Area 51 didn't exist in the '40s, that I know of. The Feds probably used Howard Hughes' fortune to initially purchase and develop land in Nevada
and keep it out of the public eye (i.e. budget). Hughes' money was used for other covert projects like the Glomar Explorer, a ship specifically
built to salvage a Soviet nuclear submarine from the ocean floor. Hughes' fortune was also used to purchase Vegas casinos alternately for both the
CIA and the Mob in a puzzling scheme seemingly designed to vacuum as much wealth as possible from the mentally & physically ailing billionaire. This
operation is described by former National Security Council employee Roger Morris in the following book that raises questions about possible collusion
between the government and organized crime.
www.amazon.com...=1076724674/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-1438440-3825539?v=glance&s=books
Hoover Dam does supply electricity to the entire region but the primary reason for its creation was to supply water and power to southern California.
It made Las Vegas possible though.
An interesting aspect of the casino economy is its potential for providing unaccountable monies for covert projects. When you go to a casino and lose
$250 at the roulette wheel do you get a receipt for your entertainment? No, you don't. It's just like throwing the money into a black hole; god
only knows where it goes from there. It hasn't generated any records - therefore it's possible to deny its very existence, to a degree.
[Edited on 13-2-2004 by Condorcet]


