Those were the days back in 2004. The housing boom in Las Vegas was at a fever pitch. Builders were holding lotteries to see who would gain the privilege of buying their homes. Speculators hit town like a swarm of locus buying up all the homes they could. There were only 2,500 used homes listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and realtors complained that they couldn’t get sellers to accept bids at listed prices.
No taxpayer is safe if a Task Force is meeting somewhere. Such is the case in Southern Nevada today, now that a Special Events Center Task Force has handed over its final report to Clark County Commissioners and the Las Vegas City Council.
To read Wayne Allyn Root, one would think his is a household name. After all, according to his bio, Root “is a popular TV and radio host, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and one of America’s leading professional strategists and soothsayers.”
But, if you haven’t heard Root’s name you will. He aspires to be a United States Senator. And when he runs, the manic self-promoter will make sure everyone knows his name and the message laid out in his latest book, Millionaire Republican: Why Rich Republicans Get Rich-And How You Can Too!
With majorities in the house and senate, Democrats are virtually certain to raise the minimum wage in early 2007.
They have been attempting the increase for years, but Republicans have stood in the way. No longer.
The head Republican, President George W. Bush, announced at a news conference: “I support the proposed $2.10 increase in minimum wage in a two-year period.”
Last week was news worthy for two divergent organizations that lived large in 2004 but whose fortunes have dried up a scant three years later with the punk housing market. One of organizations will likely be but a footnote in boom history. The other will unfortunately live on.
Memorial Day weekend was the kickoff to the summer blockbuster movie season. Lines were long with parents and kiddies waiting to see a boozy pirate generously adorned with eyeliner, a comic-book hero in red tights, and a round-headed, round-bodied green cartoon character. But there was plenty of reason to stay home. America’s favorite movie hero was born a hundred years ago, and John Wayne movie marathons were plentiful on TV.
The temperature has been especially hot this year in Las Vegas. Day after day, by late afternoon thermometers hit 110 degrees or more. For those of us who have been here a while, we may be annoyed, but resign ourselves to dealing with the dry heat, and congratulate ourselves for not having to shovel snow in the winter.
[This article originally appeared in Liberty Watch magazine.]
Sitting in a room full of well-educated Americans, I was dumbfounded by the unanimous outrage toward Paris Hilton. They were actually cheering the fact that the judge was sending her back to jail, after the sheriff had sent her home because of her illness.
[This article originally appeared in Liberty Watch magazine.]
CNBC, the financial network, often lives up to what its critics call it — “Tout TV.” All of the guests seemingly are singing from the same hymnal: “buy and hold stocks,” “inflation is low,” “economic growth is strong,” “the Federal Reserve has everything under control,” blah, blah, blah.
[This article originally appeared in Liberty Watch magazine.]
Financial pundits, led by CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, were rooting for the Federal Reserve to “shock and awe” the market with a 50 basis point cut on the Federal Funds rate at the central bank’s September meeting. Fed chair Ben Bernanke didn’t disappoint, and investors recognized further dollar devaluation and sent gold, stock and commodities markets through the roof and the U.S. dollar to the basement.
