Sunday, July 1, 2012 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
The new Apple facilities — a data center and purchasing center — being built in Reno and Sparks should instead be located in the Las Vegas Valley. The projects, which are expected to create 580 construction jobs (plus approximately 241 full-time and contract Apple positions), could have helped our local economy, which we desperately need since unemployment is hovering between 11 and 12 percent.
The Las Vegas Valley is the population center of the state. Even though 821 jobs may not sound like a lot, it is. Had the center been built here, the Apple projects could have spurred other high-tech companies to consider our valley as a possible site for expanding.
Even if that didn’t occur, a new Apple facility would create jobs at restaurants, shops and casinos.
I don’t begrudge Reno and Sparks for getting Apple to build there because our whole state needs economic diversity and further revenue, but the Las Vegas Valley is the population center and would have benefited more.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy