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twitterMayor ‘hot’ over Obama’s remarks, backtracks on apology demand
Goodman criticizes president’s characterization of Vegas ‘junkets’
Leila Navidi
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman holds a press conference about a letter he wrote to President Obama in his office in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday. Goodman is upset over President Obama’s comments that corporate executives from companies getting federal bailout funds shouldn’t be going on corporate trips to Las Vegas, saying the comments were hurtful to the convention industry.
Published Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 | 6:33 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 | 3:46 p.m.
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- Hear Mayor Oscar Goodman's press conference Wednesday on a letter he sent to President Obama
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Obama in Elkhart, Ind.
President Barack Obama holds a town hall style meeting about the economic stimulus package Monday at Concord Community High School in Elkhart, Ind.
Mayor Oscar Goodman said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that he was “hotter than fish grease” when he heard President Barack Obama recently contend that corporations using federal bailout money should stop visiting Las Vegas.
“There’s no question that we’re feeling the impact of it today, and as far as living in Las Vegas, this has a debilitating effect on our economy,” Goodman said. “We have to stop the way the tide is rolling here.”
Goodman demurred when asked if the self-styled reputation of Las Vegas as a den of iniquity has caused Obama – and the majority of Americans – to conclude that most trips here, including business trips, are inherently extravagant.
Las Vegas has significant business and conference facilities, Goodman said – as well as the top-flight casinos, restaurants, shows, etcetera. “There are different markets we’re trying to attract here,” he said.
“We can promote what we’re famous for, but it has nothing at all to do with the fact that you can have a serious meeting here in Las Vegas,” Goodman said.
Toward that end, Goodman, who dashed off a letter to Obama on Tuesday in his role as chairman of the board of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said that the president’s remarks wouldn’t change the way the region promotes itself in the future.
“We promote ourselves in all respects,” Goodman said. “We promote ourselves with ‘What Happens Here, Stays Here’ for the edgy promotion – and then we promote ourselves when we go out and entice serious companies to come out here and do serious business. We tell them that they can do that here.”
Goodman backtracked on his demand that Obama apologize for his remarks, but said that he still needed to “straighten out the record.”
At a town hall meeting Monday in Elkhart, Ind., to gain support for the stimulus bill, Obama said that “you can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.”
The statement was in line with other remarks the president has made admonishing high-paid executives of failing financial institutions to use the federal bailout money responsibly.
Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs Group, which received $25 billion and $10 billion in taxpayer-funded bailout money respectively, both recently scrapped highly publicized conferences at swank Strip hotels.
In his letter to Obama, an outraged Goodman took offense at what he claimed was the unjustified stereotype that trips to Las Vegas are “junkets.”
“The assumption that all meetings, events, and incentive travel (to Las Vegas) are wasteful is wrong,” Goodman wrote. “Now more than ever, we need businesses to travel and hold meetings and events.”
Rep. Shelley Berkley agreed. “There is no question that as a result of the criticism leveled against business travel to Las Vegas by the President and others,” she said in a written statement, “the community I represent has seen the loss of millions of dollars in revenue, which threatens even more job cuts at a time when we cannot afford the loss of a single visitor.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid came to Obama’s defense.
“I have spoken with President Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, about the President’s remarks,” said Reid on the Senate floor. “He made it clear to me that the President’s criticism was aimed at the potential use of taxpayer funds for junkets, and in no way reflects his thoughts about any one particular city.
“The President knows that Las Vegas is America’s premiere destination to do business,” Reid added.
Sam Skolnik can be reached at 229-6436 or at sam.skolnik@lasvegassun.com.
Discussion: 58 comments so far…
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"President Obama....companies shouldn't visit Sin City on the taxpayer's dime."
When I think about all the taxpayer dimes that were spent traveling from California to Nevada to help this man get elected, it upsets me to think he would say something so thoughtless.
Companies shouldn't go to Vegas? The convention capitol of the World?
Clearly the man was not considering the deeper implications of that notion. Clearly he has done great damage to Las Vegas. Though I believe he did this unintentionally, it was also needlessly specific and particularly unhelpful to a city that is struggling in a horrible financial storm.
He needs to apologize and correct the statement! TODAY!!!
Try this Barack, "Companies should Doubledown their efforts to operate with respect for the assistance they are given."
Or since you like to be specific...
"Remember that Las Vegas thing I said? I don't know what I was thinking! What I meant was, go to Las Vegas, go to your conventions, and have a wonderful time spending lots of YOUR OWN MONEY in the most exciting city in the World."
