J. Patrick Coolican

Columnist

Stories

Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012; Henderson City Councilwoman Gerri Schroder only learned Monday that a Henderson Police officer was caught on tape kicking a restrained man in the head five times during a botched traffic stop in October 2010 that wound up costing the city $257,000.
Creativity, strong support system make for thriving city: Friday, Feb. 10, 2012; I’m generally skeptical of and resistant to pom-pom boosterism. So at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Preview Las Vegas 2012 on Thursday, I snickered some at the optimism and good cheer.
Our success may hinge on embracing a bohemian philosophy: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012; Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” argues that if cities are to be prosperous, they must embrace the “three Ts”: talent, technology and tolerance. He adds a seductive twist: To capture these three Ts, we must also embrace bohemianism.
Degradation of the Republican Party on display in Las Vegas: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012; It was a fitting closing chapter in the Republican presidential nominating contest, which has had all the gravitas of Mardi Gras. Donald Trump, the nation’s charlatan-in-chief, endorsed likely nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday in his fabulously classy, super glamorous, totally loathsome building near the Las Vegas Strip.
Who is Mitt Romney? Despite rising support, his flip-flopping still nags: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012; This week the website BuzzFeed posted a video titled, “A Mitt Romney Vs. Mitt Romney Debate.” Until he joined BuzzFeed, Andrew Kaczynski was a YouTube hound with a knack for finding obscure and devastating videos of politicians contradicting themselves. This Romney bit doesn’t disappoint.
Dissecting one of Ron Paul's dangerous ideas: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012; Reaction to Rep. Ron Paul usually veers from mild amusement at the crotchety uncle or respect for his consistency. Sure, he wants to do away with Medicare and Social Security, but hey, he hates all the wars and would legalize pot, so go Ron Paul.
Experiencing hunger in Las Vegas: $3.39 a day buys little food, lots of lessons: Monday, Jan. 30, 2012; Try eating on $3.39 a day. Some Las Vegans learned last week that it’s doable but difficult. Luckily for them it was just a one-week experiment, whereas for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, it’s an ongoing challenge.
UPS CEO Scott Davis talks Obama, economy and compromise: Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012; I talked to D. Scott Davis, CEO of UPS, for a few minutes after President Barack Obama’s appearance at a local UPS facility today, and his comments were insightful because he seems like a perfect representation of the average voter.
Shrewd, smaller Vegas resorts show that innovating, renovating can do wonders: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012; When I look at the hand-painted psychedelia of the piano; the ornate, custom-made pool table; and shoe fetish art in the lobby of the Royal House, I feel a little hopeful, which hasn’t been a very common emotion these past few years.
Your next landlord in Las Vegas could be a hedge fund: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012; Hedge funds could be the next big player in the Las Vegas real estate market. And I’m not talking about apartment complexes or commercial property. I’m talking single-family homes.

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Blog Entries

Ensign's chief of staff leaving: Wednesday, July 22, 2009; John Lopez, Sen. John Ensign's chief of staff, is leaving the senator's employ, as first reported by Sun columnist Jon Ralston.
Lawmakers preparing for governor's speech: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009
Governor's budget won't spread the pain equally: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; I just left an embargoed press briefing on the governor's budget. "Embargo" in the media world means we can't reveal what was said until an appointed time, in this case, 6 p.m., when the governor makes his State of the State speech.
Mood more somber ahead of governor's speech: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
Danny Glover stumps for Obama: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Memo to Democrats: No one cares about Danny Glover.
GOP gives help to Al Franken's opponent: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008
State Democratic leader says he's staying: Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
Ensign pointing finger at McCain: Monday, Oct. 27, 2008; Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, head of the Senate Republican election effort, is blaming the McCain campaign for his unhappiness.
Report: McCain's troubles in the West: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
Palin on the powers of a VP: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008; Responding to a question from a third-grader today, here's Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: