"Camp Vegas": Then & Now

Remember these?





Well, that was then... And this is now!







Oh my, how times have changed. :-)

NV-Sen: Desperately Seeking Suzy... Or Lusting After Sharron? And Harry Just Smiles On.

Suzy Lowdown is in a complete free fall now. She's been caught in yet another whopper with her "BusGate" lies...



And KNPR today caught her red-handed in both BusGate and BarterGate! And speaking of BarterGate...



Suzy's lies keep catching up with her, and as a result her campaign is spinning out of control... And the teabagger crazies are now rallying around their new "Queen of Batsh*t Crazy", Sharron Angle. Look who just endorsed her today!

The Club For Growth has made its choice in the Nevada Senate race, picking tea party-backed former [State Assembly Member] Sharron Angle in the three-way Republican primary to go up against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

This brings the Club's considerable heft into a race that has seen GOP establishment favorite Sue Lowden fumble from her suggestion that people use the barter system to lower their health care costs -- infamously discussing how her grandparents' generation would bring a chicken to the doctor as payment. Former UNLV basketball player Danny Tarkanian is also competing with Angle for hardline conservative votes, and the Club's choice could potentially have a big impact. They've already had a strong cycle for Republican nominations, advancing Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania and Marco Rubio in Florida -- and they have taken credit for Utah Sen. Bob Bennett losing renomination at his state GOP convention.

And around and around and around we go, what the Nevada GOoP will ultimately do no one really knows! No really, they're in a tailspin right now. Their preferred candidate is in the middle of a very messy public breakdown. The batsh*t crazy wingnut gadfly who wasn't supposed to win is suddenly mopping up all the national teabagger endorsements (and campaign $$$$). Oh, and Jerry Tarkanian's crybaby son is still in his corner pouting.

And while all the GOoPers keep releasing their dirty hot air, someone in Searchlight is smiling.





And despite all the Beltway pundits saying otherwise, it looks like he's found a way to victory this year. ;-)

Nevada's Progressive Voter Guide!

(FYI, if you're looking for 2014 Election information, please click here. Thanks so much for visiting us!)


From our friends at Progress Now... And I couldn't be happier to see this!

Dear Andrew,

Early Voting begins in just hours. And we want you to head to the polls armed with knowledge.

Today we're launching Nevada's first-ever Progressive Voter Guide.

We want you to vote smart and vote for progress.

There's something for every voter in this guide. We cover Democratic legislative primaries; sort through non-partisan county races and tell you who all those judicial candidates are.

We've partnered with some key progressive friends in labor, environment, education and choice to show you which candidates they support. And we hired journalists to write it.

Spend a few minutes looking through the races and candidates. Mark up your sample ballot and share the guide with everyone you know.

Check out the Progressive Voter Guide today.

And then go out and vote with confidence.

Yours in progress,

Erin Neff
Executive Director
ProgressNow Nevada

NV-Sen, NV-03: What a Difference 4 Months Make!

Remember those cold, dark, frightening days of January? When Republicans turned Massachusetts red for a night and I went off on my infamous angry tirade? I had regained composure by the morning, and I was starting to see a way out of the hot mess that national Democrats threw us into.

So what happened? It was a combination of things. Massachusetts Democrats spent too much time infighting and not enough time organizing. Martha Coakley ran a lousy campaign. President Obama's "triangulating" and capitulating to the corporate right have demoralized the base. And if Nevada Democrats can learn these lessons, organize early & well, and work in Washington & Carson City to give us good reasons to get out and vote, we won't have to be afraid of November.

And in the coming days and weeks, something changed. Democrats organized... Even if it meant doing some rabble rousing in the primaries in some states. Health care reform passed. Financial reform will hopefully be on its way to passage soon. Climate and energy may FINALLY get a Senate vote soon. After all that dithering last year, we're seeing more action this year.

And the result? This:

Mark Critz (D-PA) appeared to narrowly win a special election today to fill the late Rep. John Murtha's seat, a victory the Democrats believe means the fall midterm elections might not be so bad after all. He'll be quickly seated by House leadership once results are finalized.

Critz was leading Republican Tim Burns with 53 percent of the vote to Burns' 45 percent and 70 percent of precincts reporting, and Burns conceded the race around 10:30 p.m. In an unusual twist, both candidates are aiming to be on the November ballot. Critz was on track to prevail in a party primary to be the nominee in the general election, and if Burns' lead for his primary holds steady, these two candidates will be matched up again in November.

