A guide to great plane-spotting sites near airports USATODAY.com
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Page 1 of3
A guide to great plane-spotting sites near
airports
By
Harriet Baskas, special for
USA TODAY
My recent column
highlighting some of the
observation decks inside
some North American
airports prompted many
readers to send along
their favorite locations for
spots outside airport
terminals that offer great views of aviation activity. Many suggestions came from dedicated plane spotters, aviation
enthusiasts and professional photographers, but some tips came from frequent travelers who just get a thrill from getting
a good close look at jets as they take off and land.
PHOTO GALLERY: Airport observation decks
Al Mueller, a retired travel agent from Guerneville, Calif., believes that “the very best close-up observation points are no
longer accessible,” perhaps because many spots near airports were declared off-limits after 9/11. Still, he’s discovered
that Bayfront Park in Millbrae is a great place to watch planes coming and going from San Francisco International
Airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport doesn’t have an official viewing area, but Joel Lesser, an Internet
developer from Johns Creek, Ga., shared the locations of what he believes are “the best plane spotting locations atATL
that are legal to access.” In addition to heading to the recycling center or sewage treatment plant near AlL, Lesser says
many folks pay the hourly parking fee ($1/hour for the first 2 hours) just so they can plane-spot from the top floors of the
airport’s south and north parking garages.
Garage rooftops seem to be popular viewing spots at many airports around the country, but in Washington, D.C., the
hands-down favorite spot to watch airplanes is at Gravelly Point, a park area about a mile from Reagan Washington
National Airport. The park is officially part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Jesse Reynolds of the
National Park Service explains that Gravelly Point is such a big draw because one side of the park is adjacent to the
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A guide to great plane-spotting sites near airports USATODAY.com
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northeast boundary of the airport and “planes essentially fly right over the top of your head.” That’s the part that thrills
Troy Barbour from Fairfax Station, Va. who works as a project manager for a global defense contractor. “After the planes
pass over, you can hear the whooshing sounds of the wing vortexes swirling above you.”
You may not be able to get that close to the airplanes at some of the other official and unofficial viewing spots listed
below, but you should be able to get close enough to snap some great pictures.
LAX
While the reopening of the official outdoor viewing area on top of the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport
has been pushed back to at least the end of 2009, an unofficial airport viewing area at nearby Imperial Hill (officially
Clutter’s Park) remains open and as popular as ever. Located in the neighboring city of El Segundo, the park offers
picnic tables and a great view of the southern portion of the airport. The In-N-Out Burger, at 9149 South Sepulveda
Blvd., is also a popular LAX viewing spot (and while you’re there you may as well sample the legendary burgers).
BWI
In addition to the observation gallery inside the terminal at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
there’s the outdoor Tom Dixon Aircraft Observation Area on Dorsey Road, along the airport’s southern edge. The park
has a playground, picnic tables, bicycle racks, and access to the 12.5 mile BWI Trail that encircles the airport.
RDU
At Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s Observation Park, visitors can listen in on communications between the control
tower and pilots from an elevated deck that looks out to the airport’s longest runway, the new terminal and the general
aviation area. Located near the air traffic control tower, about three-quarters of a mile from the terminals, the park also
has a playground and a picnic area and is a popular spot for birthday parties and for people waiting to pick up arriving
passengers.
GRR
Mike Lewis, a media planning supervisor in Chicago, has fond memories of the observation area alongside the main
runway at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. “It’s more or less a parking lot with some picnic
tables, but the proximity to the airport is great. I still try and go there any time I’m in Grand Rapids visiting family.”
Located about two and a half miles from the airport entrance, the observation area has portable restroom facilities, picnic
tables, and air traffic control communications that can be picked up on the AM radio dial. But the real appeal? The
viewing area is just 600 feet from the airport’s main runway.
