More Videos
MOST SHARED
- Seeking Innovation in Health Care
- Today's Market Action
- Microsoft's Bill Gates Praises Apple's Steve Jobs For 'Saving the Company'
- Israel: Leader of Business Innovation
- Low Interest Rate Investing
- Inside Wal-Mart's Acai Berry Juice Maker
- Herbalife Vs. Hedge Funds
- Novo Nordisk CEO on Diabetes Epidemic
- Warren Buffett and Bill Gates: Keeping America Great
- Week Ahead: Investors Go for Quality, Assess Recovery
- Dollar is Not Plunging—So 'Calm Down': Market Strategist
- Strategists Say Markets Have More Upside — But How Much?
- Hirschhorn: Risk-Averse Traders
- Roginsky: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Financial Reform
- This Year's Biggest Thanksgiving Leftover: Cash
- TV Series Inks Unique Deal For Fight
- First Time Buyers Rescue Housing: Realtors
- Dollar General Trades Higher After Its IPO
- Fed Reform? Not So Fast.
- White House Plans to Freeze Spending to Cut Deficit
- Week Ahead: Investors Go for Quality, Assess Recovery
- Hedge Fund Billionaire Paulson Reports New Citi Stake
- Cramer: 5 Earnings Reports to Watch Next Week
- Court Rejects 'Clawbacks' for Alleged Stanford Victims
- Cities With the Most Home Price Reductions
- Tax Credit Sparking First-Time Home Sales: Realtors
- Investors Cut Back US Stocks for Bigger Growth Abroad
- This Year's Biggest Thanksgiving Leftover: Cash
RSS FEED
Funny Business
Text Size 
ELVIS IN HEARTBREAK HOTEL 
I'm reporting all day from the Las Vegas Strip, and we have extended coverage here on the Web.
But I just spoke with Elvis and got the real scoop.
This "Elvis" came to Las Vegas two years ago, and makes a living performing at private events, weddings, and occasionally getting a bit part in a production. His real name is Michael Jordan -- I kid you not.
He says from the street-view level where he works, there's a whole lot less "Viva" in "Las Vegas" these days. He claims the economy is much tougher than city officials and executives say it is. We're not talking about the high rollers who stay at the Wynn. We're talking about regular two-pack-a-day Las Vegas.
"I'm not getting any work," says Elvis, who adds that a lot of hotel and casino workers have been laid off.
He first started to notice the slowdown last fall, but it really hit him on New Year's Eve. Usually Las Vegas Boulevard is almost a parking lot on New Year's Eve, but this last time, "you could drive right up the Strip."
He says you can see the downturn in lots of little ways. At one large venue here, for example, Elvis says "for the whole month of July, they only did 13 weddings."
Where did I find Elvis? I ran into him after he'd worked a private event and come to the Tropicana to put $5 in the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. How'd The King do?
"Unfortunately, I lost."
Now that's a heartbreaking image...
______________________________________
Sin City Stock Check:
- Las Vegas Sands [LVS
Loading...
()
]
- MGM Grand [MGM
Loading...
()
]
- Wynn Resorts [WYNN
Loading...
()
]
______________________________________
Questions? Comments? Funny Stories? Email
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes