Sun editorial:

Making Nevada look bad

Gov. Jim Gibbons continues to play the role of state’s laughingstock

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 2:09 a.m.

With all the weighty issues that have landed on President Barack Obama’s desk, we’re certain he’s not losing any sleep over how to handle the Jim Gibbons problem.

In case you haven’t heard, this isn’t exactly shaping up as the second coming of President John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. That is, unless you buy the drivel coming from the desk of Gov. Gibbons.

He issued a Monday statement with the sensational headline: “President Obama refuses meeting with Governor Gibbons to repair damage to tourism caused by president.”

Obama, you may recall, made a comment this year that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, followed by Gibbons, blew out of proportion. The two Nevadans claimed that Obama was discouraging people from visiting Las Vegas when, in fact, the president was referring only to junkets by companies that had received federal bailout funding.

With the president scheduled to visit Las Vegas next Wednesday to attend a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the governor is perplexed that he doesn’t warrant an audience with Obama. “Sometimes Washington politicians forget that the people of Nevada are Americans,” Gibbons said. “This president needs to repair the damage he has done.”

It is Gibbons who should set the record straight and repair the damage that he has done to Nevada. He should concede that he often forgets how a governor should conduct himself.

A good place to start is for Gibbons to stop issuing statements that make Nevada look like an unsophisticated backwater state.

The next step is for the governor to actually spend time in his office and come up with constructive solutions to the state’s problems. The drop-off in Las Vegas convention business that Gibbons alluded to is not because of anything said or done by Obama, but should instead be attributed to the economy that turned sour when George W. Bush was in office.

Gibbons, a Bush loyalist while serving in Congress, conveniently omits that fact.

Discussion: 13 comments so far…

By gunowners4obama

5/20/09 at 5:59 a.m.

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"A good place to start is for Gibbons to stop issuing statements that make Nevada look like an unsophisticated backwater state."

You native Nevadans need to get around a little more often. Nevada IS a backwater. The sleazebag might as well be called Governor Backwater. The voters who elected him could be the cast of a movie called Backwater. Etc.
By Future_2012

5/20/09 at 6:41 a.m.

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"Obama, you may recall, made a comment this year that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, followed by Gibbons," took issue with because Obama was discouraging people from visiting Las Vegas ... on junkets by companies that had received federal funding"

The only one making Nevada look bad is Harry Reid.

It is good to know that the LV Sun supports Obama snub of the Nevada Governor.

At Notre Dame on 5-11-2009, Obama said."I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable,"

But Obama went on to say that we must continue with "Civility" in discussions.

Well that did not last long.

LOL.

At the April 2009 Summits of Americas Obama warming embraced Hugo Chavez shaking Obama's hand one day and apparently trying the next day to recruit Obama into his book club.

In front of photographers, Chavez gave Obama a copy of "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent,"

But Obama can not shake hands with the Nevada Governor. That disrepects the office.

The LV Sun's hate when it come to the Governor is overwhelming.
By neiman1

5/20/09 at 6:47 a.m.

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The Mouth in Chief says you cannot go down to Las Vegas on the taxpayers dime, even for business.

Now he comes here on the taxpayers HUGE dollars only to raise money for the losing harry Reid.

Why wouldn't the Governor be expected to call him out on this?
By ensignbay

5/20/09 at 7:48 a.m.

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I totally disagree. Gov Gibbons is highlighting the damage Obama's running-of-the-mouth causes. Business DID drop off more after Obama told companies to stop going to Vegas. He's creating an environment where it looks bad for companies to hold conventions in Vegas. Not good for LV, at all.

Imagine if Obama had encouraged companies to go to Vegas. You don't think that business would pick up?

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By DouglasDemocrat

5/20/09 at 7:54 a.m.

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Right - it's all Obama's fault.

Keep telling yourself that. And maybe one day you might get more than the lunatic fringe to believe it.

Reno's hurting worse than Las Vegas. Lake Tahoe's hurting worse than Las Vegas. The whole state is hurting. You gonna blame all that on the President too?
By Patrick_R_Gibbons

5/20/09 at 8:54 a.m.