The Dem turnout was boosted by a competitive Senate primary between Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak, one reason the majority party had been sounding quite confident about the race for several days. Critz was fueled as well by labor activists and Democratic volunteers who made calls and knocked on doors for weeks to help keep the seat. Former President Bill Clinton stumped for Critz over the weekend.

Although, RNC Chairman Michael Steele was once talking a pretty big game on the race as well, telling the Washington Post last week "We're going to win."

Democrats believe this is a bellwether district since it voted narrowly for John Kerry in 2004 (51%-49%) but for Sen. John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008 by by less than one percentage point. Al Gore handily won the district in 2000.

And speaking of those primaries... I know the establishment Dems around these parts were freaking out over it, but look what we got out of it. The Sestak v. Specter race won us both a House seat AND a more viable candidate for November! And look at the turnout in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Oregon. In all cases, Democratic turnout far exceeded Republican turnout! So much for that "depressed Democratic base"...

OK, so what does this mean for Nevada? Here you go:

- If Democrats can hold onto the only district in the country that went from Kerry in '04 to McCain in '08, we can most certainly hold a state (Nevada 55-43) and district (NV-03 55-42) that went strongly for Obama.

- Harry Reid has been the one leading the charge on health care, Wall Street, climate and energy. It was initially thought of as a liability, but he can now make these into strengths.

- Local issues still matter, and Harry Reid & Dina Titus have proven to be up to the challenge in dealing with the foreclosure crisis, Yucca Mountain, promoting gaming & tourism, and stopping the Sloan Hills gravel pit that would destroy the ecosystem of Sloan Hills conservation area and disastrously pollute most of Henderson (where I live).

- Dina Titus is an expert at constituent outreach, and this election is showing so far that "staying in touch" will matter a whole lot when we start voting.

- And finally, it was the ground game that led to strong Democratic turnout in all these races, especially in the PA-12 special. And as we learned here in 2008, Nevada Democrats have a good ground game while the GOoPers... Well, don't. Those "angry voters" that the media like to talk about aren't actually the ones who just go on their own to "throw the bums out". It takes good campaigning and a good field program to make it happen. Trust me, I've been there. And I'll tell you now that Dems here are running way ahead of the GOoPers when it comes to field operations and getting out the vote.

See now? Things don't look so scary these days. It isn't the end of the world. And what's happened in Pennsylvania may turn out to our benefit here in Nevada. I have a feeling 2010 won't be what Nevada Republicans were hoping for... Especially with fabulous(ly wackadoodle) candidates like these...

NV-Sen: Meet Sharron Angle, Your New Supreme Batsh*t Crazy GOoPer

Since we all know Suzy Lowdown's campaign is going to hell in a handbasket, it's now a question of whether she'll survive to lose in the general or just go down in flames next month. Well in case she can't even win the primary that was supposed to be her "given", I think it's time for us to spend some quality time with Teabagger Darling and perpetual wingnut gadfly Sharron Angle. Nevada Scandalmonger presented this very lovely video:



Whoops! It looks like Ms. Batsh*t Crazy Sharron has her own flavor of scandaliciousness waiting in the wings. Really, she wanted the state AND the feds to fund this Church of Scientology "drug rehab program"?

Oh joy, so the Nevada GOoPers really have an embarrassment of riches (or is that rich with embarrassment?) to choose from. Sharron Angle is batsh*t crazy and has a thing for funding unproven Church of Scientology crackpot "programs". Suzy Lowdown thinks she can barter for a luxury liner campaign bus. Oh, and there's also Jerry Tarkanian's son who always whines and throws temper tantrums about stuff. Oh, what a team of wieners the Nevada GOoP has assembled!

Wall Street: Financial Regulatory Reform Getting a Full Senate Vote Soon?

Remember that thing called financial regulatory reform? Also referred to these days as Wall Street Reform? Well, Harry Reid hasn't... And he's trying to get a Senate floor vote ASAP this week. However, some Senators aren't making this easy.

Leadership wants every Democrat, and at least one Republican on board, but at this late hour it's not clear they have either. Feeling burned by leadership, and dubious that the legislation reaches far enough to truly rein in excess on Wall Street, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has threatened to join the filibuster, unless his amendment that would ban trading in naked credit default swaps gets a vote on the floor. Discussions between Dorgan and other leaders continues, but thus they remain at an impasse.

