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StumbleLV Chamber CEO: ‘Prosperity is going to happen again’
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | 5:57 p.m.
Matthew T. Crosson
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The new president and CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce says the chamber would take a leadership role to bring the community together to pull Las Vegas out of the Great Recession.
Matt Crosson, former president of the Long Island Association, New York's largest business association, told chamber members at a lunch today that the chamber would bring business and labor leaders and educators together to chip away at some of the problems that face Southern Nevada -- a lack of economic diversification, high unemployment and a poor education system among them.
It was Crosson's first public address in Southern Nevada and his remarks were warmly received by the more than 200 chamber members attending the lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel.
"We are going to have the capacity and resources and the opportunities to take advantage to not just be Las Vegas again but to be one of leading economic forces in the United States because this is where growth is going to happen again," Crosson said. "This is where the future of the United States is going to happen. This is where prosperity is going to happen again. If we all work together we're going to make that happen."
Crosson said some of the economic woes being experienced in Southern Nevada are similar to those that occurred in the Long Island area, where aircraft manufacturer Grumman was a major employer and more than 90,000 jobs were lost in the 1980s and '90s.
Crosson said the solution was to diversify the economy and it started with meetings of all the community's shareholders -- even those who didn't get along with each other politically.
That, he said, is what has to happen in Southern Nevada and why he wants representatives of diverse backgrounds to come together to solve the area's economic problems. He said bringing together various organizations doesn't mean the chamber intends to compromise on any of its stances on taxes and educational accountability.
"You start with the premise when you get everybody together that we're all here and we're all in the same boat, we're going to disagree about things, but let's set the disagreements outside the door," Crosson said in an interview following his presentation.
"Let's focus on what we can agree upon," he said. "If you're not really prepared to do that and want to fight old battles or fight future battles, then really don't be a part of the process because we can't have the process derailed by disagreement. Once we set the ground rules, then we can overcome the stuff that breaks groups apart."
Crosson said the chamber would continue to take leadership stances on certain political and economic issues.
"We're not going to compromise on things we think are integral to the economic future of the community," he said. "That doesn't mean we're not open to discussing everything. We should be open to discussing everything. And we should be able to articulate our position simply and clearly and listen to what other people have to say. But to say in advance that we would compromise on this or that package, I wouldn't do that.
"We've got to start with the premise that we have problems and the only way we're going to solve those problems is for every good head and cool head to come together and work cooperatively toward a productive end. If everybody accepts that, you can make progress and then you deal with the issues as they come along."
Crosson said he hopes to get representation from educators and labor leaders - groups the chamber has sparred with on issues in the past. He also hopes to tap the brainpower of UNLV, the Brookings Institution and the Nevada Development Authority.
Crosson is optimistic about Southern Nevada's recovery from the recession because Las Vegas is populated with so many creative and entrepreneurial people, he said. He cited Zappos.com for having "the most creative work environment by far I've ever seen," and he also was impressed with the architecture on display at CityCenter.
Crosson also said the local business community has to go into the process with optimism.
"It's all about attitude," he said. "The community needs to believe that we are coming back from this recession."
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Matt Crosson, former president of the Long Island Association, New York
Steve Wynn, Utica, New York
Jim Murren, New York
Sheldon Adelson, Dorchester, Massachusetts
Gary Loveman, Western Massachusetts.
See any connection here? All these East Coast con men are the reason Las Vegas is in so much trouble. Over leveraged, under capitalized companies that are bringing our town to slow ruin. The Fertitta's learned from these crooks, and have left Stations in a shambles, too.
And they'll all run back east with their pockets stuffed with cash, and you and I will be left wondering "How come it was so much better prior to 1989?" Our only hope is that they won't be able to bribe the Chinese dictators to ruin them, too. But they are experts at their crafts, that's for sure.
Comment removed by moderator. Language.
Hary Reid, meet Arlen Spincter. Now go home to Searchlight.
Lamest positive statement ever:
++++++++
'Prosperity is going to happen again'
** Disclaimer:
Between this day and the day mankind is completely destroyed there will be some prosperity somewhere.
The G-word again: Growth. Growth where?
Real estate? Not enough water, and the last bubble didn't sustain itself.
Gambling? Not with state legislatures around the country looking to tap local gambling as a revenue stream, not to mention Indian and Internet gambling.
New industries? Not with the quality of education, medical care, public safety, etc. in Nevada.
He is right that there will be prosperity again. The cycle will continue. But the only way out of the boom and bust, boom and bust cycle for Nevada is to ditch the Growth and embrace Sustainability.
So nothing has changed, they are not going to change their stance.
Great news!!
New businesses are going to move here as the cities and county reduce services to their citizens, to include city marshals and firefighters.
Right!!!
Mob Museum
Crocidile farm
vacant old city hall
vacant plots of land
more gin please
this is like an orange grower saying "orange juice is good for you".
As usual, no positive news on the economy can go by without the same unhappy folks predicting conspiracies and gloom and doom.
WE 'DIVERSIFIED' INTO GOLD MINING
AND
GOT THE SHAFT, THEN, TOO.
No factory, company, corporation, or any other for-profit organization (with miniscule exception) would ever dream of relocating to southern Nevada, ever.
Worst school system.
Worst foreclosure problem.
Worst bankruptcy numbers.
Worst problem gamblers.
Worst percentage of addicted smokers.
Worst percentage of methamphetamine addicts.
Worst persentage of spousal abuse.
Worst government budget deficits.
Worst unemployment numbers.
So, proseperity will happen, ha, when Las Veg--, oops I mean hell, freezes over.
And if your waiting for your 'ship to come in', hey, THERE'S NO DOCK IN LAS VEGAS, baby......
as usual, there are people that can't smell a self-serving "prediction".
have you even LOOKED at the real data the casino companies have posted in the last few days? earnings are still down.
the chamber is a relic. a twitter account with a few hundred followers will do more for your business than that "chamber directory" or the "networking" breakfasts.
This guy sounds like a cheerleader trying to roust the losing team, no better yet, the coach in the locker room at half time trying to boost morale of the football team who is down forty points!!!
There is a little town about 2 hrs. north of here, just outside of Beatty, on the way to Death Valley, they call it a ghost town today it's name: Rhyolite. 30,000 people used to live there back in the early 1900's. This boomtown used to have 5 or 6 railroad lines that serviced it. Sound familiar?
Since the Chamber helped make Nevada dumber, poorer and sicker, I hesitate to welcome their "leadership" to some fantastic "prosperity." Other than serve as shills for insurance companies and foreign mining conglomerates - while giving the shaft to small business and gaming too - what does the Chamber do?
"Prosperity is going to happen again."
Okay.
This yahoo said his six words that will magically make all of the ills and problems of Las Vegas go away, thereby justifying his six digit figure annual income.
Hallelujah.
We're all saved.
He He Ho Ho He He. What has this guy been smoking?
jessica alba will knock on my door.
dang. let me try that again.
jessica alba will knock on my door.
still nothing.
las vegas will see prosperity again.
that's about as empty as me saying jessica alba will knock on my door.
That is what BP is saying about the Gulf Oil Spill.