LAS
In Las Vegas, it’s a sure bet you’ll get a great view of planes taking off and landing from the Sunset Viewing Area at
McCarran International Airport. It’s just south of the airport, off Sunset Road, and looks out to the airport’s busiest
east/west runways. Here again, visitors can dial up air traffic control chatter on the radiO.
AUS
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the airplane viewing area is officially called the Family Viewing Area, but you
don’t need to have kids in tow to enjoy the one-acre spot just east of the airport entrance. Located near the 9,000-foot
east runway, the observation area has picnic tables and, according to airport’s website, recommended viewing hours:
mornings from 6 until 11 am.; mid-afternoons from 1:30-3 p.m.; and in the evenings starting at around 7:30 p.m.
FLL
At the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport you’ll find the Ron Gardner Aircraft Observation Area on the west
side of the airport, on the opposite side of the airfield from the terminals. Many people watch aircraft activity here from
their air-conditioned cars, but if you roll down the windows you’ll get to hear the communications between the pilots and
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Page 3 of 3
the air traffic control tower from speakers installed at the site.
DFW
In 2008, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport relocated its popular Founders Plaza observation point to a new and
larger spot on the northwest quadrant of the sprawling airport grounds. The new location offers some spectacular views
of aircraft traffic on the airport’s west side and provides amenities that include picnic tables, telescopes, canopies and
covered seating, display panels with historic information, parking for tour buses, and speakers broadcasting air traffic
control communications.
Did we miss your local airport or favorite plane spotting spot?
There are loads of great airport viewing spots around the country and you’ll find many of those official and unofficial
locations listed in informal but information-packed “Spotting Guides” on the Web. Many of these sites are put together by
individuals and clubs and offer detailed maps and directions, tips about parking, security and nearby amenities, and
even helpful advice on what time to show up and what lens to use in order to take snap the best photos of the planes
that will roar by. And whether it’s a sewage plant access road or a landscaped picnic area, if we missed your favorite
plane spotting spot, please add your comment below.
Do you have a great takeoff or landing shot? Post it in our gallery of reader airline photos.
Read previous columns
Harriet Baskas writes about traye! etiquette for MSNBC.com and is the author of the airport guidebook Stuck at the
Airport and a blog of the same name. Follow heron Twitter at twitter.com/hbaskas.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/baskas/2009-1 1-11 -plane-spotting-sites_N.htm
H Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.
Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
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11/12/2009
Free Wi-Fi From Google, Microsoft, eBay and Yahoo NYTimes.com
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Q~Ijc~u~tU~OTk ~
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This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready
copies for distribution to your colleag ues, clients or customers here or use the ‘Reprints tool
that appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional
information. Orders reprint of this article now.
November
11, 2009
A Holiday Gift of Some Free Wi-Fl
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
~gie,
Yahoo, ~j~y and Microsoft all have the same marketing idea this holiday season:
temporarily providing free Wi-Fi access in airports, airplanes and public places.
Google announced Tuesday that it would provide free Wi-Fi access in 47 airports across the
country including Boston, Houston and Seattle through Jan. 15. The airports handle about
35 percent of American air travelers, the company said.
—
—
Travelers who connect to a wireless hot spot at one of the airports will see a browser page that
gives them the chance to donate to three charities and have the donation matched by Google.
The 47 airports include some, such as McCarran International in Las Vegas, that already
provide free Wi-Fi. Sponsorships help the airport keep the service free.
Google is also providing free Wi-Fi on Virgin America flights for the same period.
EBay, the Web auction powerhouse, will provide free Wi-Fi on some Delta Air Lines planes
during the week of Thanksgiving. Logging on will take users first to eBay’s holiday page, but
they will be free to roam from there.
Since September, Microsoft has given away Wi-Fi access at some hotels and airports,
encouraging users to make a query on the company’s new search engine, Bing.
On Monday, Yahoo said it was giving away Wi-Fi access in Times Square in New York.