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Nevada is a backwater huh? Ok, well its a backwater that has a net migration over the last decade that is close to one million people larger than the net migration of all 38 states with top tier public universities in America.

How about them apples? http://npri.org/publications/education-a...
By Future_2012

5/20/09 at 9:53 a.m.

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"Ok, well its a backwater that has a net migration over the last decade"

Check the last year. It is not what is was.
By MAC45

5/20/09 at 9:56 a.m.

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I'm guessing the few regular defenders of Gibbons must live in LV. If you believe in his "no taxes" mantra, fine. If he believes in it, fine. It's a free country, but you do need more than a mantra to govern. The reason so many of us scorn him is his behavior. He is never around & concerns about the number of hours he actually works has been around since he was elected. He is totally disengaged from the legis. process - which he blames on the legislature. No excuse - he is supposed to be working for the people who elected him, no matter how other pols behave. But, as everyone in Reno knows, he finds plenty of time to go out & chase women. I wouldn't even care about that so much, if he was doing his job. But his past affairs & current activities have turned off many in the party of "family values."

I had business one day in the leg building last session & he came in. Walked in like a rock star, with a posse of capitol police & staff surrounding him (how much does that cost the state?). Coming after the low-key Kenny Guinn, who would wander over with a staff member or two, was laughable.
He is disdainful & arrogant. And I know plenty of Repubs up here who agree.
By cutthroat

5/20/09 at 10:22 a.m.

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Well, I thought the days of embarassment for Nevada were over when Chic Hecht was not reelected to the Senate! Boy, was I wrong!
By gmag39

5/20/09 at 11:22 a.m.

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"Disdainful & arrogant."
Well said, MAC45.
With all that was known about the shady Gym Gibbens prior to election, it is truly astounding that the man was elected. ASTOUNDING.
Education Governor. It has been ALL THAT.
By formervegas76

5/20/09 at 11:31 a.m.

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hey wake up, these republicans only care about the money-big money- all your causes you think they care about-they are laughing behind your back
By geenab65

5/20/09 at 9:28 p.m.

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"The Mouth in Chief says you cannot go down to Las Vegas on the taxpayers dime, even for business".

Neiman1, quote accurately or JUST SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE!!! Good Grief, you make hillbillies sound good. Let me explain it to you AGAIN. I doubt you will understand but what the heck...He said you cannot use BAILOUT monies (this being aimed specifically at those who begged for bailout monies). IBM and Southwest didn't use bailout monies and they are partying here IN LAS VEGAS just fine with a clear and guilt free conscience.
By Gregory

5/22/09 at 2:37 a.m.

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Maybe if former President Bush, or Dick Cheney, or Condi, or Rumsfeld, or Newt, or Senator McCain, or Governor Palin, did a national television add add through R and R and LVCVA to promote Vegas, and maybe also hold a fundraiser in town with bottles and glasses held high, maybe that would get the party started enough to raise revenues higher.

Former President Bush's brother was an officer for a Wall Street firm during his Presidency, perhaps he could "guest star".

After all, 2009 gaming-hospitality profits were reported by a Las Vegas Newspaper to be the SECOND BEST IN STATE HISTORY. So, where's the beef?

The real beef is with some of Nevada's casino executive leadership, leadership which generally does not gamble and is conservative fiscally and politically, OVERSPENDING for four to five years, beyond the ability of the other 49 states visitation to pay for it.

While their employees were trying to figure out how to buy 200 dollar a square foot homes on 12-18 dollar an hour jobs, with several Strip Corridor construction cranes still in the air, sure to push values higher, their bosses were collecting big salaries and spending the rest.

President Obama is part of the solution, not the source of problems in Nevada. Solutions for regional transportation, better schools and community programs (provided Nevada can put up the required equity), and business diversification.

But, it might be wise to "park" those mobile billboards advertising escort services along the Strip Corridor while the President is visiting. Where's the hypocrisy in that?