Las Vegas "BENEATH THE NEON "

There's a huge hidden city beneath the streets of "Las Vegas"--complete with elaborate, fully furnished homes. But there is no glitter and glamour--only danger and death.The recession-plagued city has more than 14,000 homeless people and at least several hundred call it's 300-mile maze of under-ground tunnels "home." Las Vegas ranked second in the nation in homeless population per capita, and it's vast storm drain system forms the gambling Mecca's gritty under-belly,where the homeless erect cardboard walls to create their own flimsy apartments. Rare desert rainstorms can flood the channels in minutes, sending the inhabitants scurrying for their lives. But that is just a minor inconvenience for the down-on-your-luck who illuminate each other by flicking their candlelight or flashlight . It's much cooler than on the streets--it's quiet and everyone helps each other, says one woman who has lived with her husband underneath "Caesars Palace for two years.
Beneath the glittering pleasure palaces, residents of the dank concrete flood channels try to upgrade their environment with dressers,beds and even makeshift showers. While high-rollers squander fortunes night after night, many of the tunnel people wrestle with poverty,hunger and drug and alcohol problems. Some go Dumpster diving, and others try "Silver Mining".Silver mining is putting on their finest clothes , they emerge into the light and scour the casinos, looking for credits left behind on the slot machines. If they don't look right, they [security] stop you and watch you, says Steve,42. who grew up in Las Vegas and is addicted to "methamphetamine and gambling. "
One night at the Bellagio, he found a $116 credit on a one arm bandit, he took the credit receipt and cashed out. While gamblers enjoy spectacular shows and celebrity watching, tunnel people get a different view of life---hypodermic needles, broken bottles, poisonous spiders and neighbors passed out cold. Las Vegas writer "Matt O'Brien" has chronicled this bleak lifestyle in his book..."Beneath the Neon" . I actually saw some blankets and teddy bears, he told a reporter, which gave me the impression that a young kid was living down there with a mom or dad , or both. Some tunnel people actually prefer being underground and won't give up their gopher-like existence even if offered a place to live up top says O'Brien. They like their freedom and that no one is telling them what to do.
My spin on this: The tunnel people are the ones a lot of people turn their heads trying not to look at them, hoping they go away, but truth of the matter is , they are here to stay. A lot of the people in my city is living in abandoned building, under-ground and any where they can a place to be safe. Most are good people just a string of bad luck...We have a lot of Casinos and a Race-Track, we have a movie Studio and another one almost finished and crime is on the rise. I think we are putting out resources in the wrong place...we need to get behind Pres. Obama and push his health care, at least the tunnel people can get health care.But hey, that's just me. Stay tuned: the saga continues.
Kicking It Back with ...CUPCAKE