I would also like to see "I Heart Las Vegas!" on the side of Air Force One for at least a month. And no dessert for you!
Go get'em Oscar!
HEY MAYOR GOODMAN! Stick to what you know best...booze. Don't worry about President Obama's comments...he is dead right on this...we don't need these money mongers using our tax dollars to have a good time, at our expense, here in Vegas.
Worry about the fact that Las Vegas Resorts are now crying for locals because they did not want us not too long ago...Worry about outrageous prices on food with lower quantity and quality than ever...
Worry about the fact that Lake Mead is a 'dying lake' and in 20 years this city will become a vanishing ghost town...
Worry about the fact that the resorts go out of their way to hire illegals with minimal wages, no benefits and then use our police, schools and medical resources without paying their fair share of taxes.
Open your horizons...Perhaps you should get your hero George W to apologize for his last eight years of economic insanity first. A nightly,one-man comedy show would pull in lots of republican bucks for decades !!! Limbaugh could be his opening act :>))
Yeah, what about George Bush apologizing for his deficit spending?
The mayor is just jerking himself around for publicity again.
Mayor Goodman, shut the ___ up!!! The President is right, if the big wigs want a Spearment Rhino run they need to do it on their money, NOT OURS!!!
LV Sun, post the phonme number/address for the mayor so we can tell him like it is, we'll draft him a PINK SLIP!!!
Go Oscar Go! I gonna send you a bottle of Gin if you can get a reaction out of Obama. Just the news of this may bring people to our city. Stir it up! Make all the noise you can...
Lets compare Las Vegas to Obama's favorite, Chicago. According to a recent Forbes article, dated 2/6/08, 385 public officials have been conviced of crimes in the past decade. Not sure of Las Vegas but I'll guess you can count them on one hand. Those who lived in Chicago or it's suburbs, here is a challenge: find one thing you can do in Las Vegas that you could've done back in Chiland. One thing is all I'm asking for.
Mr Mayor, you'll get the traditional ''I didn't mean that'' kind of answer. I hope your residents see through the answer and realize that Obama will use anyone for anything as long as he gets his way. Before you Bush haters jump on this, he did the same thing. That's what two-faced public officials all do.
Vegas isn't the place for average Joe citizen anymore. The types of casino's that go up are more geared for high rollers and fat cat business leaders. Who cares about the guy that is without a job or his house is worth 40% less than the mortgage. Oscar and some of the posters here have helped me see the light, it's NOT about us, it's about THEM. Never give food to the homeless guy on the street corner, but give execs millions to spend in hookah shops and strip clubs. it's the economy stooopid, no matter who pays for it. In this case, average struggling Joe.
Sorry for the error. I meant to say ''find one thing you could not have done'' back in Chiland.
gcbretired, I have lived in this mecca of public corruption,casinos that don't pay their fair share of taxes,an education system that is one of the worst in the nation,medical treatment is as bad as any third world country,culture the beverly hillbillies would shun,crime beyond belief and a pathalogical mayor who needs serious substance abuse counceling. The sun shines everyday here and for the time being there are no state income taxes. Chicago is a major city of the world who needs not make apologies to anyone.
Anyone who defends Bush is delusional and needs the same padded room as the Mayor with Rush standing guard.
Wow, no respect by some for one of the biggest supporters of this city EVER!!! Goodman genuinely cares about this city and was merely trying to have Obama retract or apologize for his statement that Las Vegas wasn't a good choice to have a convention or company retreat.
If Obama would have simply stated that the tax payers shouldn't pay for private conventions or retreats then Goodman would have been fine...
You all need to understand that Goodman is very defensive of this city and he doesn't have that thick of skin when it comes to anything negative here.
Leave Bush out of it, he wasn't a friend of this state either.
If you don't like Goodman for who he is then that's fine, if you don't like him for how he runs this city then maybe you should leave, this is one of the best run cities in the country and you have to give Goodman a ton of credit for that.
Homer, I moved here from Chiland 35 years ago. One reason for moving is that the public demanded services from government at an alarming rate. Taxes were over the top and getting higher. I found Nevada to my liking. Little in the way of government services and low taxes. As others moved here they demanded the same services they had where they came from and the main reason they left was because taxes were to high. Government will always yield to your wishes because it allows them to grow.
I've always found good medical services at an affordable rate. Housing prices got out of line because demand got out line. The education system could use an overhaul, we keep raising salaries for education employees because they have a powerful voting block. It's the American way and that's a shame.
