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Nevada delegation critical of plan that leaves Las Vegas off anti-terrorism list

WASHINGTON - Nevada’s House delegation is pushing back against a provision of the homeland security appropriations bill that would prioritize anti-terrorism spending to the 10 cities considered most at risk -- a cutoff that would leave Las Vegas in the cold.

The program in question is called the Urban Area Security Initiative, geared toward helping congested urban areas deal with the unique challenges of counter-terrorism planning and recovery in cities. It was created along with the Department of Homeland security in 2003, in response to the Al-Qaeda attack on New York and the Washington, D.C., area that killed more than 3,000 Americans.

Last year, 31 cities, including Las Vegas, split $662 million in funds, directing that cash toward projects like the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center, a fusion operation that serves as a communications hub for 18 state agencies to coordinate efforts.

But under the bill, next year only the cities the Department of Homeland Security has ranked as the 10 most at-risk would get to split the funds. Las Vegas, according to local lawmakers, is ranked 17.

The idea, say backers of the change, is to make more of an impact in the most at-risk cities, following the 9-11 Commission’s direction that UASI should “not be a program for general revenue-sharing.”

“The UASI funding is specifically target to those areas, such as New York, that are pointed to by the terrorists,” said Rep. Nita Lowey, a Democrat representing the New York City suburbs who sits on the Homeland Security Appropriations committee. “There are many other sources of funding for these communities ... Nevada is getting over $10 million.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding that the UASI program should cover all the homeland security funding for these states,” Lowey said.

It’s not a truckload of money that comes to Las Vegas under the program: last year, only $5.1 million of UASI funding came to Southern Nevada. But local lawmakers’ point is that it came, and in the new plan, it won’t.

“I understand the need to prioritize dollars and scarce resources, but limiting funding to an arbitrary cap of 10 cities threatens our national preparedness,” said Nevada Rep. Joe Heck, who tried to offer an amendment that would have upped the number of included cities to 25, which failed on a voice vote. He’s also supporting the pending amendment to lift the cap further, that’s been proffered by Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo, N.Y., a city that’s also set to lose funding under the program change.

Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada | Learn More About ...

The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel is a no frills, clean and cheap option for what often has the potential to be an impoverishing trip to Sin City. The Flamingo is easily one of the best value hotels in Las Vegas with rooms starting as low as $45 if you book in advance.

What it lacks in the sheer opulence of other Vegas hotels it more than makes up for in character. Open since 1946, the Flamingo hotel is the oldest hotel on the Strip still running, offering a classic atmosphere in contrast to some of the more gimmicky, themed hotels.

Of course, like most Las Vegas hotels, the Flamingo is more or less self-contained, housing a casino, Caribbean-theme pool, restaurants, gym and big-name entertainers on a nightly basis–not to mention the “wildlife habitat” exhibiting its signature flamingos. While it may not match some of the newer luxury hotels in decadence, you’ll have a hard time beating the value you get here.

Rooms are cheap and basic at the Flamingo. You won’t find any spectacular decor, but they’re clean and come with all the necessary amenities–flat screen cable TV, high speed internet and a cozy bed to lie in a pile of your winnings. With its central location on the Strip, it’s unlikely that you’ll be spending much time in your room anyway.

There isn’t much variety in the rooms, as they basically fall into two categories–the slightly more-hip, smaller “Go Rooms” and traditional deluxe lodgings, which aren’t huge either, but are perfectly adequate.

Amenities at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Pet-friendly rooms and amenities are available if you choose to take your pet along for the ride (although only if they’re under 50 pounds). The pool is gorgeous, though often crowded on nice days. An in-house gym is available, as are several restaurants, a buffet and a food court. The Flamingo’s great location adds to the value, providing easy access to the Vegas Strip and all its has to offer.

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