Nevada's number one industry is tourism, which Obama bashes.
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RENO - Why does President Obama continue to bash Vegas? Hasn't he done enough to dent the Silver State?
At a New Hampshire town hall Tuesday, President Obama said that people should not "blow a bunch of cash in Vegas" during a tough recession.
"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," he told the forum." You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college."
One would think Obama would have learned from his gaffe last February. Vegas casinos and hotels immediately lost more than $20 million in the 30 days after Obama told a town hall in Elkhart, IN, that "corporate responsibility" means, "You can't get corporate jets. You can't go take that trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers' dime," he said.
Within 90 days of that comment, more than 340 companies had canceled their Vegas conventions, which cost southern Nevada an estimated $131.6 million in lost tourism revenue, separate from gambling revenue, which was not included in that figure.
Nevada already leads the nation in foreclosures and has one of the highest unemployment rates, now breaking 13% statewide. In the north, Washoe County's jobless rate is 12.7%. In southern Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, the jobless rate is 13.1%.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to woo Nevadans to re-elect him a fifth time. Obama sure has a funny way of showing his support for Nevada and Reid.
This article is part of two series, Fight for the Right America and Inside Harry's Head: Nevada's Most Powerful Man.
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(Photo: Bert K http://www.flickr.com/photos/22746515@N02/4194464675/)
Comments
No, no, no, no, no! Rather:
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
And you (Obama and Reid) can both share a crater on the moon!
Which is where, no doubt, the voters of Nevada will be all too glad to send them.
Terry, of course we will launch Reid and Obama to the moon, but we don't need Obama's help ruining our economy more than it already is! Reid will be ejected soon enough, but we need folks coming to Nevada!
So the president tells banks to the use bailout money to help meet their financial obligations (as per the intent of the bailout) rather than for executive vacation trips to Vegas… and according to the Nevada pollies he’s wrong. The President encourages hard pressed parents not to blow their kids college money on gambling trips to Vegas and the Nevada pollies are “shocked” … “shocked and appalled”. Well I’ve got news for you: everywhere else in this country the president’s statements are regarded as truisms and are hardly controversial: expensive vacations ARE a luxury that ought to be avoided in hard financial times. They are most certainly not necessities that ought to be engaged upon without regard to one’s finances. I just don’t know why his first instinct is to pander and apologise to the Sin City. And as far as the Nevada politicians are concerned… well, I guess the call-girls aren’t the only whores to be found there.
Any day now, we'll also see outraged boat builders screaming, "Shut up!!! When you can barely pay your mortgage is the PERFECT time to buy a boat. Quit trying to teach personal responsibility, Mr. President! Why can't you be more like Mr. Bush?"
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