Boingo Wireless, which operates for-pay hot spots in airports and is part of Google’s project,
said it had been getting good results with free Wi-Fi campaigns sponsored by hotel chains. The
campaigns typically offer users 15 to 20 minutes of access after they watch a 30-second video
advertisement.
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Officials marking start of Vegas air cargo project (Kitchen And Bath Design News)
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Officials marking start of Vegas air cargo project
Posted: November 12th, 2009 10:30 AM EDT
kusumvO3Tenders Info
Developers are marking the start of construction on a $29 million air cargo center at
McCarran International Airport. A spokesman for Las Vegas-based Marnell
~ LE~XkNEIXIS~
Properties says a Monday ceremony will mark groundbreaking for the nearly
201,000-square-foot air freight logistics center on about 19 acres at the airport’s new Terminal 3. The
Mamell Air Cargo Center is designed to host freight and mail-sorting operations for companies including
FedEx Corp., Southwest Airlines, Worldwide Flight Services, Allegiant Air and UPS. R&O Construction is
the general contractor. Work is expected to take about a year. Ltd.
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11/12/2009
UP IN THE AIR: Jets ready to roar at Nellis air show Neon ReviewJournal.com
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UP IN THE AIR: Jets ready to roar at Nellis air show
By COREY LEVITAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
You don’t usually get a view like this unless you’re the Taliban.
On Saturday and Sunday, more than 100 fighter planes will loop, swoop and dive over Nellis Air Force
Base as part of Aviation Nation 2009.
The eighth consecutive Las Vegas air show is expected to draw more than 100,000 spectators to the
base, according to a Nellis spokesman, making it the largest free public event in Nevada this year.
Queued up on the runway will be aircraft ranging in age from a World War Il-era PT-17 Steerman
biplane to a new F-22 fighter jet. Other notables include the A-lU Thunderbolt II, C-17 Globemaster
III, the Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet and the Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16.
Of the six military flying teams, the Air Force Thunderbirds are the undisputed rock stars. This year,
they’re expected to steal the show again with a new maneuver, the diamond-loop takeoff, performed
in four new Block 52 F-16s.
“We get airborne, retract the gear and essentially go straight into a loop and maneuver into the
diamond formation,” explains Lt. Col Greg Thomas, the Thunderbirds’ squadron commander. “It’s
something the Thunderbirds have never done, and it’s something that most teams can’t do because
they don’t have the power we do.” (Each Block 52 packs 29,000 pounds of thrust.)
Thomas’ standard two-year Thunderbird tour, which saw 73 shows last year and 70 this year, will end
with this performance.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” he says. “ItTs good to be able to give someone else the opportunity to do
this. But to be part of an organization like the Thunderbirds is a very humbling experience and
opportunity, and to know that you’re gonna move on is tough.”
The military will be joined by three civilian acts: the Horsemen P-51 Demonstration Team, the Patriots
Jet Demonstration Team and California resident Bill Reesman in his MiG-17.
Ground displays will depict the history of American aviation and America’s military, and showcase
several military aircraft fresh from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Food, beverages and novelties will be available for purchase.
Free round-trip shuttle bus transportation will be available to and from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The public will not otherwise be allowed entry into Nellis Air Force Base.
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Contact reporter Corey Levitan at cIevitan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0456.
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11/12/2009
US Air flight attendants to picket Friday Phoenix Business Journal:
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Phoenix Business Journal - November11, 2009
Iphoenixlstories/2009/1 1 IO9IdaiIy47.html
Busluess Jnui‘El
Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:54pm MST
US Air flight attendants to picket Friday
Phoenix Business Journal by Mike Sunnucks
-
US Airways flight attendants will be picketing outside of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
on Friday.
The Associati on of FlightAlien dants is upset about frozen pay and the fact that a new
combined labor agreement has not been reached in the wake of the 2005 merger between America
West Airlines and US Airways. The AFA says some former America West attendants are getting
paid less than pre-merger US Airways attendants.
The picketing will occur Friday morning outside ofTerminal 4 at the Phoenix airport.
