What Happens in Vegas… (Is Apparently Beyond Criticism, Even When Presented Humorously)
by Sidney Carton
So, while we’re on the topic of absurdity, it would be difficult to ignore the most recent “scandal” roiling the Obama Administration. Apparently, the President has a bad habit about making jokes about Sin City, and the residents of that proudly amoral town are shockingly offended.
Speaking to voters in New Hampshire, the President made the following comment: “When times are tough, you tighten your belts,…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. You prioritize. You make tough choices.”
Ok, we get it Mr. President, in tough times one is careful with one’s money, and therefore one avoids irresponsible expenditures, such as gambling. That said, coming from a part of the country that is often offered as a parable for imprudent living (Southern California, fruits, nuts, flakes anyone?) I can sympathize a little with the good people of Las Vegas being mildly annoyed with the constant references to their hometown as a place to effectively “flush money down the toilet.” After all, the local economy is basically based on tourism, so all the money being lost by the Joneses in their excursions to Sin City, help pay the salaries of much of the local population, either directly or indirectly, so I imagine that having your nose rubbed endlessly in the fact that you live off of the irresponsibility and misfortune of others would become tiresome rather quickly, particularly if you do not directly participate in one of Vegas’ more vice-friendly industries.
Nevertheless, I find the response of Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar Goodman to the President’s comments to be at best disingenuous, and at worst outright ridiculous in their hypocrisy. Responding to the latest batch of controversy, Mayor Goodman responded,
“I guess you’ve all seen the president’s remarks or read about the president’s remarks, well I’ve got some remarks of my own… He has a real psychological hang up about the entertainment capital of the world. An apology won’t be acceptable this time, I don’t know where his vendetta comes from but we’re not going to let him make his bones by lambasting Las Vegas, that’s why (the press) is here today. He didn’t learn his lesson the first time,… but now that it has I want to assure you, when he comes I’ll do everything I can to give him the boot back to Washington and to visit his failures back there. I gotta tell you this, everybody says I shouldn’t say it, but I gotta tell you the way it is. This president is a real slow learner.”
As I stated above, I can sympathize with Mayor Goodman being offended here, but only so far. The man acts as if the “good name” of his town has been drug through the mud, to which I can only answer, what good name? Seriously Mayor Goodman, you come from a town that makes it’s money off of vice, where men hand out Pornography on the street, where just about any variation on the sex trade is legal, and profitable. Furthermore, the last time I passed through Vegas, (about a year and a half ago) I couldn’t help but notice a series of billboards (because they were less than a mile apart for much of Highway 15 in Clark County) encouraging those visitors to Mayor Goodman’s fair city who were a little light on cash to make a quick $500 by starring in an amateur porn flick. So frankly Mr Goodman, being that you are effectively the Mayor of one of the world’s largest brothels, your claim of having your honor offended makes me wonder, when did you have any to begin with? I mean seriously, being offended at a moral criticism about the way Vegas makes it’s money is about as ludicrous as a Prostitute being enraged at her virtue being questioned. You make your money off of sin, and proudly proclaim it from every corner, the fact that a public official calls that into question, however gently and indirectly ought to be a non-issue.
Finally, before Mayor Goodman unloads on the President for being “a slow learner,” I might humbly remind him about his own rather public, and considerably embarrassing gaffes: When asked by a fourth grader what he would take with him to a desert island, the Mayor responded “a showgirl and a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin.” As if this gem wasn’t enough, the man has also publicly advocated the amputation of thumbs for vandals, and the reintroduction of whipping and caning for juvenile offenders. So frankly Mayor Goodman, before you criticize others for their stupid comments, you might want to watch your own mouth.
If that were the 100% truth, it would be one thing. But Las Vegas is the convention capital of the world, and it is the most economical and expedient place for business meetings and trade shows – around 20,000 of them a year.
But, the bottom line is that Obama is just helping out his home town of Chicago.
Decades ago, there were leaders in Las Vegas, who wanted to change the reputation of Las Vegas and get Las Vegas past the era of Chicago-style mobsters, and turn the Las Vegas economy into a vibrant business meeting environment and the convention capital of the world. They succeeded in doing that, and they were able to sway many big conventions away from cities like Chicago, because the convention organizers realize that when they hold conventions in Las Vegas, more people show up for the conventions, because Las Vegas is a lot cheaper and convenient and way more fun than places like Chicago.
Obama is just doing what all elected officials and politicians do (including Oscar Goodman) – helping out his home town.
In fairness I think everyone is reading a bit too much into this. The proverb about the fool who went to Vegas in a fancy car, and came home on the Greyhound bus with no shoes, has long been in circulation here in SoCal as a metaphor for fiscal irresponsibility. But who really knows. Like I said before, I understand and sympathize with those who are annoyed at the President’s comment, no one wants to be the example of a negative parable, I just think Mayor Goodman’s response was a bit overblown. Then again, I have been known to lapse into hyperbole in defense of my hometown too, so your point is well taken.