In this past week's video, right away Anthony was complaining about the traffic and construction for the F1. My first thought was, gee, here we go again, the locals complaining. I thought there had been a public ballot question or something like that. Then, reading more about it, the LVCVA was the "body" shoving it down the locals' throats. That doesn't seem very democratic. No wonder folks are angry. Your thoughts?
We're gratified to learn that you looked a little deeper into the issue and realized the slight error in your thinking.
It certainly would have been interesting if a public referendum had been held about hosting Formula 1, especially with the race track covering nearly four miles of the main tourist corridor. With all the promises made by F1 and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority about economic impact and race excitement, a number of locals would no doubt have taken the bait -- hook, line and sinker. Even then, it would have provided an infinite amount more justification for cramming it down our throats than we were given.
Heck, Clark County officials rubber-stamped F1 for an initial period of 10 years long before the first race was ever run. If that's not a rubber stamp, sight unseen, we don't know what is.
Imagine if a referendum were held today after the first year of ruckus and rumpus, plus this second year currently under way and eight more years guaranteed?
How many locals would do you think would vote to have their lives disrupted by an event aimed strictly at international high rollers? Thousands upon thousands sat in traffic for eight months last year just to get to and from work, then weren't even allowed to drive in to their jobs on the Strip for five days while the race took it over. Now we're in the "reduced" period of tumult, "only" three months or so, so the high-end casinos can charge well-heeled race fans top dollar to show up for the weekend. (And it's long been known that this year's numbers will be lower than last's, with the concomitant reduced prices for everything. What about next year?)
And how about the lawsuits from local businesses, suing Formula 1 for shutting them down without a second thought last year? That could be as close as we come to a "referendum."
It would be one thing if, like in Miami and other cities around the world, the race course were segregated from the crowds and locals. But this is Vegas, where the county, LVCVA, and Big Gaming never met an event they didn't like and the more overpriced the better.
All this aggravation is, primarily, for an event that's about nothing more than enhancing shareholder value in the big casino companies at the expense of everyone else. That's why locals call it FU F1.
Can$BeMadeLoop: If $$$$$$$ can be made Call Subroutine Make$$$$$$$$$ GoTo Can$BeMadeLoop Else Go To EOJ EOJ: End Job.