The union and US Airways management have been trying to work out a new labor deal.
AFA officials said they are frustrated by the lack of progress.
US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said Wednesday the airline wants to work out a deal.
“We share the desire for a single contract,” Wunder said.
U Airw ay
nc (NYSE:LCC) said Oct. 26 it was cutting 1,000 jobs and will reduce the
number offlights out of Las Vegas by nearly half.
The Tempe-based airlines also is dropping flights to a number of destinations and postponing a
planned flight between Philadelphia and Beijing.
The jobs cuts will occur through the first half of next year and impact 200 pilots, 150 flight
attendants and 6oo service and ramp positions.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights resenied.
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11/12/2009
Massive capacity cuts
~I
packed planes for Thanksgiving Nov. 11, 2009
Page 1 of3
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EVERYONE HAS A REASON.
~J~JMoneycom
&.:.•~
PRINT~
Powered by
Stuffing planes like
Thanksgiving turkeys
Fewer air passengers expected for
the holiday, but even fewer
airplanes to result in crowded
flights: industry group.
By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: November 11, 2009: 1:05 PM ET
t;~Chck~
Bu~stocks
for
No account min~rnum
No ina•ctMty fees
~ Get a ~
_______
—~
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) Thanksgiving air
travelers can expect crowded planes as a result of the
most dramatic capacity cuts since World War II, according to the industry’s trade group.
--
Airplanes will be full, despite a 4% reduction in passenger volume for the Thanksgiving season compared to
last year, according to the Air Transport Association. This is because the industry has slashed capacity by
6.9% year-over-year to improve efficiency in the face ofhigher fuel costs and slumping demand, said the
trade group.
“Our expectation is that there will be fewer passengers flying because of economic measures,” said ATA
spokeswoman Elizabeth Merida. “The planes will still be full, even though the airports will be 4% less
crowded.”
This year has seen the biggest capacity reduction since 1942, when civilian aircraft were diverted towards
the war effort, resulting in a cut of 16.9%, she said.
Since then, the industry has grown its capacity with few interruptions. The most dramatic capacity plunge,
aside from the current decline and World War II, occurred immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,
2001, but it was relatively short-term.
Packed airports and planes but fewer delays
Anne Banas, executive editor at smartertravel.com, said with fewer planes in the air the holiday travel
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Massive capacity cuts
=
packed planes for Thanksgiving Nov. 11, 2009
Page 2 of 3
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experience may be streamlined.
“Yes, planes will be full, but I don’t think there will be so many delays,” she said. “[It will be] smooth
sailing compared to last year, in terms of getting stuck in the airports, because there are so few airplanes
compared to last year.”
But she added that the airports during the Thanksgiving holiday are packed with once-a-year fliers who tend
to be less “savvy” in negotiating airport security, holding up the line for frequent fliers.
Rick Seaney, chiefexecutive of Farecompare.com, said the airports will be “jam-packed full,” despite the
decline in passenger volume, because the Thanksgiving travel season is the busiest of the year even busier
than Christmas.
-
Forget about bringing those presents
The biggest and the newest obstacle facing air travelers will probably be the fees for checke4...bagg~gc.,said
Seaney, which were implemented by most ofthe carriers last year.
“Everybody now is pretty much educated on baggage fees, so there’s going to be absolutely no room in the
cabin for packages,” he said. “So you might want to send your bags ahead. You don’t want to be in the back
half ofthe boarding cycle.”
As for air fares, the Air Transport Association said that ticket prices are down 13% this year, compared to
2008. Thanksgiving is fast approaching for those who haven’t purchased tickets. But Seaney said that some
airlines, such as Delta Air Lines (DAL, Fortune 500) and UAL Corp.’s (UAUA, Fortune 500) United
Airlines, have shortened their pre-flight purchase windows to seven days from 14, meaning that passengers
still have time before fares hit their dramatic, short-term increases.
