Raiders play the public for chumps

Given the race for Nevada governor so far, a voter could be excused for determining that whoever wins, it will be despite the candidate, not because of him.

IN NEVADA CURRENT

Gah, seriously? Now? Your movers and shakers and elbow-rubbers on the Las Vegas Stadium Authority perfunctorily rubber-stamped another $75 million of public funding to build an elegant entrance to the Las Vegas NFL stadium that will include, among other things, a station for Musk’s preposterous tunnels. Discussion from authority members was confined to gushing about how wonderful and yummy the stadium — and Southern Nevada’s spectacle-reliant economic model generally — has been for one and all, so hooray, etc. Dana Gentry reports: Without posing a single question, Stadium Authority approves another $75 million in public funding

Note: The Las Vegas bread-and-circuses economic model undoubtedly produces a lot of revenue. The assumption, assiduously chirped by the aforementioned mover-shaker set and the nine out of ten politicians of both parties who’ve been mainlining the Kool-Aid for decades, is that the revenue ripples out to the community and lifts all boats. 

Meanwhile, Nevada has sported the highest or nearly highest unemployment rate in the U.S. for most of the current century, and while the Las Vegas metro area median income is not that far below the nation’s, it’s sort of a whopping $8,000 less than the national median in the city providing the spectacle economy’s brand name, i.e., Las Vegas. 

Neither the NFL nor Formula 1 nor data centers nor Amazon, nor any of the other countless private sector entities Nevada gives public cash and prizes to, need those government handouts. A faith-based dogma pervades the “economic development” profession in which private entities, companies, and corporations won’t locate somewhere unless they get public financial support. That dogma is accompanied by the conventional wisdom that spending public money to help private business is more fun and exciting, and hence politically preferable, to spending public money to help public schools, public transit, public health, etc. And that reflects a profound lack of leadership.

If for whatever reason one comes to the conclusion that a new $158 million entrance to the football field is, you know, a priority, how does one further leap to the conclusion that the public should pay for half of it? Let NFL and Musk and Allegiant and the resort industry and any other private entities who want to pay for it. Making the public pay for it is just another example of very rich private interests playing the public for a bunch of suckers and chumps, with the full and unchallenged support and approval of public officials — not merely those on the stadium authority, but the governors, legislators, county commissioners and other who, in adherence to the holy sacred model, have empowered all this nonsense.

Large language government. Concerned that Nevada agencies have relied on artificial intelligence without much oversight, state lawmakers are proposing legislation to establish basic standards on how the technology is used by state and local government entities. Michael Lyle reports: Lawmakers propose oversight for state, local agencies using AI

Surpreme fail. So whatever can or should be done about the grotesque travesty that has become your United States Supreme Court? Would expanding it to 13 justices actually fix anything? Would term limits, perhaps coupled with giving every president an appointment in their first and third year? The DC bureau’s Ashley Murray takes you on a tour of proposals: 9 justices on the Supreme Court or 13? And how about term limits?

Well, this must be what folks were voting for. Unaccompanied immigrant children who have been placed into federal custody can just argue their cases in court by themselves, right? The DC bureau’s Ariana Figueroa reports: Legal aid for immigrant kids remains in question after Trump administration pulls contract

Good Luck