Posted on 02/02/2010 5:16:42 PM PST by Rennes Templar
President Obama is catching heat from Nevada lawmakers and business leaders regarding his comments Tuesday criticizing trips to Las Vegas.
During the president's town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, he discussed the need to curb spending during tough economic times. "When times are tough, you tighten your belts," the president said. "You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college."
The president's comments come nearly a year after he criticized companies that received federal money for taking corporate junkets to Las Vegas. "You can't go take that trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on taxpayers' dime," he said at the time. Local business leaders say Nevada tourism suffered last year in part because companies canceled trips to Las Vegas in the wake of the president's comments.
His statement Tuesday drew sharp criticism from Nevada lawmakers. "The President needs to lay off Las Vegas and stop making it the poster child for where people shouldn't be spending their money," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. "Las Vegas is suffering through one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and we cannot afford for the President to bring us down any further," added Republican Senator John Ensign. "Nevada has one of the most distressed economies in the country, and the President has done little to focus on job creation over the past year. Discouraging people from coming to our state to make a political point adds insult to injury," said Republican Congressman Dean Heller.
"Tourism is the number one economic stimulus for Southern Nevada and for many cities and states across the country. While we appreciate Las Vegas is top of mind for the President, we would ask that he offer words of encouragement instead of criticism," Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter said.
President Obama is scheduled to visit Las Vegas this month.
I'm ordering one ton of popcorn to last from now until November.
US President Barack Obama listens to a question during a town hall meeting at Nashua High School North in Nashua, New Hampshire. Obama highlighted his new top domestic priority of curbing unemployment Tuesday, detailing a 30-billion-dollar loan program to help small businesses. (AFP/Mandel Ngan)
The little people aren’t supposed to gamble and have fun you see - only the elitists that make up Obama and his butt-sniffing followers.
Did he criticize trips to Hawaii?
It's your money, not zero's.....yet.
Did he criticize trips to Hawaii?
He does not take his own advice. He has unleashed big government and taxes upon those who make our economy work and TELLS US to back off. Talk about a self-righteous teleprompter-addict.
yep times are tough but for some reason this white agrees with that and then they go and spend our money.
The media go with what ever obama says and all is well
just imagine if the media was telling the truth about this administration, we’d have a couple of millions camping outside the white house wanting these radicals out
The reason he doesn’t want anyone ‘wasting’ their money is because of the $70G debt he plans on levying against each household.
POTUS advice :"Don't buy a boat".
The thing about Las Vegas is that, for Californians, it’s one of the cheaper get-aways that you can do. Depending on where you stay and what you do for entertainment, it’s a very modest vacation, compared to, say, Martha’s Vineyard or Hawaii.
You mean reserve ‘Sin City’ for Obama and his elitist cronies?
Right. I stayed at the Bellagio a few years ago, beautiful and affordable.
Caption for his thought: “O geez, another G-D question about f*&#ing jobs.”
Bonus points if you can count all 57 stars on the flag in the background.
But the Assclown in Chief has no problem flushing $250K down the crapper on a date with the Chewbaca in NYC ... or with congress critters from the royal class buring a million or two on their little junket to Copenhagen ...it's not coming out of their pocket, so why should they give a shite?
God, I HATE these people.
Let HIM stay home for a change.
Obama and Reid set this scam up to help Reid this November.
Sarah Palin announced that she will be speaking at the Tea Party Express rallies in Searchlight, NV and Boston, MA.
Someone PALEEZE get photos of Sarah in Harry Reid's backyard!
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