Banas suggested that people who haven’t purchased their tickets should schedule their return flight for the
Monday following Thanksgiving, rather than the Sunday. The Monday fare should be cheaper, she said,
because most travelers “maximize the weekend” and fly on Sunday.
As a final word of Thanksgiving advice, Seaney urged travelers to not vent their frustrations on airline and
airport employees.
“The people who are working those holidays are just as frustrated about being at the airport as you are on
the holiday, and you’re not going to get what you want if you blow up at them,” he said. ~
First.Published: November 11, 2009: 1:02 PM ET
Find this article at:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/1 1/news/economy/holiday_travel/index. htm
Li
Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.
© 2007 Cable News Network LP, LLP.
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11/12/2009
Unions Prod Obama to Fix Ailing Airline Industry NYTimes.com
Page 1 of2
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cdii ~jQI~kQ~ilfl~
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November
12, 2009
Unions Prod Obama to Fix Ailing Airline Industry
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 6:43 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) Three decades of airline deregulation have helped make air travel more
accessible to consumers through lower fares.
--
Now labor unions are questioning whether the industry is paying the price, and the Obama
administration is listening.
Transportation Secretary R
LaFlood was holding a forum Thursday to discuss the state of the
airline industry, which is mired in a severe economic slump and blamed for using a business
model critics say undermines safety. The industry has suffered repeated shocks in recent years,
including the 9/11 terror attacks, the SARS virus, volatile oil prices and the current economic
downturn.
“U.S. aviation is facing severe economic uncertainty, and an open and frank conversation will
help begin a continuing dialogue about the industry’s future,” Transportation Department
spokeswoman Sasha Johnson said.
Airlines are offering the fewest seats to passengers, measured by available seats and distance
traveled, in more than a decade. They have shed more than 158,000 full-time jobs since
employment peaked in 2001 and lost an estimated $33 billion over the past decade. Thirteen
airlines have filed for bankruptcy in the past two years.
The forum, which is closed to the public and the media, was organized at the request of the
AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department.
Ed Wytkind, the trades department’s president, said the industry has become dysfunctional,
and all involved are suffering. He said he’d like to see a blue-ribbon commission to recommend
solutions.
“We can’t keep doing things the exact same way and expect a better outcome,” Wytkind said,
http://www.nytimes.comlaponline/2009/l 1/1 2/us/politics/AP-US-Fixing-Airlines.html?sq=ai...
11/12/2009
Unions Prod Obama to Fix Ailing Airline Industry NYTimes.com
Page 2 of 2
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adding that new regulation probably should be considered.
The Air Transport Association, which represents major carriers, declined to comment ahead of
the forum. Airlines are extremely wary of any discussion of a return to economic regulation.
They contend they are already heavily regulated and taxed.
The industry sought financial assistance from the Bush administration after the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but came away largely empty-handed. More recently, industry leaders
approached the White House for help with installing new equipment in airliners as the nation
shifts from an air traffic control system based on radar to one based on satellite technology.
While airline deregulation has been regarded as a success for consumers, other trends have
raised concerns about whether airlines are offsetting low fares at the expense of safety.
A report last year by a government watchdog said nine large U.S. airlines farm out 70 percent of
major maintenance. Overseas repair shops handled one-quarter of the work, challenging the
ability of U.S. inspectors to determine whether it is done properly, the report said.
Major airlines have also farmed out short-haul trips to regional carriers, which now account for
half of all domestic flights. Regional airlines often hire pilots with significantly less experience
and pay lower wages than major airlines. Both issues have been raised in the National
Transp©ijation Safety Board’s investigation of the crash of Continental Connection FlighL3~7,
which crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., in February, killing 50 people. The flight was operated for
Continental by regional carrier Colgan Air Inc. of Manassas, Va.
“A safe, secure, stable industry can’t be driven by lowest common denominator,” said John
Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. “The cheapest fare out there will not give us
a transportation system that works for everyone.”