If your company is taking tens of billions of dollars from the taxpayers, you shouldn't be sending people on retreats, to Vegas, or Key West, or the Bahamas, or anywhere else.
It's an unnecessary expense that should not be spent until you have repaid any bailout loans.
Want to celebrate someone's accomplishments? There are plenty of ways that don't involve a $100k trip.
Obama was right to call these companies out on more fiscal irresponsibility. Oscar, as usual, speaks before thinking.
National companies have to gather employees in a central location on occasionals to conduct business that last a few days or a week.
Too bad Obama has painted Las Vegas as a place not to send people to.
They will move that business to another city.
Goodman is right! That was a great way for Obama to say "Thank you!" to a city that had a major impact not only for him but also for his party. Nevermind Biden's loose lips, Obama is on his way to surpassing even him.
Goodman is an aging and failed relic. Vegas is for celebrating good times - not harboring bank executives and upper management from the grim reality created by their terrible decisionmaking and greed. President Obama was speaking accurately - and for the vast majority of Americans - when he said "NO" to Vegas Partying.
Also, the Mayor is making Vegas look even worse with these comments. Honestly, we have enough of a PR problem as it is without having Oscar run his mouth.
Oscar, SHUT UP! You've got diarrhea of the mouth.
Its about time we locals wake up and demand the LVCA do something about the image they have created of our wonderful city! I can't tell you the last time we went to the strip. Its disgusting down there, with the porn flyers all over the street, big trucks with pictures of underage prostitutes on the side, drunk, drugged up teenagers with barely nothing on staggering around. There is absolutely NO class left in any of the clubs. We can thank them for the "What happens in Vegas" slogan, and now the dirty little secret is out. Obama is right, right now Vegas is not appropriate for business conventions. The LVCA managers and staff all need to be fired and the major strip casinos need to clean up their acts. No more "Girls Gone Wild" atmosphere, go back to the glamor and class that Vegas once had.
Oh, please. More peanut gallery B.S.
The banks who cancelled their trips to Las Vegas "on the taxpayer's dime" are now going to cities (New York and San Francisco) deemed "safe" to shallow-minded fools. And those trips will cost 150% of the planned cost to visit Las Vegas (not to mention the $600k cancellation fee incurred by one of the banks at Mandalay Bay). All on the same taxpayer dime! In this touchy-feely Brave New World, perception is more important than reality. Scary.
All you reactionary, self-loathing Vegas haters should LEAVE THIS CITY. Thank you, Oscar Goodman, for standing up for Las Vegas to the ignorant double-speak of anyone and everyone, including the president. If perception is more important to reality even to the president, we are in for a shaky three years, eleven months.
Brian Greenspun, you might think twice about how these anonymous comments are used to spread blatant misinformation.
***
"Its about time we locals wake up and demand the LVCA do something about the image they have created of our wonderful city!"
This is so patently absurd I cannot even get my head around it. Learn some Vegas history. I'm sure Vegas was a cleaner place back in the day (HA!). Besides, the last time the LVCVA tried to change our image -- Family Friendly! -- we all know how well that worked.
***
"big trucks with pictures of underage prostitutes on the side"
Not a single underage prostitute on those trucks. Legal age prostitutes, maybe. Some of those photos have been making the rounds for 15 years, so I bet some of them are grandmas already. Heh.
***
"drunk, drugged up teenagers with barely nothing on staggering around"
Oh, wow. Drugs? Eh, maybe. Staggering? Rarely see it. But those drunk people with barely nothing on are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, not teenagers. They come here to be free of the awkward conventions of their hometowns - if only for a moment. Seriously, are you 100 years old? Did you think you were moving to Utah?
***
"Obama is right, right now Vegas is not appropriate for business conventions."
Then it NEVER has appropriate for conventions. Please. How do you pay your bills? Since 70cents ofevery dollar in Las Vegas flows through the visitors, I'm guessing you are retired with income from elsewhere. Hmm..
***
"go back to the glamor and class that Vegas once had"
Illusion! The Rat Pack was smoking, drinking, cussing and sexing up and down the Strip. You are living in a past manufactured by your own mind.
Obama made an error in verbally attacking American cities, particularly since his comment is ignorant of the logistics.
Goodman is at it again - taking things out of context and doing some of his usual grandstanding. Note the quote: "Obama suggested that companies receiving taxpayer money shouldn't use corporate jets or take trips to Las Vegas or the Super Bowl." The President is talking abut companies receiving taxpayer money. The lavish waste by some corporations that have received "bail out" funds is obsene. Goodman owes an apology to Las Vegas for thinking that he is so indispensable that he has to change the term limit laws to allow him to continue his wasteful tax dollar spending. Let his mob museum friends proived for him in the private sector not from our dollars.