On the other side, GOP leaders would like more than anything to draw out floor action a bit longer. When Reid moved three weeks ago to bring the bill to the floor, Republicans held together for several days, repeatedly voting to delay the debate, but finally relented when moderates made it clear they wanted the filibuster to end. A repeat performance could be in order, though many of the same moderates, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), have seen their amendments adopted in the past several days.

The top financial reform negotiators, Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), have been putting together a final package of changes to round out the debate, and it is likely to scale back the bill's title regulating derivatives trading. That section of the legislation was authored by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), who's in a closely contested primary and has been guarding her left flank--including by proposing tougher-than-expected derivatives rules. Democrats have sought to delay changing her plan until after today's election. In the end, the Democrats' ability to pass the bill may depend on when that so-called manager's amendment is complete.

Desert Beacon has done a great job in following the Wall Street debate in DC, so go ahead and check her archives if you need a refresher course on what's going on. And in the coming days, it will be interesting to see how today's primaries factor into this week's Senate vote.

All in all, the next few days of Wall Street Reform debate and voting in the Senate should be a wild ride. I hope Senator Reid has a good plan to ride it all the way to final passage (of a strong bill).

In Honor of Suzy Lowdown...

And the massive trainwreck her campaign has become, I present to you...



It can't be too much longer before SNL does a skit... Hell, make it an entire episode of this!

NV-Sen: And the Wheels of the Bus Come off Suzy Lowdown's Campaign...

Oh, jeez. Here we go again. Suzy Lowdown has found herself another law to conveniently violate.

A campaign contributor is "leasing" Lowden the luxury RV she is using as her campaign bus, according to the Lowden campaign. But her name is on the title with the supporter, Carl Guiduci, which would indicate they co-own the bus.

Campaign finance rules allow in-kind contributions of $2,400 -- the same as the cash limit. The contribution of a luxury bus, which commonly costs more than $100,000, would be a violation of the law. [...]

The tan 2001 Monaco, which comes complete with kitchen, shower and bed, was bought by Giuduci in May 2009 from a Montana dealer, according to a public database of vehicle registrations. [...]

Charles Spies, an attorney for the campaign, wrote in an e-mail last week: "The RV is titled in its owner's name (not Sue Lowden or Lowden for Senate)."

In response to a records request, however, the DMV confirmed that Lowden is a title-holder with Giudici, indicating co-ownership status.

Later, the Lowden attorney sent a followup e-mail: "Although (Lowden) is not the owner of the vehicle (but instead is using it through a private lease agreement), (Lowden) and the owner are on the registration for insurance purposes."

By law, between the start of the campaign last year and next month's primary, Lowden can only accept $2,400 in free use of the vehicle from Giuduci, who gave a $2,200 in-kind vehicle donation last year; he gave another $200, meaning he is at his limit. Elsie Giuduci has given at least $2,360 in in-kind vehicle donations since last year, meaning she is also near if not at her limit. [...]

Melanie Sloan, a former prosecutor and now executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, took a dim view of the transaction. She said a bus donation would be a clear campaign finance violation. "He gave it to her. She owns it. She on the title, and it's in her custody and control. It's an excessive campaign contribution," she said.

Ah, the sound of Suzy Lowdown becoming increasingly desperate! She was so desperate to bash the health care reform legislation that Harry Reid made sure to pass that she tried to promote bartering as a "serious solution". She was then so desperate to make us forget "Barter-gate" ever happened that she tried to recycle Floyd Brown's discredited attacks on Harry Reid, MGM Mirage, and CityCenter... And she only made herself look like a fool again! And now, she gets caught for violating campaign finance law and taking a $100,000 luxury liner RV as an "in kind contribution".

Has Suzy Lowdown completely lost her mind? Is she even paying attention to her own campaign? Does she even know how to campaign?

Suzy Lowdown won't even win the Senate race, and she may not even survive the primary with this news breaking, but nonetheless her campaign will most certainly win the "EPIC FAIL Campaign of the Year" award! Take that as consolation, Ms. Suzy.

NV-03: Dina Titus House Party in Henderson

On Saturday, I had the chance to see my favorite Congresswoman in action at a house party up in Anthem. Dina Titus was answering questions about health care, the Recovery Act, the economy, cooperation (or lack thereof) between the state and the feds, and a little question on immigration reform that I got in. ;-)

For a "small house party" in Sun City Anthem, you can see from my photos that we got a good crowd. As soon as Dina made it from another house party in Henderson, we got started.