On the Net:
Transportation Department: http ://www.dot.gov/
Copyjjght 2009 The Associatedf~~.ss
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11/12/2009
Washington Times Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
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Page 1 of 3
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flin~f~iiu~tvu
~inre~
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Airport rules changed after Ron Paul
aide detained
Stephen]~!inan
An angry aide to Rep. Ron Paul, an iPhone and $4,700 in cash have forced the
Transportation Security Administration to quietly issue two new rules telling its airport
screeners they can only conduct searches related to airplane safety.
In response, the American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its lawsuit on behalf of Steve
Bierfeldt, the man who was detained in March and who recorded the confrontation on
his iPhone as TSA and local police officers spent half an hour demanding answers as to
why he was carrying the money through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
The new rules, issuedin September and October, tell officers “screening may not be
conducted to detect evidence of crimes unrelated to transportation security” and that
large amounts of cash don’t qualify as suspicious for purposes of safety.
“We had been hearing of so many reports of TSA screeners engaging in wide-ranging
fishing expeditions for illegal activities,” said Ben Wizner, a staff lawyer for the ACLU,
pointing to reports of officers scanning pill-bottle labels to see whether the passenger was
the person who obtained the prescription as one example.
He said screeners get a narrow exception to the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits
unreasonable searches, strictly to keep weapons and explosives off planes, not to help
police enforce other laws.
TSA was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to boost screening at
http ://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/1 1/rules-changed-after-paul-aide-detained-at-air...
11/12/2009
Washington Times Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
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Page 2 of 3
airports, but the young agency has repeatedly bumped heads against civil libertarians,
who argue officers overstep their authority.
TSA spokeswoman Lauren Gaches said the new “internal directives” are meant to ensure
their screeners are consistent. She acknowledged the policy on large sums of cash had
changed, but wouldn’t provide a copy of either document. She said the directives would
not be released unless a Freedom Of Information Act request was submitted by The
Washington Times.
“TSA routinely assesses its policies and screening procedures to ensure the highest levels
of security nationwide,” she said. “Currency alone is not a threat, and TSA does not
restrict the amount of currency a traveler may carry through the checkpoint.”
TSA had earlier defended the search, though it had criticized officers’ abusive behavior.
The ACLU released the September directive because TSA included it in a public court
filing, but said when TSA gave it the October directive it was instructed not to publish it.
That second directive tells screeners that “traveling with large amounts of currency is not
illegal,” and that to the extent bulk quantities of cash warrant searching, it is only to
further security objectives, the ACLU said.
The ACLU sued in June on behalf of Mr. Bierfeldt, who was detained after he sent a
metal box with $4,700 in cash and checks through an X-ray machine at the airport.
He had the cash as part of his duties as director of development for the Campaign for
Liberty, the offshoot group that Mr. Paul, Texas Republican, created from his failed
presidential bid.
Mr. Bierfeldt recorded audio of the confrontation on his iPhone, including threats, insults
and repeated questions about where he obtained the money.
“Are you from this planet?” one officer told him, while another accused him of acting like
a child for asking what part of the law forced him to answer their questions about the
money.
“The TSA has stated that their policy is going to change, which is basically what we were
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11/12/2009
Washington Times Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
Page 3 of 3
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AJrp~rtJe~rfonst
A~JScreenm
Some civil liberties activists speculate that TSA wants passengers to be uncertain about
its procedures because it gives more power to the authorities in an encounter.
The new directives don’t affect a situation where a TSA officer, in the performance of a
regular screening, comes across evidence of illegal activity, such as a bag of illicit drugs.
http ://washingtontimes.comlnews/2009/nov/l 1/rules-changed-after-paul-aide-detained-at-air...
11/12/2009
Weighing whether Gibbons will seek reelection Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 I 2 a.m. Las V...
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Las Vegas Sun
Weighing whether Gibbons
will seek reelection
By JojtRaLston (contact)
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 I 2 a.m.
