In las vegas this week city officials implemented an initiative called Meth 360 which focuses on educating the community on the methamphetamine epidemic going on in the city. Crystal meth has surpassed cocaine and heroine in number of documented abusers and addicts in the city. This is only a glimpse of a greater epidemic going on in our country. Meth is taking over it is replacing other more "traditional drugs" in user circles because it is cheap, easily made by people in almost every major city so many obstacles such as transporting it and distributing it through major networks is alleviated. At the same time it is highly toxic, it is basically poison, and it is highly addictive but i guess it speaks to The greater laziness in society where we even take short cuts when it comes to our drugs, people take the more dangerous, dirty drug, because it is readily availible and cheap.

In other news a panel of nevada lawmakers voted unanimously tuesday for two compromise proposals that would restrict government agencies' use of eminent domain proceedings to acquire property. supporters of the compromise told the senate judiciary committee that assembly joint resolution 3 and assembly bill 102 would provide strong protections against government abuses of eminent domain powers while still providing the option for large public works, such as transportation projects. So in other words a persons valuable property will be protected. Unless the city needs to build a road, or a public building, which leaves them the perfect loop hole. So they may be protected from private industry for now, unless private industry and public policy become somehow tangled. (but that could never happen? right?).

Not much new in Las Vegas this week the OJ Simpson case was finally beaten out of the top story by the presidential debate that was held in Las Vegas this week. The Nevada caucus hosted the debate which featured all the main democratic presidential candidates.
As far as OJ goes his trial remains in the headlines with accusations of corruption and the that the trial may be a sort of make up trial for the murder many believe he got away with years ago.

The social movements going on in Las Vegas are based on capatalism and business as usual. Business expansion, and profit maximizing are what drives this city . Government plays a smaller role in Las Vegas than most other cities because private industry controls so much of the economy. There is however a green movement that some prominent businessmen are supporting which includes companies usuing vegetable oil powered cars and much more solar power then previously used in the past. It is an attempt to offset the energy being used to power the city, and surprinsingly it was started by a private company not through government regulation.

The town square venture i previously wrote about is opening on Wednesday. The 750 million dollar 1.5 million square foot shopping center has a movie theatre, a grocery store, numerous places to eat and drink, many high end retail shops, childcare services, electronic stores, basically it has any and everything a person could want or think they might want. Turnberry spent $5 million to build a private flyover road that takes shoppers directly into the main loop around the center from northbound Las Vegas Boulevard, WOW. James Lowry, a marketing professor at Ball State University, said Town Square is part of an emerging retail trend toward "lifestyle" shopping centers. They purposely didnt include any gambling or casinos in the project stating that people in the area are looking for something else to do which makes sense because people who live there probably arent the gamblers that tourists are in the same way that tourists probably arent grocery shopping buy home appliences, or spending a night at the movies. Makes sense to me

The notion that Nevada will soon be paved over by development is laughable. The federal government controls almost 90 percent of the state, and Washington's holdings continue to expand. With less than 10 percent of land available to be developed in the Silver State, it is clear that Nevada will never resemble New Jersey. U.S. Department of Agriculture figures show that in 1992, only 0.06 percent of Nevada's land was developed. (The agency will soon release revised figures based on data obtained in 1997.) So to the extent that sprawl is a problem in the Silver State, it is clearly a city and county issue. While the Reno metropolitan region's population continues to swell, Las Vegas' phenomenal growth has made that city a national symbol for sprawl. But what's true for Nevada is also true for Clark County: nine out of every 10 acres in Southern Nevada is controlled by the federal government.

In an update on the OJ Simpson case the AP reports that FBI agents were informed of his plan the retrieve his allegedly stolen items from a memorabilia dealer three weeks before the events actually happened. A man named Thamos Roccio went to FBI agents and told them about Simpsons plans to conduct his own "sting," operation in which he would confron the dealer, retrieve his items and supposedly video tape it so he could later televise the events. Roccio said he went along with the plan but had no idea Simpson would be bringing in other people who would be armed and use force to take back the items. Roccio also thought that because he warned police before the events occured he would be safe from further prosecution. He was arrested and charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, and a number of other felonies just like everyone else involved in the case.

