I agree that the dining is one of the thinge we look forward to on our Las Vegas trips, but the best dining I have found is not inside the casino's overcrowded. overpriced restaurants. I really couldn't care less about some "big name" chef preparing a skmpy meal with a little sause garnish on the plate and charging $60 or more for it.
We go off strip to the many great local restaurants like Siena Italian, Lindo Michgoan (Mexican), Memphis barbecue, etc. All very reasonable and excellent food and service. (No, I am not affiliated wuth any of them, other than as a customer). We have enjoyed Toby Keith's oan B.B. Kings on the strip, but avoid the high priced traos elsewhere on the strip,

If they cannot make the payments on the building they have, they have NO business building a larger church.
"Strategic default" is the new lingo for "deadbeat".
Not paying your bills, while pocketing money to spend on a new building is stealing from those you owe money too.
I'm not an extremeny religious person, but as a kid, I remember learning the ten commandments. "Thou Shalt not steal" comes to mind.
I pay my bills, and have lately done without other things to keep my obligations paid on time. It's sad days indeed when a church takes the "everyone else is doing it" attitude. Churches, including this one are based on high moral standards, too bad they've drifted from those morals.
They should just close it down and sell the assets to pay creditors.

Scott, You forgot to add Uncle Harry to your list?

Lynn, The stock markets did not "Double" in 2009-2010. They went up, but not anywhere even close to doubling. As far as your comments about job growth in those years....WHERE? Unemployment was (and is) at or near 10 percent. (official numbers, not counting all those unemployed but not receiving benefits, or those who took lower pay or part time work to have "something", like me). The rate is more likely in the 15-20 percent area, with wages stagnating, consumers are not spending for fear of worse to come. Worse to come is just around the corner.
I suggest you compare bankruptcy and foreclosure rates in 2009-2011 to those of previous years, yeah, how's that working out?
President Obama has been at the wheel for over 2 1/2 years, he has to take some of the blame. along with the Democrat Senate and Republican House. (and previous Democrat House). They all are responsible. We cannot continue to pay more and more people for not working for decades on end, or allow mortgage interest deductions on million dollar houses. Neither is feasible in this economy. (see, I have problems with some policies of both sides). The reason so many Republicans got elected last year is because of the failure of the Democrats to accomplish anything of substance. So now we have gridlock and still no substance.
You seem to overlook that the national debt has gone up way more in the past 2 1/2 years, than in the previous 8 years, although the Bush years had way too much spending, (with many of those years of Democrat control in Congress), the past couple of years have made the Bush years look frugal in comparison. It took 230 years for the national debt to get to 9 trillion. It took 2 1/2 years to add another 5 trillion to that. When interest rates go up (they eventually will), we are in a lot of trouble.
There is plenty of blame for all parties, and part of the proiblem is those who feel that their side can do no wrong, and the other side is all wrong. Attitudes like that have caused a lot of the problems.
As long as the debt ceiling continues to be raised, the crash is coming, just like an individual in over his head who gets another credit card because the other 10 are maxed out. Soon the 11th card will be maxed out and the problem will only be worse, default is inevitable, they just keep delaying it until "after the next election".

Way too often, as a business is sinking in red ink, the clueless exectuives take huge raises and bonuses while cutting benefits and staff in the wage earner's department, therefore a noticeable drop in customer service. The folks who supply the goods to keep the company running end up not getting paid, or getting pennies on the dollar.
It used to be raises and bonuses were tied to overall performance, If the company makes money, executives (and sometimes employees) got rewarded. Now it's "take all you can get before the party ends".
We need to get back to reality. Too many businesses are failing because the top level people are taking and taking.
I'm all for executives making large amounts of money IF THE COMPANY IS PROFITING.
After bankruptcy, the people who ran it into the ground too often are the only ones who get anything, while stockholders, employees and creditors get very little. (see: Enron, K-mart, Stations, large banking companies, etc.).
While I'm nor a "night club person" I think Hooters would be a natural fit for one of those clubs you see at the nicer strip casinos. It would generate more traffic.

In order for one to have $150,000 on account (unless they deposited it by some form other than winning), there has to be an amount greater than that lost by others. It would be interesting to hear about the other side, Those who lost it all sitting at home trying for the big score. I guess the answer to those winners would be to siphon off some of those winnings and try a regular bank, keeping a smaller amount "on deposit". Do they get a 1099 when they withdraw winnings? They should if it's a substantial amount. Don't casinos 1099 any winnings over $600.
I really have no problem with people winning money playing online poker, Congratulations to those who make it work for them. it just isn't for me.
I do have a friend who regularly goes th the casinos and plays blackjack, and wins most of the time. He calls it "going to work".

If it is built (not very likely), it will never turn a profit. (See Las Vegas Monorail). Like the proposed Los Angeles to San Francisco High speed rail, they seem to be using extremely inflated ridership numbers. And yes, they need to ask: Victorville? I just do not think there will be sufficient numbers of people willing to pay the necessary cost for a ticket (unless subsidized by casinos like the 24hr. turnaround busses). Cost overruns are very likely to double the cost, or more, before the first rider hits the rails. My Chevrolet will get me to Las Vegas in 4 1/2 hours on 9 gallons of gas, and I have a car when I get there. A drive to Victorville is at least 2 hours.
I like the idea if a high speed train, but I do not see it as very practical.

$100k a year might not be "super" rich, but most of us making half of that would like to give it a try. Until the economy turns, $40-$60k is a very decent living for most of us. An extra 50k (30 after taxes) would go a long way. In 2005, when the building boom was going on, a lot of us in that industry were making 80 with overtime and bonuses. The bonuses went in 2006, the overtime went in 2007, the job went in 2008. But I'm surviving, thanks to prudent (cheap) lifestyle when times were good.

Remenber when Borders and B&N came to town, All of the articles on the subject, around the country predicted (correctly) the demise of the smaller, local (real) bookstores, where the store owner was likely to ring up your sale, and could order whatever you wanted, and have it in a day or 2, if it wasn't in stock. Same thing happened with local toy and hobby stores, also appliance stores when the large stores came to town.
Service used to matter, now it's "I can get it at big box for a little less", with most folks not wanting the "cheapest" (now made in China) whatever.

Here in Bakersfield, an old Home base store (like Home Depot) is still vacant after close to 10 years. (It was a furniture outlet for a year or so about 5 years back). The nearby vacated Costco and Home Depot stores are also vacant. (both moved to new bigger locations nearby). The nearby closed Office Depot was made into a traffic court building (plenty of business there). The other Home Base building (also closed a decade ago) was an indor RV showroom for a bit, until RV sales tanked. They just tore it down to build a used car dealership. The closed Circuit City, 2 Mervyns, 2 Gottschalks, Comp USA and Target, Borders, etc. around town are all still vacant, along with a few former grocery stores and car dealerships. A lot of smaller retail lease space is also vacant. Montgomery Wards is now an indoor swap meet.
The old Zodys sat for decades before A Home Depot opened there. There's enough empty big boxes to last a long time. Of course, if something new comes to town, they'll build new....Someday they'll learn...