We're not in that economic climate. The lack of housing causes traffic problems, which creates smog, she said. Northern California may enjoy an environment-friendly reputation, but it has its problems, said Susan Moffat, spokeswoman for the environmental group Greenbelt Alliance. It's bad here, the situation is bad. Our traffic is so bad, people feel like they can't get to the places they want to go to.
Traffic congestion is just part of life to many in the area.
We've got jobs, and they pay well. Tedesco said 15 years ago teachers and other nontechnical workers could afford a home in the area, but not anymore. Southern Nevada more than doubled its number of jobs from 307,000 in 1988 to 659,000 in 2000, said Keith Schwer, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But 40 percent of Southern Nevadans work in either low-paying hotel and gambling or construction jobs, according to the center's research. He said the authority is trying to recruit smaller startup companies that are more cost-sensitive.