Thanks to increased scrutiny Goldman Sachs has moved a three-day conference from Las Vegas to San Francisco. See, on Monday President Obama dissed Sin City to his town hall audience, saying: "You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas, or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime."
Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman wants the president to apologize for his "outrageous" statement, which could cause a dip in tourism. The Las Vegas economy depends on business travel, and considering the number of people who visited dropped 4.4 percent in 2008, the city can't afford another steep decline.
Sin City's reputation for luxury and extravagance serves it well during good times, but I can imagine local workers and businesses must be worried about surviving the recession.
Do you think Obama should help by apologizing?
Chloe
Vero Moda
Ajc
No Obama shouldn't apologize - you can't go to Vegas on the taxpayer's dime and we don't need another ridiculous distraction.
1oh come on, please, get over it!!
2NO, Obama should definitely not apologize for that comment. Thats ridiculous
3Oh my God seriously??!
4If people want to go to Las Vegas they will...no matter what the president says.
That comment is in no way "outrageous"! It's just common sense! And there's no reason he should apologize!
5I wonder why it's ok to go San Francisco, but not come here to Vegas? The trip will probably cost more now...way to go!
6They shouldn't be going anywhere with our money. And LVBelle, he can't list everywhere these CEO's travel, he chose Las Vegas and he shouldn't apologize. They should be the ones apologizing.
7Exactly what Stephley said.
8Big ol'
to that.
9No, he shouldn't apologize. Our Mayor is a showman and while he's done good things for our city he will always be a showman and apparently he got his boxers in a wad over the President's comment. The President is right, they can't come to Vegas or go anywhere on the tax payers money. Vegas was probably just the first name that came to his mind (and rightfully so, it's a popular destination). Tourism is down, according to this by 4.4%. well approximately 45 million people fly into our airport every year so that's only a 2 million deficit in tourism. And that's just what comes through the airport, that doesn't include the people who drive here from surrounding cities and states. Yes, local workers and businesses are concerned about surviving through this, we are after all a tourist state. But alot of local workers and businesses in non tourist states are feeling it too.
10No - I do not believe Obama should apologize... however, I DO think he should be more thoughtful about what he says now that he is President and no longer running for office. What call out Las Vegas?
(And I can't figure how moving the conference to SF made it any cheaper, anyway.)
11Kranky he called out Las Vegas because one of the bailed out banks was using our money to build a casino there.
and that mayor just want attention
12ummmm he wasn't saying that no one could go there, but that no banker or CEO getting bailout money can go there on taxpayer's money which is a good thing and this is utterly absurd. If he apologizes I will be annoyed.
13They have an office San Francisco. They do not have an office in Las Vegas.
14No he shouldn't apologize. This country and all it's citizens need to put on our big girl/big boy panties/undaroos.
15Myst - Really? The article said that Obama called out the execs for taking trips to Las Vegas, so they decided to go to SF instead. I didn't see anything in the post about building a casino... although I suppose building a casino would stimulate the economy and provide jobs.
16Right because Vegas doesn't have enough casinos already LOL
17or did you mean a casino in SF?
18How ridiculous! President Obama wasn't making an insulting comment about Las Vegas. He was just saying that accountability is important in how these bailouts and stimulus funds are spent by institutions. So they can't blow all our money in Vegas!
19Oh wait...by telling citizens that Vegas is a rip off I guess that could be seen as an insult. Is it an insult to say true things?
Either way. This is a pointless distraction. No one would have made anything of those words except for this complaint.
Yes, Kranky, I read it about 2 weeks ago. One of them was going to use money from the bailout to continue their plans for a casino in Vegas, and I really don't see how that's going to help out our economy. Vegas has plenty of casinos there.
20Why should he have to apologize? What is he, the first person to suggest that Vegas was built on wasteful extravagance and self-indulgence? Geez.
21No, he should in no way apologize. These bailed out people shouldn't be taking any extravagent trips on our dime. I wish I could afford to take a vacation...geez.
22Interesting information Myst - thanks for adding to the discussion.
I'm interested in your assessment of building casinos, though. Seems to me that building is a major push of the stimulus bill... at least a casino employs people after it's done, unlike a road or re-sodding the Mall.
23Kranky.. I say that because, I was in Vegas this past July and there are soo many already and there many that's not even finished. I guess it could go into creating jobs but is that going to be a permanent thing? There are so many casinos just about everywhere you turn in Vegas. Some of the newer ones haven't been making the returns that they expected and many of the bigger and older ones are losing money now as well.
I think they are better ways to use the bailout money to create more permanent jobs than by building more casinos but then again I'm no economist
24Las Vegas tourism is fine. It's like Kimpossible said. The business is hardly hit by the 4.4% decline. On the other hand, construction is slowing down. So, many of those jobs are being cut. Even in the midst of the recession, the luxurious City Center is still being built. The are definitely some lay offs in the retail sector outside of the strip. And, there are definitely a lot of houses being foreclosed but mostly due to locals buying into extravagant living. Tourism in Vegas is relative unaffected compared to other industries.
25Myst, you are exactly right about the newer casinos affecting the business of older casinos. There are casinos everywhere you turn in Las Vegas. Even Henderson where I lived has its fair share of independent casinos.
26You've got to be kidding me. Some one get this guy a cookie and a Teddy Bear and tell him it's going to be all better. As for the company that moved their conference, uhm I can tell you that San Francisco is no cheaper than Las Vegas they were dumb for doing that too.
27Myst - I guess we will disagree on this one. I fail to see how any of the programs in the stimulus package will create permanent jobs. Seems to me like a casino in a saturated city like Las Vegas is about as helpful as a an aquarium or new school in terms of creating jobs.
28Are you serious? It wasn't a burn on Vegas it was a burn on people taking expensive vacations with our money.
29Seriously? The LV mayor has got his panties in a twist over nothing. Obama was saying CEOs and execs shouldn't be spending taxpayer money on the extravagance of planes and trips. Get over it.
30NO!
31Why apologize? Personally, I wouldn't care if LV disappeared off the map for good.
32don't care, but he should pick his words carefully, because actions do have unintended consequences.
33no he shouldnt apologize, but in the future pick his words more wisely.
34No way! Obama should NEVER apologize for his words. And I agree.
"Obama was saying CEOs and execs shouldn't be spending taxpayer money on the extravagance of planes and trips"
Those people have spend enough money and wasted enough time, when they should have been working or helping others.
35But he was singling out LV, and folks make their living there off of the hotel/business conference industry: bellhops, waiters, housecleaners, etc. He should have specified if he meant to put a stop to the waste. They are still going to SF.
36Corporations, and government agencies, spend so much money on these conferences. Why in the world don't they use teleconferences and phone conferences more?? It is so dumb!
37And things are more expensive in San Fran than in Vegas.
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