I recently read, in the local publication – the Las Vegas Tribune, that:
“traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard, which is already maxed-out at 50,000 vehicles per day, could more than triple.
And tourists are already complaining... those kind of surprises will have a major impact on whether or not leisure and business travelers pick Las Vegas over other destinations.”
The article pointed out that:
“seven Strip hotel-casino projects already started or planned to be built in the next four years – the Cosmopolitan, Echelon Place, Encore, Palazzo, Project City Center, Signature, and the first Trump Tower” and “another 74,000 condo units have been proposed or are under construction along the Strip”
If you ask any tourist – just go ahead and ask any of them; if they come to Las Vegas to enjoy the traffic, and would come more often if there were even more traffic? I can guess what their answer will be.
If you ask any local – nine out of ten of them will say that growth related problems are Las Vegas' biggest negatives – and are approaching unbearable.
So, why is growth such a sacred cow? Who benefits? Well, unemployed casino workers who haven't yet moved to Las Vegas would benefit. But I doubt the city fathers really give a damn about them.
Donald Trump would benefit. So, let's consider “The Donald” for a moment. “The Donald” doesn't live in Las Vegas. The big corporation behind “the Donald” isn't based in Las Vegas. The investors in the corporation behind “the Donald” most likely don't live in Las Vegas. So, it might be safe to assume that “the Donald” and his backers don't really care what happens to Las Vegas, so long as they make a killing.
Construction companies would benefit. But again, many of these construction companies are now based elsewhere. Should we build, just because building makes some people rich? I hate to quote Edward Abby. I don't agree with most of his politics. But he once said; “Growth is good, just ask any cancer.”
Is growth really good for the community? Growth was so good for Las Vegas that it chased me out of town.
1 comment:
A few months ago I watched a Discover Channel documentary on Las Vegas
mega casino-hotels. One gaming magnate said he likes congestion on the
Strip because it imparts an ambiance of excitement, of people questing
for fun. As you say, such a vision does not match that of the average
Las Vegan (based on public opinion polls) or, it seems, that of
tourists. This is just another example of the rich and powerful who
benefit from growth without taking on any of the responsibilities for
side effects. Las Vegas truly is Fantasy Land -- at least for the well
heeled.
---emailed from Ken Hill
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