On health care, Dina reassured the crowd (many were seniors, as we were right in the heart of Sun City Anthem) that the health care reform legislation passed this year would NOT HURT MEDICARE BENEFITS, but would actually strengthen the Medicare system by redirecting funds from pure insurance company profits into improving the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and offering free preventive care.

Dina was also asked about Social Security. Someone was concerned about the recent Republican talking points being released on Social Security "going bankrupt" in six years. Dina responded by calling that talking point out as a lie and pointing out how the longer-term solvency issues of Social Security can easily be solved, starting with Congress stopping the raids into the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for things like corporate tax cuts and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (what Bush and the Republican Congress did last decade).

There were quite a few questions about the Recovery Act (stimulus) and whether Nevada is getting the money. Dina explained how we are now (FINALLY!!!) getting Recovery Act funds for schools, transportation, and more... No thanks to "Luv Giv" Gibbons. He was the source of most of the delays, as he didn't want to post signs showing these projects were paid for by the Recovery Act and he didn't want to bother with the accountability measures needed for Nevada to receive the funds. Dina Titus then said Congress is trying to get the next round of education funds directly to the schools, so that next time we won't have to worry again about idiots like Gibbons trying to block us from receiving federal funds.

I then asked a question about immigration reform and whether Congress will soon pass comprehensive reform including the Uniting American Families Act. I explained how it was unfair for LGBTQ families trying to do everything legally to still be denied entry because of who they are. As of now, LGBTQ Americans can't sponsor their spouses for legal entry into the country. Dina sympathized with what I said, but I could tell she didn't want to deal with the "hot potato" immigration issue. She talked about the the over 200 bills passed by the House that are still stalled in the Senate, and how House members do not want to see any more legislation passed by them just to hit roadblocks in the Senate. Clearly, she was repeating what Nancy Pelosi has said before, which is that they want to see action in the Senate first on immigration and other "hot button issues" before they drop anything not "directly related to economic recovery" to take them on.

I was a bit frustrated, but I could also understand. For better or for worse, immigration is now Harry Reid's issue and he'll have to get something passed in the Senate first before Pelosi will allow Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley and everyone else in the House to work on immigration issues.

Before Dina had to leave for Lake Mead (to give an award for biggest fish caught, don't ask), she took one more question on foreign affairs and specifically the Israeli-Palestinean conflict. The hostess herself asked, as she was concerned about Israel. Dina Titus responded by saying she shared those concerns about Israel and stated her thoughts on Israel's right to exist.

OK, I must admit this was another frustrating moment for me. The vast majority of Palestineans aren't denying Israel's right to exist... They're just asking for their right to exist on their land. Now Dina Titus did say that "the peace process has to be a two-way street", but this should mean that both sides are willing to actually talk and stop the land incursions and illegal settlements along with the terrorist attacks. Israel can't be expected not to defend itself, but neither can Palestine. There really has to be a two-state solution that all sides can agree to and live with.

OK, enough of my foreign policy preaching. Yes, I sometimes have my issues with Dina. But all in all, it was good to see her here in Henderson reaching out to us in the neighborhood. And hey, she does get quite a bit done for the community. That's why I'd rather keep her in Congress serving our district. Hey, at least she listens to me. ;-)

Crazy Fun Video Night: My "Vegas Uncork'd Staycation" Vids!

In case you couldn't get enough of my Vegas Uncork'd adventures from last weekend, I saved the best for last...

YOUTUBE! YES, MY YOUTUBE!

My THEhotel suite:



A glimpse of the Vegas Uncork'd Grand Tasting (specifically, Pure's lounge/pool party):



And Mandalay Bay's famed beach (pool complex):



Enjoy! :-)

NV-Sen: Suzy Lowdown Campaign Meltdown?

So Suzy Lowdown tried desperately to change the subject from her flailing campaign this week by attacking Harry Reid for saving CityCenter, taking Perini's side in the MGM Mirage v. Perini dispute over CityCenter, and looking like a fool. So what is she saying? That Perini did a great job in screwing up The Harmon? That all those construction worker deaths were no big deal? That it would have been better if CityCenter weren't built and MGM Mirage, Nevada's single largest employer, had gone belly up bankrupt?

Oh yeah, and didn't Ms. Suzy have her own little issue with not paying the construction bills for her fancy dancy Summerlin mansion? What was that line Jesus said about taking the log out of one's own eye before worrying about the speck in someone else's?

Yeah, Suzy Lowdown, destroying Nevada workers' jobs really is your job!

