Political Quotes

“each year Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to honor the contributions of a community that has contributed to our country's progress for centuries. In the State of Nevada the influence of Hispanic Americans is evident even in the name of the State, which means ``snowcapped.'' Of course, our most famous city--one of the most famous cities in the world--means ``the meadows.'' It was a place that in pioneer days was an oasis in the desert, and that is an understatement. Water from artisan wells that bubbled out of the ground was the beginning of Las Vegas--the meadows. The first non-Native American who set eyes on Las Vegas Valley was a man named Rafael Rivera. We honor him in Nevada. In my office here and in my conference room I have a wonderful painting of Rafael looking down over Las Vegas. He looked so good, all dressed in his finery, but in reality he was lost. He had been with a Spanish expedition and was lost, but he was the first to see Las Vegas, and we recognize that. The picture is terrific. We see him looking down at a place where there was nothing other than the meadows, but now there are 2.5 million people there. In Nevada and across the Nation we see the contributions of Hispanic Americans in every facet of our society--on the battlefield, in the boardroom, in the courtroom and the classroom, at art galleries, and on the playing field.…”