Ron...interesting point about "people of questionable virtue". Let's take a look back for a moment:


The American people elect its first black president with a very small amount of experience as a US senator from the most politically corrupt state in America whose govenor has been ousted from office.

The president's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists' civil rights are not violated.

The US Congress rushes to confirm its first black Attorney General whose law firm represents seventeen Gitmo terrorists.

The new head of the CIA has about almost no inteligence community experience but he got the job.

We got the second most unpopular woman as Secretary of State followed only by the first most unpopular woman as Speaker of the House.

We have a tax cheat for Treasury Secretary who didn't properly file his own taxes for years.

Two Commerce Secretary nominees withdrew due to corruption charges.

Nominee for Chief Performance Officer withdraws under charges.

A Secretary of HHS nominee who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes.

An appointment of a former lobbyist after an absolute campagin statement that no lobbyists would be appointed.

Isn't history fun?!?!?

And the voters (at least the really dumb ones) just never seem to learn anything from history....

BTW: I'm nearly seventy years old - That is a whole bunch of different administrations! Most of them have been lead by less than steller examples; there have been a lot of bad Senators and Congressmen - But this president I trust less than anyone who has come before!

I can agree with that but I haven't seen as many legislators.

Its just a shame no one ever remembers it. 'History' is usually anything older then 3 months. Anything more then 4 years is 'Ancient History.'

I remember very clearly the past 69 years - And being a history nut; I'm pretty clear about a lot that occured before that....

Say. Any of you back-east states want Las Vegas? Without Vegas, Nevada would be perfect!

How'd you like how the Mayor of Las Vegas basically told Obama, "Thanks but no thanks"?

"Without Vegas, Nevada would be perfect!" (???) OK, I'll bite, why "without Vegas"? Isn't Vegas the reason you don't have the same or at least much lower state taxes as other states, e.g. sales, corporate, etc. ? Is it the politics of Vegas with which you disagree? Many other states have legalized gaming now so if Vegas was eliminated, where would that leave Nevada, financially speaking?

I can see where both of you see that, Vegas is an extremely wierd town. But it's also fun.

Especially the guys on the strip that hand out baseball cards with naked women on them. But don't make eye contact with them. They'll steal your soul.

1. Nevada has legalized gambling and no state income tax in the WHOLE STATE. That would not/should not change if we didn't have Las Vegas.
2. Las Vegas/Clark County contains about 90% of the people and 90% of the voting power of the state _ Most of them expatriates from southern California - Same mindset.
3. Nearly all of Vegas/Clark County are dependent on gambling and tourism. Almost no other industries.
4. The other 16 counties in Nevada (but only 10% of the population) do have gambling/tourism as major industries, but also have a great deal of manufacturing, shipping, agriculture, mining, military and other industries.
5. Most of the depressed economy in Nevada - unemployment, housing crisis, etc. are in Las Vegas - A one industry economy = Gambling/Tourism.
6. Las Vegas - Mostly liberal Democrats.
7. The rest of the state - Mostly conservative Republicans.
8. Until the 1940's Las Vegas did not even exist - The state did pretty well without it.

1.) No state income tax for the WHOLE STATE. Isn't that because of Las Vegas? Isn't Vegas the cash cow of Nevada? If Vegas didn't exist, how could that not change your tax structure?
2.) Well, I know that feeling.
3, 4 & 5.) I completely understand the one industry town issue because I come from a city that was dependent on one industry also and when that dried up the city had to transform itself from a blue collar to a white collar environment which it did.
6 & 7.) Like I said, I know the feeling.

Neither are terribly desirable...

I suppose it's mostly me:

I detest Las Vegas.

I hate Los Angeles.

I can't stand San Francisco.

I can just barely tolerate Sacramento.

I can put up with Reno for one day at a time.

I suppose you just can't take a country boy and dump him into a big city...

However, I really did enjoy the month that I spent in Fujisawa, Odawara, Kamakura and Tokyo - - - Maybe it's about the people?

I'm really interested to see how state's rights play out given the current condition of the federal government. And NO I don't like obama any more now than I did then.

Is that in regard to Montana and South Dakota, etc, Rat Patrol?

Hey deeker,
In some respects YES.