Don't know who Brian is, but again, your wrong! And elderly I am not. I moved here years ago because the city was exciting, glamorous and had some class. You could feel safe walking on the strip. Last time I went to Bally's Metro busted 10 prostitutes in the lobby. The bell hops comment to me was, " That really pisses me off, they tip pretty good when they need condoms from the gift shop! I guarantee that back in the Rat Pack days, that would NEVER be tolerated on any level. The New Vegas, has ZERO class. Why do you think revenue is down? The Indian Casinos in California have record level earnings....ummm, you need to wise up. And this city, which is MY city, needs to clean up its act! Or this won't be the last convention canceled. Now, go back to your lap dance!!!
Goodman made it to CNN. He got his wish for media face time. Trouble is, Obama is more popular. This battle makes Goodman look foolish.
What an utter jack*ss the mayor is. Is he really THIS moronic? He's making a fool of himself and his city.
Sorry, mayor, but outside your little cocoon, everyone in the country knows why people go to Vegas. You've spent too long in the culture of corruption, and actually believe your own B.S.
I think we all realize that the President was talking about companies taking tax payer dollars but the real problem is how his remarks build the belief that Las Vegas is a place that companies should stay away from.
I don't think he meant any harm but he probably didn't put as much thought into it as he should have. It was just the popular thing to say.
Obama doesn't care about all corporations coming to Las Vegas. He only cares that corporations bailed out by taxpayers are having meetings in a town that is promoted as a party town. I know this perception is true because I used to work for the company that promotes Las Vegas tourism.
President Obama owes no apology to Las Vegas; what he said is that corporate honchos shouldn't take trips to Vegas at TAXPAYERS' expense...
The mayor -- or Goodman or anybody else -- should listen carefully to a statement by the President -- or anybody else -- before running his mouth...
Goodman just loves the spotlight dose'nt he? He purposly took the presidents words out of context for his own national spotlight glory hogging purposes. I for one will be glad to see this idiot go a way at the end of his term.
As usual, it's impossible to have a debate on here without taking political sides. Maybe we should ALL take a step back and think about what was actually said, and what the respective positions are.
Love or hate Oscar... and love or hate Obama, it's not a case of a liberal President against a wino. It's a newly elected president saying something that got taken somewhat out of context, and a relatively exhuberant mayor and council that took it personally.
Taken in context, what Obama was getting across is that "now is not the time for big corporations that received bailout money to be holding partys and conferences that reward anything." He singled out Vegas because that was the destination of the two specific groups that he was asked about. He responded directly using Vegas as a specific example IN THAT CONTEXT. I'm sure if he had it to do over again, he would make more of an effort to distinguish the difference between the companies in question, and corporations and business' in general. I suspect you'll hear him say something to that effect in the next few days.
And you can rip on Goodman all you want, but one of the things you WANT your mayor to do is defend his city when it's verbally denegrated, and he was doing just that. Say what you will, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone around here who loves this town more than Oscar. Sure... from time to time he's somewhat of a loose cannon, but when he wants to draw attention to Vegas, he usually succeeds. And usually does so in a pretty good way for the city. Oscar's just about the best champion of this town, and he comes across that way to the rest of the country. You really don't need to be concerned about Oscar "embarrassing" Vegas.
This is nothing more than a byproduct of too many people hanging on every word uttered by Obama. Take it in the context in which is was intended, use a little common sense, and you should be able to deduce that he was talking about very specific situations, and not the market in general.
The visitors committee is simply defending their fair city as they should. Vegas shouldn't have the rap that it does, so they're justified in speaking out while they have the chance.
I don't think Oscar embarrassed Las Vegas. I think Oscar embarrassed Oscar.
Oscar is brilliant. A master marketer for Las Vegas and Bombay Gin. All publicity is good publicity! You go Oscar!
All publicity is NOT necessarily good publicity. Ask Rod Blagojevich.
Obama should not apologize, he was dead on! Their is no way in hell that we should pay for these junkets to reward executives that failed to do their jobs and in many cases ruined their companies. If it was up to me, the higher ups would lose their jobs! Isn't it enough that we taxpayers bail them out! Tough do-do for Vegas and Oscar, everyone has been effected by this calamity brought on by the rich GOP! The McCain's are now worth only $80 million! The money should be taken back if they continue down this road.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/feb...