And of course, this was only just one facet of the continuing Suzy Lowdown campaign meltdown. According to the "poll" from "the 'newspaper' that shall not be named", Ms. Suzy holds a measly 30-25 lead over Batsh*t Crazy Sharron Angle in the GOoP primary with Lil' Tark Shark swimming just a little further behind at 22%. Heh. And "the 'newspaper' that shall not be named" was already crowning Lowdown the winner just a month ago?

And what about the other GOoPers nipping at Suzy Lowdown's big, red designer heels? Apparently, they didn't get the memo that Ms. Suzy was already supposed to be "the winner"... And the teabaggers are thumbing their noses at her as they're embracing the new love of their lives, Batsh*t Crazy Sharron Angle.



So is this Ms. Suzy's swan song? Or should I say chicken cluck?





Maybe not yet. She may yet survive the GOoP primary... But no matter who makes it out clucking, a certain someone from Searchlight is still smiling. I guess Jon Ashjian didn't even have to wreck the Nevada GOoP... Suzy Lowdown is already on her way to doing that herself, whether or not she wins the primary. :-)

OFA House Parties With Harry Reid & Dina Titus Tomorrow!

Hey, kids. Jennifer Lopez (no, not that one!) from OFA Nevada just dropped me a reminder about this weekend.

This Saturday, OFA Nevada and the Nevada State Democratic Party would like to invite you to a house meeting with a special guest, Senator Harry Reid, who will join us via conference call.

Senator Reid has been a crucial ally of President Obama -- championing health insurance reform and fighting to rein in the big banks on Wall Street.

There are even bigger battles ahead, and we need to make sure we send Harry Reid back to Washington, to keep fighting for Nevadans.

These house meetings will be the first step to get engaged locally and get trained to make a difference -- can you make it to one near you?

Click here to find and RSVP for a house meeting with Senator Reid in your neighborhood.



I hope you can join us. This is a unique opportunity to get educated and involved -- and to hear directly from Senator Reid.

If you're in or near Downtown Las Vegas, please join Stonewall Chair Derek Washington at his house for a special get-together...

House Meeting with Senator Harry Reid (House Meeting) Come join your fellow Democrats and Senator Reid to discuss health care reform and other important bills on the Senate floor. The Senator will be joining us via live conference call, so don't miss this opportunity to hear what's going on in the Senate, to say hello to your fellow Dems, and to find out what you can do to help reelect Senator Reid this fall. Time: Saturday, May 15 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Host: Leora Olivas Location: Derek Washington's House (Las Vegas, NV) 323 N. 11th St Las Vegas, NV 89101 Maps: Google Maps   MapQuest   Yahoo! Maps

And if you're in Henderson, you can join Congresswoman Dina Titus at either of these house parties...

Congresswoman Dina Titus

Will be in your Neighborhood on

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Please join us at either of these

Exciting House Parties

11:45AM-1:15PM

The Home of Fran Friday

2384 Mystic Star Street

Henderson, NV 89044

RSVP to Fran Friday’s House Party
----------

1:00PM – 2:30PM

The Home of Don and Jane Kusel

2645 Evening Sky Drive

Henderson, NV 89052

RSVP to Don and Jane Kusel’s House Party
----------

Congresswoman Titus looks forward to seeing you next Saturday

For More Information Please Contact

Michael Naft

(702) 769-9225

Mike@dinatitus.com

Wherever you go, it should be nice to meet up with some familiar Democratic friends, and perhaps meet some new progressive friends as well. And come on, wouldn't you like something fun to do on a lovely Saturday? What can be more fun than discussing important health care, financial, and climate/energy policy with Nevada's best lawmakers? :-)

Scenes from Stonewall's Henderson Mixer on Monday!

Yes, yes, yes! Finally, Stonewall was here in my 'hood this week! We had a chance to speak with Assembly Member Ellen Spiegel, State Senator Joyce Woodhouse, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, and more!

It was great to actually speak to her directly about the recent issue of the Nevada DMV denying accurate driver's licenses for transgender persons, and she said she'd be on the case. Ellen Spiegel said she was proud to testify in support of SB 283 and be the 28th vote to override "Luv-Guv" Gibbons' veto of domestic partnerships. Joyce Woodhouse spoke about what she's doing in the Senate on education, renewable energy, the budget, and more.

