The ravaged Las Vegas economy does not need the President using Las Vegas as an applause line. For the second time, President Obama has caused a flap in Las Vegas by identifying wasteful spending with Las Vegas. Obama warned high school students not to fritter away any of their college funds and used Las Vegas as the example.
He said, “You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” Benjamin Spillman, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reported that the Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was outraged at the remark and arranged a news conference at City Hall to lambast Obama’s remarks.
Last year Obama gave a similar warning in a speech to bankers who had received bailout money. In those remarks, Obama was stressing that bankers should hold down their spending. However, singling out Las Vegas offended Las Vegas residents and businesses. Why doesn’t Obama name Atlantic City as his example or use the more generic term of “casinos”? President Obama is visiting Las Vegas in two weeks where he is
expected to talk about jobs attending a private fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and holding a public town hall meeting.
Obama’s point to the high school students is obvious and true: one needs to prioritize spending. However, we don’t need any advice in how to have fun. Certainly, Las Vegas is high on the list of best vacations in the U.S.
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