"Don't know who Brian is, but again, your wrong!"
Well, if you moved here so long ago, then you would know that Brian Greenspun is the publisher of the Las Vegas Sun and one of Las Vegas's most prominent citizens -- proof positive you know nothing about Las Vegas. Stop wasting everyone's time with your misinformation. I doubt you even live here. Now, shhhhhh.
And for the last time, these "junkets" are still taking place, they just moved them to other, more expensive cities that Obama did not criticize by name (San Francisco, New York). People, really, do some research before opening your mouths. It's so irritating the way these anonymous comments are used to push lies and agendas.
"I guarantee that back in the Rat Pack days, that would NEVER be tolerated on any level."
You are delusional. Seriously, possibly medically, delusional.
"Now go back to your lap dance!!!"
Wow... That's a lot of exclamation points. Are we attacking strip clubs now? Are you kidding? You just revealed yourself. Now, go back to your pristine fantasy world, where Las Vegas was not born and bred of gambling and sex and booze and a libertine lifestyle, just leave me out of it, weirdo!
The Indian Casinos in California have record level earnings....ummm, you need to wise up.
Actually, you are the one who needs to wise up. Indian casinos don't pay taxes. That gives them a lot more money to work with.
Lmao. hahahah. 11,000 rooms gone(State farm). I hope ur all happy with ur New King.
U voted him in,Now U get what U what.Do U want more?
I want all I can get if he can start to clean up the destruction left by the guy you DID vote for...twice!
Try a little reading ,Instead of just blaming:
http://www.truthout.org/013009T
I love the Obama love fest on this topic. He could have said "it is your civic duty to stop going to Nevada" and you clowns would stick up for him and bash Bush for making him say it.
The sad thing is Goodman is the one that gave us the PARTY TOWN reputation! Maybe he should have thought about this when he was promoting the sleezy "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" adds. I have never seen an add that made us look like a good place to "conduct business"! We used to be a place that you could bring your children and a place of respect. There used to be something for everyone in Vegas. Now it is just known as the Adult playground!
I also believe that Goodman loves the spotlight and unfortunatly we are going to pay the price. The business conventions were not getting cancelled until Goodman made such a stink about it and to get the spotlight! Yes we can thank Goodman for our LAVISH SEEDY reputation! Just look at the plans for the Mob Museum how much respect did we loose over that one?...Mr. Martini has done it now!
nvmom, since when has Las Vegas not been "adult" only. When they marketed it to families business actually declined. The MGM used to have an amusement park, key word, used.
The people that live in this state get what they so richly deserve.
When Obama uses federal funds to come to Nevada it's OK. LMAO
Harry and Obama will make quite a team when they drive all business out of Nevada.
Obama doesn't want any company receiving bail-out money to come to Nevada, but I am sure it's OK for any company that receives stimulus money to come to Nevada. Right??!!
harske;
you nailed it. NICE.
lusiphur1218: Don't go "nucular." Here's something by Nobel laureate economist and educator (just a fancy way of saying left-wing hack, right?), Joseph E. Stiglitz. http://is.gd/jfer
Las Vegas has NEVER been marketed as a family vacation destination by the LVCVA or R&R Partners (their ad agency). That was created by the media following the opening of the MGM Grand amusement park. The park and the phrase "family vacation destination" disappeared quickly.
Las Vegas is getting everything it deserves these days. We elect non-leaders to office who have no vision. From the top down the so called leadership club is made up of parrots that have been controlled by gaming inc. The South Western USA has had almost a 50 year run of economic growth that has helped fuel any of the good things that have happened in this town -- local leaders have coasted on the coattails of economic growth that happened despite them. They managed that growth poorly AND DID NOTHING TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY. We blew the one chance we had which was to build a nuclear technology element to our economy. We turned our back on the one element of our economy that created quality high paying jobs and brought highly skilled and educated people to our town. Nuclear technology including used fuel has an incredible safety record -- in fact it saves millions of lives each year. On the medical side 1 in 3 treatment and diagnositic procedures use isotopes and on the energy side 76% of the greenhouse gas free electricty in this country comes from nuclear. In Nevada we use 120 times more nuclear power than we do solar (and I wish we used more of both, but we won't without the transmission lines and you need baseload electriticy to justify building the transmission lines needed to help us tap into solar).Before some fearmongering idiot talks about Three Mile Island or an accident that happened in the USSR (that couldn't happen here) please do your homework. The opportunities related to Yucca were endless and we blew that to. Its pols like Goodman that got us in the situation we are in today. Focusing their energy on comments by the President rather than doing anything. The Congressional delegation is even worse. Goodman is hopeless classic vegas -- back to Yucca -- he toured the site when he was first elected and came back completely impressed with the technology and everything about the project. He had a vision and as soon as Reid/Greenspun said boo that was it. Goodman, like the other brainless Nevada pols drank the kool aide and started saying the same mind numbing dumb technically incorrect nonsense as the rest of the pols. That was the day that I new Oscar Goodman was just more of the same, only louder, although not as shrill as Shelley -- don't get me started with that one. Best as I can tell the only true public servant in this town is Bruce Woodbury. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.
