Obama's Visit To Vegas Costs Business's Over $500,000 In Losses

Oh, that Barack Obama, first he trashes Las Vegas and costs the valley millions of dollars in convention business. Now he visits the Valley and he is killing the tour industry. From the LVRJ: Knowing President Barack Obama's visit would mean tight air restrictions over Las Vegas, Sundance Helicopters put together a plan to keep flying hundreds of tourists to the Grand Canyon for a bird's-eye tour: fly out of the Boulder City airport rather than McCarran.
Instead, the president's Southern Nevada swing Thursday and Friday will shut down Sundance for 20 hours -- along with every other helicopter and small-plane tour operator that flies out of the Las Vegas region, causing direct losses of $500,000 to $750,000, tour companies estimate. The negative economic hit on the Las Vegas air tour industry is just one of the costs associated with this presidential visit. The cost of White House trips can include everything from the price of flying Air Force One to the expense of extra security, police and traffic, resulting in a six-figure price tag, according to rough government estimates. Beyond the costs, business leaders note the benefits to the local community where the president and his entourage are housed and fed, not to mention the international publicity.
"I was prepared for a major inconvenience," said Kurt Barton, director of operations for Sundance, which tours the Grand Canyon and the Las Vegas Strip and expects 300 to 400 customers to be affected. "I wasn't prepared to be shut down with no explanation. This caught us by surprise." ... Nigel Turner, president of Heli USA, said his company will have to cancel tours for 180 reserved passengers unless the Secret Service and the FAA ease tour restrictions to a 10- to 12-mile radius of the president as in past White House visits. Turner called Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, who will accompany Obama on his visit, and asked the senator's office to try to get restrictions changed.
"I think it's very hypocritical to come here and talk about jobs and improving the tourism economy and then do something like this that will just devastate the tour operators," Turner said.
Turner also said he resents Obama attending a $1 million fundraiser for the Democratic National Party on Thursday night while tour operators are hurt economically by his visit. http://www.lvrj.com/news/strict-flying-limits-during-obama-visit-has-air-tour-operators-peeved-84646987.html It also makes me wonder why they can't land at Nellis or at the very least, land at McCarren and then send AF1 to Nellis while the President parties. That should open up the air space.
On the lighter side, a new drink has been named after Obama: The First Food & Bar inside the Palazzo plans to offer a new specialty drink, the "O'bama Slammer," during a happy hour scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m on Friday and through the weekend. Restaurant manager Joe Timm said the drink is a presidential take on the Alabama Slammer. Its ingredients include Southern Comfort, Di Saronno, orange juice, sloe gin and a bit of grenadine.
"We're doing it 'cause he keeps slamming us," Timm said. (from the same article)
I guess it is too late for Obama to stay home so he can spend quality time with his kids.