It’s no secret that the party in the minority in any democratic form of government is always doing everything it can to change its status and take control. Nearly every part of the agenda is geared toward this goal, and no matter what the discrepancy in seats, the leader of that party can tell you exactly what he or she is doing to become the majority party. In the Nevada … [Read more...] about Campaign Overload: Fighting For Control

“I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years,” said the accomplished investor, Warren Buffet. Although the stock market isn’t likely to close without reopening for any length of time, when it comes to the current environment and the impact of the credit crisis, it is … [Read more...] about Investing in Today’s Market: Risk Management is Key

Southern Nevada Surpasses Conversion Milestone Community residents and businesses recently surpassed 100 million square feet of grass converted to water-efficient landscaping under the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) Water Smart Landscapes (WSL) Rebate program. The 100 million square feet comprises more than 28,000 individual landscape conversion projects. Nearly … [Read more...] about April 2008: Nevada Briefs

Imagine the leadership of a large organization trying to decide which employees to promote to fill a vacated or new position within the organization. The problem with this approach is, in most cases, the names of possible candidates tend to be limited to people the executives in that boardroom know personally. The result, in far too many instances, is that an employee, whether … [Read more...] about Succession Planning: Mapped Out or Knee Jerk Reaction?

The corporate world is undergoing constant change with ever increasing reliance on information technology. Much of the information technology upon which many businesses rely, originates from outside sources rather than in-house. As reliance on outside vendors increases, so do the risks associated with vendor agreements. Here are four useful tips for negotiating and analyzing … [Read more...] about Information Technology Agreements: Negotiating Tips

“It’s Vegas, baby,” for an estimated 7,500 members of The American Planning Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to urban and rural planning issues. From April 27th through May 1st, The Entertainment Capital of the World will host the APA’s 100th National Planning Conference. It’s no wonder that Clark County represents two of the top 20 fastest growing cities in the … [Read more...] about Adoption of New Planning Model

Keeping Nevadans in their Homes Every member of Congress has had to face the sub-prime mortgage crisis to varying degrees. Here in Nevada, we have been hit particularly hard with a foreclosure rate of one in 154 homes versus the national average of one in 555. In an effort to ease the threat of foreclosure, I have introduced bipartisan legislation which will expand a state’s … [Read more...] about Speaking for Nevada: How is the government helping borrowers in crisis?

Responsible Energy Policy Must Include Coal By Roberto Denis, senior vice president, energy supply, Sierra Pacific Resources While some parties in the energy policy debate have the luxury of simply advancing theories, Sierra Pacific Resources has a very real obligation to deliver electricity to every customer all day, every day. Nevada’s population has grown at a … [Read more...] about State the Issues: How will coal-fired plants impact Nevada?

Whether building from the ground up or renovating an existing property, there comes the task of hiring a general contractor, a process businesses do not take lightly. Understandably, companies want to hire a contractor they can trust to complete the job efficiently, adhering to proper building codes and tailoring a project to best suit a business’ needs. GDC is supported by … [Read more...] about From the Ground Up: Las Vegas General Contractor Expands

This can mean telling employees they aren’t getting a year-end bonus, or that they’ll have to pay more for health insurance premiums. If things get bad enough, it can mean lowering wages or laying off employees. Nobody likes to be the bad guy who has to deliver this news, but it may be necessary in order for the company to survive and produce income for its employees, as well … [Read more...] about We’re Tightening Our Belts What About the Government? One of the hardest things a business owner or CEO has to do is cut back on payroll expenses in economic downturns

Due to the high, up-front investment associated with a real estate project, developers have a substantial economic incentive to see their plans approved by local jurisdictions. One way to increase a developer’s chance of approval is through a fiscal impact analysis (FIA). This informational, quantitative tool measures the financial impact of the development or land use … [Read more...] about Fiscal Impact Analysis: A Measurement Tool for Success

They say nothing is certain except death and taxes. Now, for Nevada casino owners and operators, even taxes are threatening to become uncertain. Not the fact of taxes, but the amount. Nevada is a huge, open, beautiful state. We have plenty of room, plenty of sunshine and we’re known as America’s adventure place. We’re the distribution hub for the 11 western states – located … [Read more...] about Taxes and Tourists: Searching for Solutions to Funding Issues