White House again clarifies president’s words on Las Vegas

White House to Las Vegas: Let’s try this again.

“I think (President Barack Obama’s) message got blown way out of proportion for what he was intending, which is that he wanted people to be responsible for how they were using their money,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser in town to speak at the Global Travel and Tourism Summit at Aria. “People who have disposable income should spend it any way they want, and being a frequent visitor to Las Vegas — both the president and myself — it is a terrific way to relax and enjoy yourself, obviously on your own nickel.”

For the past two years, Obama has rankled the gaming and tourism industries and the state’s political leaders by his comments casting a negative light on banking executives and even some tourists for coming to Las Vegas.

Jarrett, who will talk about the importance of travel and tourism to the U.S. economy and global marketplace, said the Obama administration wants to be a partner in growing tourism across the country, including to Las Vegas.

“Holding the World Travel and Tourism Summit in Las Vegas sends a very positive signal about the future of that industry,” Jarrett said. “They could have had it anywhere in the world, but they chose to have it here. They see the potential and opportunity, and that bodes well for the region.”

Two years ago, Obama created an uproar in Las Vegas when he told a town hall audience in Indiana that bankers who accepted federal bailouts shouldn’t be giving out big bonuses, buying corporate jets and taking a trip to Las Vegas or the Super Bowl “on the taxpayers’ dime.”

The comment angered Mayor Oscar Goodman, who demanded an apology, especially when financial institutions canceled conventions in town.

Last year, Obama in a New Hampshire town hall meeting said people shouldn’t “blow a bunch of cash in Vegas” when times are tough and they’re saving for college. That created a second outcry among political leaders, including then-Gov. Jim Gibbons, who accused the president of insulting Las Vegas.

Jarrett said the president loves Las Vegas, having vacationed here in the past, and didn’t intend for his comments to have any adverse economic impact. He was simply trying to tell those who got taxpayer subsidies that they needed to be responsible, and Jarrett said the president’s subsequent visits to Nevada show his support and confidence in the region.

“People who aren’t receiving subsidies from the federal government who want to spend every penny they have in Las Vegas (in disposal income), that’s terrific. The president has vacationed himself here and enjoys this town, and it wasn’t in any way intended to be a comment about Las Vegas.”

With Las Vegas’ economy continuing to struggle in relation to the rest of the nation, Jarrett said green energy and technological innovation are important to creating the jobs of the future and diversifying Southern Nevada.

But Jarrett said Las Vegas still has a lot going for it with gaming and tourism. Even though spending is down, it’s a great sign that tourists are returning in larger numbers.

“Don’t underestimate the importance of travel and tourism to the economy,” she said. “That’s what the foundation of your economy is and, given that it is growing around the world and growing in our country, it’s not a bad business to be in considering the future.”

Jarrett said Las Vegas shouldn’t fret over visitors not spending like they once did because it’s a reflection of how hard hit the economy was. It’s going to take time for the economy to recover, but it’s a good sign that people are starting to take vacations again and conventions are coming back to Las Vegas. The economy is growing by creating 1.2 million jobs in the past 14 months, and that growth will help Las Vegas, she said.

“They may appear to be baby steps, but they’re important steps in the right direction,” said Jarrett, who met Tuesday with small-business owners and gaming executives during a round-table to talk about the Las Vegas economy. “The first step is to get people traveling again and the next step is to spend money again. Every indicator I have is that Las Vegas is moving in the right direction.”

Jarrett said tourism is not only important to Las Vegas and the rest of the nation’s economy but it is vital that Americans learn more about the world when they travel abroad.

“We will have a better world if we all know more about each other, and one way to do that is to travel,” Jarrett said.

Jarrett said she’s sure the first family would have a wonderful time if they took a trip to Las Vegas to visit Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam, but no such trip is in their plans. Jarrett said she once visited Las Vegas with her daughter and enjoyed a helicopter ride over the dam and to the floor of the Grand Canyon.

“It’s a memory I cherish forever,” Jarrett said. “It is a wonderful part of our great country, and I’m sure they would enjoy visiting.”