All in all, it was very informative and very fun. And yes, I was so glad that we were able to do it so close to home! :-)

Letter to Nevada DMV Director Regarding Driver's Licenses for Transgender Nevadans

(Also at Stonewall)

We had heard enough of these disturbing and very illegal denials of accurate driver's licenses to transgender Nevadans. Here is our letter to Nevada DMV Director Edgar Roberts asking him to stop this wrongful and illegal discrimination. We hope you join us in writing your own letter.

---

May 10, 2010
Director Edgar Roberts
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711

Dear Mr. Roberts,

It has been brought to our attention that the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is continuing to deny transgender Nevadans the right to change the gender marker on their driver licenses with a letter from a doctor which states that a person’s gender has been changed. This is of great concern to us, and we hope you will end this discriminatory and illegal policy.

This denial of accurate driver’s licenses to transgender persons violates current Nevada Administrative Code 483.070 which states, “A person who wishes to change the gender indicated on his driver’s license, motorcycle driver’s license or identification card must submit proof satisfactory to the department that his gender was changed. The proof must include documentation prepared by a physician or an osteopathic physician indicating that the gender of the person has been changed.”

By denying change of gender marker on driver’s licenses to transgender Nevadans, the DMV is violating state law as well as violating the privacy rights of many thousands of Nevadans. This puts these Nevadans at greater risk for workplace discrimination and increases the risk of anti-transgender hate crimes. Not only is the denial of proper driver’s licenses illegal, but it also jeopardizes public safety and leads to further civil rights violations.

As the Director of the Nevada DMV, Mr. Roberts, you have the authority to ensure your department is abiding by state law and allowing transgender persons to change the gender marker on their driver’s licenses. We urge you to properly use this authority to prevent any further unlawful discrimination against transgender persons here in Nevada by. Please change the DMV’s policy on changing the gender marker on driver’s licenses so it can be in line with Nevada Administrative Code 483.070 and treat transgender Nevadans fairly and with decency.

Thank you.


Sincerely yours,

Derek Washington
Chair

Sandra Eddy
Vice-Chair

Andrew Davey
Secretary & Political Director

Chris Miller
Treasurer

Laura Martin
Communications Director

Karen Grayson
Transgender Outreach Director
Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada

"Camp Vegas", Comeback Kid?

So LVCVA has decided upon a new marketing campaign, "Camp Vegas"...





And we're all wondering what's going on. Where's the camp?

Obviously, this is not really the "summer camp" we expected as kids. This is "camp for grownups", complete with pool parties, "beachside" gambling, and plentiful liquor. It all sounds so happy and fun...

But wait, when was the last time we were all happy here? Well, perhaps there's good reason to be happy again.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said 3,224,697 people visited the city in March, compared to 3,202,344 visitors in March 2009, which is an increase of 0.7 percent. March marks the seventh straight month of visitor volume exceeding prior year levels.

Hotel occupancy across the valley dropped 3.5 percent because about 8,000 additional hotel rooms were added in the past year, bringing the total number of rooms to 148,891.

The average daily room rate increased 0.8 percent in the past year, from $92.46 to $93.23, the LVCVA said. The number of room nights occupied increased 0.8 percent to nearly 3.8 million.

Convention attendance was up 5.2 percent, while the number of conventions dropped 2.9 percent, according to the LVCVA numbers.

The number of passengers arriving to and departing from McCarran International Airport dropped 4 percent, while traffic at the Nevada/California line on Interstate 15 was up 6.2 percent.

And although other parts of the state (including Downtown and the 'burbs here in Clark County) are still suffering declining gaming revenue, The Strip continued on its winning streak.

Casinos along the Las Vegas Strip posted their fourth increased win in the past five months in March, buoyed by strong performances in Baccarat and sports betting with the college basketball tournament. [...]

Strip casinos posted $467 million in, up 2.4 percent. For the first three months of the year, the gaming win on the Strip increased by 9.8 percent.

For the 11st consecutive month, the 17 casinos that have Baccarat reported an increase, up to $52.7 million.

Sports betting jumped 527.5 percent to $7.6 million. Players lost $12.1 million in basketball during the time of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Frank Streshley, chief of tax and licensing for the board, said the high-end play is coming back on the Strip, and convention business has been strong.

“We hit the bottom and are slowly climbing out,” he said.

Well, it's far better to be climbing up from the bottom than still sliding toward an endless, bottomless pit. What a difference a year makes!

Again, things aren't perfect just yet. Vegas hasn't fully healed yet... But we're now on our way. Vegas is coming back, baby!

And hey, what better way to celebrate than throw a "summer camp" for all our guests? I'm digging it. :-)