User profile: esquared

Vegas has no one to blame but itself. Tough decisions have been but off for years by the GOP controlled legislature and governor's office and, go figure, now Nevada is in the fiscal toilet. To pinion an entire state's economy on, not merely the existence of disposable income, but on the willingness to throw it away on cheap thrills by people worldwide borders on criminal. Goodman is a boob. Instead of playing the hurt old man with the showgirls draped around him, he should be up in Carson City demanding tax reform and out trying to bring companies into Nevada. He should be hawking renewable energy and aerospace, de-salinization and mag-lev light rail, not boobs and black-jack. Investment houses around the world are downgrading casino and gaming stocks that have deep connections to Las Vegas because the long-term trend is away from travel solely for the purpose of blowing money. The casinos you see in the next 3 years will be the same casinos in 20 years. There will be no more. The cycle of spend is utterly ending and that spells doom for Nevada unless they dismount their 'one-trick pony.' Just read the stock reports for Sands and I.G.T. Gaming is de-centralizing throughout the country but Gibbons and Goodman just don't have the stones to admit it and act upon it.

BTW: Short-notice medium size conference and meeting (100 to 250 attendees) bookings in Chicago AND Milwaukee were UP by 12% in January 09. Companies still have to meet, they're just not meeting in Vegas. Why should they? Vegas is distraction personified and now is the time for focus.

No, no Houston. Bush didn't keep us safe after September 11th; it's just that no one attacked us. The 9/11 attackers achieved their goal: they sent the country into economic turmoil and induced us to invade Iraq. After 9/11, there was no need to attack the US again, as we were cooking our own goose well enough on our own. Bush can no more take credit for preventing attacks after 9/11 than have responsibility imposed upon him for the 9/11 attacks in the first place.

As for Carter: he stood before the people and took responsibility for the failed hostage rescue attempt when every military professional knew that it was the fault of the mission commanders themselves. Marine and Naval professionals around the country knew that Carter was a more courageous man than most presidents for quietly taking the blame. He stood tall in our eyes then and still does now. You simply blow smoke out of an utterly ignorant orifice. You've perhaps forgotten Ford's "Whip Inflation Now" buttons? Your comments are offensively moronic.

Do you honestly think any HERE/Culinary member would vote to decertify? You must be drinking Nance's koolaid! Unfortunately, this combo union was never going to work: UNITE is too small in rank and file, but dripping with cash. Did Wilhelm or Taylor really think Raynor would permit rank and file votes on issue's he controlled? This is an unfortunately timed, but totally forseeable fight. Raynor will ultimately take his bank and go home, leaving Here/Culinary with the UNITE members but not their cash.

Especially when that power rests in the hands of the employer. The only rights an employer loses with a card check system is the right to fire and obstruct union organizers during the average 6 years it takes between an election and certification by the NLRB. On objection to the election is all it takes to but the case on the NLRB's slow-train, and no one is protected during that time. That's it. That's all the check card system does.

Hey Nance? Why has Wisconsin brought more new employers into their state than Nevada? They have an income tax. AND it's freakin cold there! But, their schools, from an aggressive pre-K to UW Madison, make Nevada schools look third world. Their health care system is light-years better than Nevada. Those 2 strengths equal happier, more contented employees. Your 'pull-up-the-ladder, Jack, 'cuz-I'm-aboard' mentality has Nevada becoming a joke in the business community. All that your Nevada has to offer are boobs and gun fire. The better Nevada is willing to invest in the future.