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Sen. John Ensign draws a graph as he gives a lecture to West Prep High School students on the economic challenges facing the nation on Monday, Oct. 18, 2010.
By Paul Takahashi (contact) 
Monday, Oct. 18, 2010 | 12:50 p.m.
Map of West Prep Academy
West Prep Academy
2050 Saphire Stone Ave., Las Vegas
Monday was no ordinary school day for 25 students in Tammy Hadlock’s Advanced Placement government class.
Nevada Sen. John Ensign visited West Preparatory High School to give a lecture to juniors and seniors in Hadlock’s class.
Ensign spent the bulk of his 45-minute lecture at the school, near the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard, talking about the economic challenges facing the country.
“We’re in a tough economic time right now,” Ensign, a Republican, said. “Nevada used to be the envy of the nation. We led the nation in a lot of things.”
The state tops the nation in rates of unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies, Ensign said, adding that he believes the federal government caused the recent recession.
“The government created the housing bubble,” he said. “One thing about bubbles is that 100 percent of the time, it bursts. Because we led the housing bubble, it (the recession) was more severe for us,” he said.
Ensign went beyond American politics during his talk, touching upon the European Union’s bailout of Greece and Japan’s “Lost Decade” of economic stagnation to illustrate why he believes increasing government spending is not the answer to the nation’s economic woes. Ensign, instead, argued for more tax cuts and slashing the interest rate to stimulate the economy.
“Our national debt is $13.5 trillion. You just can’t understand that number,” Ensign said. “And guess who has to pay that back? Do you all have a mirror?”
After his lecture, the senator answered students’ questions about defense spending, immigration and nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.
“I was excited,” said Abraham Felix, a 17-year-old senior. “I couldn’t believe the senator came. It shows our school has improved a lot since I came here in seventh grade.”
Five years ago, West Prep, 2050 Saphire Stone Ave., had one of the worst reputations in the Clark County School District in terms of school performance and safety. Principal Mike Barton said he appreciated the senator’s efforts to help turn around the school. Ensign attended West Prep’s high school graduation last year, and praised the school for sending off 43 college-bound seniors.
“Ensign’s a big supporter of our school,” Barton said. “Our school can often feel forgotten, but he (Ensign) always keeps in touch.”
“It was an awesome experience for the kids and myself,” Hadlock said. “To take the time to come in when I’m the only one eligible to vote… Senator Ensign did a phenomenal job answering the kids’ questions in a pretty straightforward manner.”
Students at West Prep seemed to agree.
“I felt empowered because I don’t get the opportunity to speak to my senator every day,” said Juan Gonzalez, a 17-year-old junior. “It made me feel like an empowered American. That I had a voice.”
the kids should have asked the senator this...
how is it possible for a holy roller like yourself dear senator...
a member of promise keepers...
to sleep with his best friends wife???
hmmm???
The Senator should be taking this class, not giving them a lecture.
I bet he didn't give a lecture about one man/one woman or that adultery is, well anti-Christian.
Actually John, Nevada was never the envy of the US. The roads were never very good here. The main businesses are either gambling/prostitution/divorce or despoiling the environment. And, No other state wants the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, that's why they tried to put it here.
It appears that John Ensign will be the Senior Senator from Nevada...
Was Ensign cruising for a date ?!?!
This shows how uninformed and naive all these students, and their teacher, really are. I monitor Ensign's voting record which is solid NOs to anything that may benefit the average Nevadan. He reeks of insincerity and hypocrisy.
Just hope he didn't hit on smitten Tammy.
I've always surprised how much attention that our lowest performers get in our society- especially in regards to schools.
I wonder if Senator Ensign, or really anybody else, would take the time to visit and lecture if West Prep wasn't such a horrible school in the past and now a "model" school that all the politicians want to show off. There are many high school AP Government classes that have made requests to Senators and Congressmen/women to come speak to them, mine included that many years ago. I, unfortunately, went to a high school that had an amazing academic and AP program, but wasn't important to the reelection prospects of anyone.
Of course, I would be wrong to say that people don't pay attention to those that are not in the ground- such as the voters and electorate.
But, I still think it sucks to be stuck in the middle of those that are in trouble/in welfare/go to bad schools and the middle class/voters/people who matter. The only thing worse perhaps is to be one of the reviled rich that politicians like to punch at in their rhetoric before turning around and taking money from them.
Senator Ensign's legal bills for just the last 3 months have come to $550,000!!!
Whew!
No wonder he's been sending out "fundraising" letters, begging for cash!
It gives "pay to play" a whole new meaning, Senator!
Pardon me, but I'm from a small town up in northern Nevada and haven't been able to follow this guy the last few years. Why has he, suddenly, come out into the sunlight?
Is there an indictment coming out before elections?
Or, now that his legal fund is almost tapped out, are his staff finally ready (and climbing over each other) to go government witness?
Is Dean Heller's hat-in-the ring appearance starting to queer Ensign's fund raising potential?
The only parties to the plot farther in the deepfreeze have been the checkbook wielding Ensign parents... did the US accountants ever report on the 3 (or 4) into $96,000 payoff?
Senator Ensign is... looking good. He looks like a stylish guy thinking about:
"Now is the time to try something new."
@Bertsos:
Good one... lol :)