The interstate put us on the road to growth. Tourism and divorce ranches expanded. Gambling was legalized four years later. The meaning and dignity of work have been devalued. The average Reno worker's pay generally pales by comparison to Las Vegas.
Workers migrate to where wages are higher and where they receive respect.
We now face shortages of teachers, construction workers and other trades. This newspaper just ran a major story on the need for skilled machinists. In Reno, we worry over a low paid and, in some cases, aging work force. The average American construction worker is now 49 years old. A new hotel or schoolhouse cannot be faxed in from Bangladesh.