Retail in Las Vegas is the most rapidly expanding industry. Las Vegas population is growing by 6,000 people a month the city has added nearly 1.5 million square feet of retail space during the last quarter. The retail vacancy rate in las vegas is among the 5 lowest in the country. Las Vegas is headed to become a national luxury shopping destination with many prominant high-end business opening in the area. A capital markets report stated that retail growth in recent years was largely supported by housing and mortgage refinancing, due to low interest rates and loose underwriting standards.

In Las Vegas this week famous magaician David Copperfield is the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation that started in Seattle and resulted in a late night raid on a warehouse owned by Copperfield in Vegas. Police siezed a digital camera, a computer, a storage chip containing pictures, and over two million in cash. Copperfield was recently in the news when reports surfaced that he had a history of inviting women from audiences to perform in his shows, inviting them backstage after where he would reportedly drug and rape them. This is another case of these rich individuals with high social class standing believing that they are above the law and can get away with doing anything they want.

After visiting the census web page I found the Las Vegas economy breaks down as follows: Food service employs the most people 39,122, makes about2,416,602,000 it lists 962 establishments in the city. Professional, scientific, and technical services have 1843 establishments empley 14919 people , retail trade 1563 establishments, making 6.5 billion and employing 27809 annually. Health care and social assitances employs 23420, there are 225 manufacturing establishments employing only 3000 people. And educational services lists 77 establishments, employing 496 people. So it appears as if education isn't high on the list of positive things going on in Las Vegas Nevada.

excuse.my.post.this.week.my.space.bar.is.broken.and.i.cant.go.anywhere.else.so.please.bare.with.me.
In.sticking.with.what.we.have.been.talking.about.in.class.Las.Vegas.is.using."short.sales,"as.alternatives.to.foreclosures.Because.millions.of.adjustable.rate.mortgages.
will.reset.over.the.next.18.months.Short.sales.allow.a.home.to.be.sold.for.less.than.what.is.owed.rather.than.having.the.home.foreclosed.on.In.Vegas,there.are.3,350.homes.listed
as.short.sales.This.number.has.more-than-doubled.in.the.last..4..months...Banks.are.excepting.these.losses.because.they.say.it.is.better.than.paying.attorney.fees.loss.of.prolonged.vacancy.and.marketing.costs.so.its.not.a.bail.out.for.home.owners.but.it.is.a.result.of
having.no.affordable.housing.for.middle.class.people.
In.other.news.Police.in.Las.Vegas.have.formed.a.new.task.force.to.help.solve.gang-related-murders.in.the.poorer.areas.of.Las.vegas.It.is.especially.concerned.with.developing.trusting.relationships.with.neighborhood.residents.in.order.to.deter.crimes.against.witnesses...A.new.trend.of.anti-snitch.tactics.are.being.deployed.by.gang.members.in.order.to.intimidate.and.even.physically.harm.witnesses.
I.find.this,interesting.because.the.rich.prominent.neighborhoods.don't.have.task.forces.to.help.protect.witnesses.because.witnesses.ususally.arent.intimidated.by.thier.neighbors.in.these.neighborhoods.
another.positive.to.having.enough.money.to.live.in.a.high.priced.neighborhood.

A las vegas firefighter named Sam Bond was arrested for breaking into the firestation and stealing drugs. Apparantly while the on duty crew was out on a call Bond broke into the station from an upstairs window. He stole and then overdosed on an undisclosed controlled substance and was admitted into the hospital the following morning for the overdose. He was then booked into the clark county detention center until he was later released on house arrest. This was the second time he was arrested for breaking in and stealing drugs. Guess no one is above the law.

In other news regents at the university of nevade narrowly rejected adopting policy that would allow faculty and staff to carry guns on campus. Concerns over campus safety are driving people to look for a quick fix, but I'm not sure if i would want anyone carrying a gun on campus, I mean what if a situation occured that saw a student take a gun from a teacher and then shoot someone with it, can you imagine the public outcry that would happen in that case. Also I think teachers should concentrate on teaching and if conditions are that dangerous law enforcement should be increased on campus.