Vegas Inc

There are simply too many 'isolated incidents'.

Complimentary meals to employees are often leftovers feed to staff as a convenience to the employer. They keep employees on task and often meal periods are cut short due to the demands of business. It is hardly a luxury.

What is it going to take to get this town to realize that its salvation does not rest in one one more big casino development? Without some viable economic diversity, Las Vegas may crumble into an abyss of economic mediocrity.

Reid should 'train' his thoughts on completing the highway link to Phoenix, and leave railroading to others. A conventional passenger rail link to Southern California would be a more practical first step, especially at a time of fiscal austerity.

It all sounds grim, and it feels like we are bouncing on the bottom already. We know that we are not descending into a recession, as we are deeply into one of unknown duration. Depending on the gaming industry seems risky, but it seems to be all we know how to do. We must take some responsibility for this.

A home is an investment. Investments involve risk. Some homeowners added to the risk by taking out second mortgages, financing beyond the value of the property, or refinancing to take supposed equity cash out of the home. Often they spent that money on other items such as vehicles, debt reduction and personal discretionary items like expensive vacations, college educations and so on. Now, with the market down, they are unhappy that their cash cow has died, and they want to be rescued. If you invest in the stock market and lose money, you eat your losses. Why should a home be considered any differently?

From this ruling, it is unclear how the court would view the collectability of a marker obtained legally. If a person robbed a bank would they still be required to pay restitution if they filed for bankruptcy? It seems unlikely that the courts would tolerate the use of the law to shield a convicted person from his criminal sentence.

The answer might well be a PUD, Public Utility District. Of course Nevada Energy and its parent company would fight this. Electric service is already a monopoly, so the arguments about competition and free enterprise are mostly moot. I noticed a steep rate bump on my latest statement, this should be a wake up call.

Why not simply restart and subsidize the Amtrak passenger service for a few million dollars a year? Considering each of those billions of dollars proposed to be invested in high speed rail consists of a thousand million dollars. The benefit to the tourism trade, and convenience to travelers could easily offset the relatively modest loss.

I f the cost of the Desert Xpress was compared with the contributions (fares) of persons who rode the train and added to the direct measurable benefit to businesses from having the train, I doubt that the train, as conceived, would ever leave the station. I have taken the Greyhound, which might offend middle class sensibilities, and I would be happy to take a conventional train to LA, but even Amtrak decided that was not cost effect or affordable. That should tell us something. It is difficult to imagine that shaving a couple of hours off the travel time would attract that many billions of dollars from new riders.