The gleam and glitz of the Las Vegas strip at night. My impression of Las Vegas is that everything is over the top, but nothing is real. This oasis of gambling and entertainment has proven to be the biggest loser in the current economic downturn. The housing market crashed, resulting in most homes selling for about half of what they were before the bubble burst. Consequently, Sin City led the nation in foreclosures. Its unemployment rose nearly 200 percent. This economic turmoil is primarily related to the fact that the local economy is driven by consumption activities like real estate, construction, eating, drinking, and hospitalities. In many respects, Las Vegas is a victim of the same structural issues facing America as a whole--it relies on a consumption-based economy instead of a diverse economy oriented to exports and innovation. However, in the case of Las Vegas, the problem, like everything else, is exaggerated.