middle East: Japan was a world power that had brutally conquered China, most of Southeast Asia and a good chunk of the Pacific when it tried to eliminate our fleet in Pearl Harbor. It was allied with Germany, which was in the process of attempting to destroy our parent country, Great Britain, after having invaded most of continental Europe. Those enemies were defeated by us and our allies not because of our showy use of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the fire bombs on other cities such as Tokyo and Dresden killed far more people - but because they lacked ...

Brian Greenspun on how Carter is wrong about the Middle East: Former President Jimmy Carter, I believe it is accurate to say, has been a far better ex-president than he was a president of the United States. Simply put, the Carter administration was a disaster on almost all fronts - the economy, national and international affairs.

Jon Ralston on what has happened, and what could still happen, when Bill Walters and George Chanos butt heads: Chanos wants the feds to probe Walters' land deals with Las Vegas and to investigate conflict allegations Walters has made against the attorney general. Walters says he has been wronged and insists he is pondering legal action, including against the media.