the mayor should be worrying about all of the defective work being done at the city center project and not worry about the president of the usa.peoples(tourist)lives may be in danger as a result of all of the failed steel inspections on this casino where several construction workers died yet i haven't heard or read one word from this mayor with regard to any of that. and yes mayor corporations who fly to wash,dc and ask for billions of dollars should not be visiting vegas or going to the superbowl,where is your brain.
Mayor Goodman has nothing to concern himself with CityCenter, as that project is under COUNTY jurisdiction.
Las Vegas IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN an ADULT playground and destination.
This comment board is pathetic.
Obama, sorry you got my vote.
I love how some you "OLDTIMERS" LONG for a Vegas that has since passed. But you are not fooling anyone Vegas has and ALWAYS will be a place where some of lifes "sins" are out in the open. But EVERY CITY ON THE PLANET HAS:
Prositution
Gambling
Drugs
Family Problems
Big Business that takes money from the common man while making untonld amounts of money in profits.
----(Again PLEASE dont tell me that The mob ran the city better Bc in some aspects maybe they did to a smalle extent. But the MOB skimmed millions off the top which could have gone to BETTER THE SCHOOLS AND ROADS But it went to line the pockets of rich people THE SAME WAY THE CORPORATIONS DO
Las Vegas is an HONEST CITY with AN HONEST CULTURE
EVERYONE IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD IS DOING WHAT IS BEING DONE IN VEGAS BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS BUT EVERYONE STLL KNOWS IT GOES ON
SO THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND SOME PODUNK TOWN IN ALABAMA
Oscar Goodman is still very upset that The Miss America contestants wouldn't come over to his house for a drunken pool party.
Nance - there's this invention called the PHONE and the companies have conference rooms so put it all together and you can gather all these employees together via tele-conference - I've been to these so-called 'conferences' - spent about 6 hrs. in a huge room sitting around tables listening to a bunch of BS and then off for the fun and games at the pool or the gaming table - they just use these 'conferences' as a tax write-off to cover their 'party' and now they want to use taxpayers dollars for their party - I think not. It's not just Vegas that they shouldn't be going to - it's anywhere - unless they're paying for it out of their pocket not mine.
"Ask Rod Blagojevich."
I will. In a few years. When he publishes his book. Which will sell because people know who he is.
I stand by the adage. But you can try again if you like. :)
"It's not just Vegas that they shouldn't be going to - it's anywhere - unless they're paying for it out of their pocket not mine."
Uh oh, looks like more airline layoffs are coming. Somebody's gonna get hurt by that!
Wouldn't it be nice if all we had to do was stop spending money? Unfortunately, that's simpleton logic that ignores the deeper implications of those actions.
It's a damn shame, all you who are blasting our Mayor. At least he cares about our city. Evidently you must work at a 7-11 or something that doesn't require any thought. If you don't like Las Vegas...why the hell did you come here in the first place? Go back to your Podunk city you crawled away from for a better life in Las Vegas...don't want ya here, don't need ya here..
johnevegas: "In a few years. When he publishes his book. Which will sell because people know who he is."
They may know him but, by that time, they won't care. I see the $2 sale bin in his future.
It's really simple............
The city of Las Vegas didn't need to be brought up in the preachers sermon.
Being a hardworking tax payer living in Las Vegas, no one has ever come to my door and asked me how I would like my tax dollars spent.
Keep Las Vegas ALIVE.........
We have a fantastic city for conventions and nice weather too. United we stand, divided we fall.
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
Loved your rant bag. The pols in this town have been riding the economic boom (created by the casinos)in this town for years. Now that it has dried up, we will really see that these elected officials have no idea of how to run county/city. All they know how to do is say yes to the casinos, take bribes and kickbacks. Now comes the blame game of whos fault it is that las vegas going into the crapper. I also predict that some officals will start jumping ship like the mangy rats they are when it is no longer profitable to hold office.