As Year Three ofthe painfully memorable Gibbons governorship comes to a close, the most asked
questions about his future are: Can he win, and will he run?
For most elected officials with an approval rating in the teens and a brain trust’s IQ level not far from that
number, the questions would be moot. But Jim Gibbons, aka The Man Formerly Known as Governor, aka
0, is not most elected officials. He is unique, in the worst and most confounding way.
Just when rationality seems the only option, Gibbons finds an alternative, such as claiming to have read the
Harry Reid car bomb police report and finding that a shoebox and phone book were mentioned as supposed
incendiary devices. Those items, though, were only in his head inside the rubber room known as
Gibbonsworld.
So one could lose a lot ofmoney betting on what Jim Gibbons will do in any given situation. But because
no cash is at stake, and the pundit’s imperative is to gather facts and bloviate with something approximating
certainty, here goes:
Gibbons has said he is running for reelection. Perhaps that should settle it because he has been unequivocal.
But, considering history, it does not.
I see the decision being based on three factors: Polling, money and divorce.
The survey data indicate that Gibbons tops out at about a quarter ofthe vote in a three-way contest with exJudge Brian Sandoval and former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon. That information comes from
three polls conducted within the past few weeks two publicly released by Mason-Dixon and PMI Inc.
The other was conducted by nationally respected pollster Glen Bolger for a candidate considering a run for
office, and questions about the governor’s race were included.
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Gibbons may take heart in that the results show him within a reasonable distance in a three-way race five
percentage points in the Bolger poll but losing by double digits to Sandoval in a straight-up matchup. But
that is illusory.
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Ifan incumbent whom people know well can’t get past a quarter ofthe vote now, the next eight months
aren’t going to provide revelatory information. What, he’s really Winston Churchill? Who knew?
Two veteran GOP insiders unaffiliated with any ofthe gubernatorial campaigns told me Tuesday they don’t
believe Gibbons can win the primary. Even if Montandon, who reportedly has raised more than a quartermillion dollars, stays in the race, he will draw from Gibbons, not Sandoval.
The only way for Gibbons to try to turn around those numbers is to, as one expert put it, “go scorched
earth.” And to run a campaign attacking Sandoval takes money, which brings me to the second side ofthe
Gibbons triangle.
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Weighing whether Gibbons will seek reelection Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 I 2 a.m. Las V...
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Gibbons has said he anticipates having $3 million in the bank by year’s end, which means one ofthe
following:
1. He’s not tethered to reality.
2. He struck gold on his land in Lamoille.
3. His real name is Joseph Cada.
Gibbons has very little money in the bank based on available evidence. And his fundraisers seem more
suited for a school board contender than the state’s highest elected official. Tonight he is being feted by a
car collector and a law firm, with suggested contributions of $250 and $500. At that rate, he will indeed get
to $3 million by the end ofthe year the year 2020.
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Smashmouth conservative Chuck Muth, for whom anti-taxliness is next to godliness (although I doubt God
could measure up to Assemblyman Ed Goedhart in Muth’s mind), wrote a piece for the Nevada Appeal last
week that argued Gibbons could resuscitate himself by going anti-tax all over again (maybe in a special
session?). But Gibbons has that crowd, the ones who care about no other issue than taxes.
And some folks that he should have, especially rural Nevadans, also are socially conservative and they don’t
appreciate the married governor impersonating Casanova. Which brings me to the final side of the triangle,
and perhaps, the coup de grace.
If you didn’t think Gibbons’ approval ratings could go lower, come to Reno on Dec. 28 when his divorce
trial with first lady Dawn Gibbons is scheduled to begin. It still seems unfathomable that Gibbons would
subject himself to such public humiliation, but this is a man who has made public humiliation a staple of his
governorship.
But, perhaps, all ofthis is hot air and the governor simply is waiting for John Ensign to resign so he can
appoint himself to his Senate seat. What’s that? Gibbons has said he wouldn’t do so?
Well, that settles it.
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