Business - Las Vegas Sun

Union pushed; Trop fell: Behind the scenes, the Culinary and its parent helped bring about the loss of Tropicana’s New Jersey license and its filing for bankruptcy protection; By Michael Mishak; The owners of the Tropicana might have filed for bankruptcy protection regardless of labor union tactics. But the Culinary Union and its parent certainly saw where the Tropicana, a long-standing nemesis, was vulnerable. And the union then set itself on a course of action that it knew would lead to the company’s financial unraveling. The gaming company has filed for bankruptcy reorganization after the union’s parent, Unite Here, led a successful charge for the revocation of its New Jersey gaming license.

CityCenter is MGM Mirage’s life preserver in lean times: LOOKING IN ON: GAMING:; By Liz Benston; While some Las Vegas condos are in foreclosure as buyers walk away from purchase contracts, MGM Mirage — defending a lawsuit filed by unhappy Signature condo-hotel owners — says no buyers have canceled purchases at CityCenter despite the housing slump.

Adelson won’t relinquish fight to block Palazzo club: Looking in on: Justice: Mogul moves to reverse order allowing partners to resume construction; Wednesday, May 7, 2008; By Jeff German; Nightclub operators Marc Packer and Richard Wolf have had less than a month to savor a hard-fought legal victory over their landlord, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson.

UMC thefts on overtime alleged: Police say workers helped bosses steal goods on company time; Wednesday, May 7, 2008; By Tony Cook; Not only did University Medical Center employees help their bosses steal from the public hospital — they also charged the hospital tens of thousands of dollars in overtime while doing it, according to police.

Mortgage bailout unfair to majority: Letter to the Editor:; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Ginger Swartz, Boulder City; Congress is considering financial assistance for home mortgage holders, who, for one reason or another, have slipped into foreclosure.

The upside of anger: Neighbors meeting neighbors: Opposition to apartment projects serves as social cement; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; By Mike Trask; On the surface, there’s nothing special or unique about neighbors, with kids and dogs in tow, gathering in the sun. Yet within the ebb and flow of life in North Las Vegas, dozens of people getting together to eat ice cream sandwiches in the nation’s fastest-growing city took on significance.

‘Jersey Boys’ is all about the music: 30 hits help tell Four Seasons’ story; Tuesday, May 6, 2008; By Joe Brown; “Is Frankie Valli still alive?” wondered the young guy in the seat in front of me. After he conferred with his seat mates — among the four of them, they pronounced the singer dead — an older woman whipped around in her seat and set them straight: “He sure as hell is alive!”

Mischief-making blockers are signature gatherers’ bane: They holler to dissuade potential backers of teachers union petition; Monday, May 5, 2008; By J. Patrick Coolican; Russ Stevens walks out of the North Las Vegas DMV office and is approached by a woman asking him to sign a petition in favor of raising casino taxes to benefit teachers and schools.

Congress goes extra mile for homeowners: State’s reps cross party lines on bills; Sunday, May 4, 2008; By Lisa Mascaro; Even as $600 rebate checks to fend off a recession are landing in mailboxes, Congress knows they won’t be enough to halt the mortgage meltdown.

Brian Greenspun knows a leader when he sees one: WHERE I STAND: Top Nevada business exec could fill vacuum; Sunday, May 4, 2008; By Brian Greenspun; I decided a few weeks ago that I was no longer going to act like a common scold in this space. The people of Nevada should know by now that I believe we are in desperate need of new leadership at the state level and any other part of government that doesn’t recognize that we are in trouble or, worse, refuses to do anything about it.

No crossing over: If you don’t speak Spanish, Juanes may be the biggest star you’ve never heard of — because he doesn’t sing in English; Friday, May 2, 2008; By Joe Brown; There’s an international superstar in town tonight. An ultramegastar, in fact.

Our concentration of resorts is cited as economic model: Brookings Institution: Clustering similar businesses key to success; Friday, May 2, 2008; By Joe Schoenmann, Jack Sheehan; Las Vegas’ success in becoming a nexus of entertainment and gambling is a model that American cities would do well to emulate in other businesses, a new Brookings Institution report concludes.

Losing ground: North Las Vegas resident wants to reroute city’s plan to take his land via eminent domain; Thursday, May 1, 2008; By Mike Trask; It’s tough to feel sorry for James Bailey. In 1991 he purchased a small home in downtown North Las Vegas for $25,000. Now the city, needing to clear the way for a road project, is offering him $163,000 for his battered 1,042-square-foot house.

US Airways to cut more Las Vegas flights: Workers are told hub operation for connections to end; Wednesday, April 30, 2008; By Richard N. Velotta; US Airways, the second-busiest operator at McCarran International Airport, has notified its workers that it will discontinue its hub operation in Las Vegas and curtail the number of flights here.

Mystery surrounds CityCenter fatality: Investigation under way in electrician’s fall — fifth death at project; Tuesday, April 29, 2008; By Alexandra Berzon; Electrician Mark Wescoat, 47, of New Jersey fell to his death at MGM Mirage’s CityCenter work site Saturday. Nine other workers have died in construction accidents in Strip building projects, including four at CityCenter, over the past 17 months.

From The Gaming & Business Blog

Tropicana Entertainment makes money but still files for bankruptcy: Today’s news that Tropicana Entertainment is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection comes on the heels of a much-publicized slowdown that has uncovered the myth ...

Wynn Resorts first-quarter profit drops 20 percent: LAS VEGAS (AP) _ Casino operator Wynn Resorts says its first-quarter profit fell 20 percent on an increase in operating costs.

Vegas company sues Irish partner over condo development: The Las Vegas-based co-developer of an upscale condominium project in the southwest valley filed a lawsuit today accusing its Irish partner of hijacking the development.

Atlantic City to ban smoking in casinos: In a move that could reverberate across the casino industry, the Atlantic City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to ban smoking in the nation's No. ...

Bankruptcies shouldn't hurt McCarran: Officials at McCarran International Airport say they aren’t worried about being paid by the bankrupt airlines that packed up operations in a recent flurry of ...