Commentary - March 2010

Anyone BUT Harry

What has he really done for Nevada?

by Lyle E. Brennan

    Faced with poll numbers that show him falling behind in the 2010 Senate election, Senator Harry Reid has already begun claiming that Nevada cannot risk losing him because of the political influence he wields in Washington.  As Senate Majority Leader, his powerful position supposedly gives him the clout to bring more jobs and more federal grants to Nevada -- but has Harry been using his power to help Nevada, or only to help himself?

    Harry was first elected to the Senate in 1986.  And while he has always been liberal, it seems he has gotten more so over the years, especially since he was chosen to succeed Tom Daschle as the leader of the Democrats in the Senate.  He has developed into the spokesman for a Democrat party that is trying to ram through an agenda including higher taxes, government-subsidized healthcare and a staggering national debt.  Instead of checking to see what Nevadans want before taking a stand on a piece of legislation, Harry instead takes his direction from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, President Barack Obama and other left-wing politicians.

    Now that he has become the darling of the ruling party, has Harry used his influence to help his home state?  Let’s take a look.  When the federal stimulus bill was announced in early 2009, statistics showed Nevada ranked 50th out of 51 (all the states plus District of Columbia) in the amount of per capita stimulus funds.  Not much evidence of “clout” there.  Just last month, he single-handedly killed a bipartisan jobs bill in the Senate that might have helped bring jobs to Nevada, where unemployment recently hit 13 percent and under-employment is estimated at 20 percent.

    In February 2009, Obama criticized companies that held meetings in Las Vegas.  As a result, 340 meetings and conventions were cancelled, causing more than $130 million in lost revenue for Southern Nevada.  What did Harry do?  Apparently not a lot.  If there was an objection on Harry’s part, it certainly wasn’t loud enough for us to hear in Nevada.  Instead of using his influence to defend Nevada’s travel and tourism industry, his voice was not heard, and when Obama made similar remarks at a February 2010 town hall meeting, again Harry’s voice was not audible.

    In January 2010, Nevada was left off the list of 31 states to benefit from federal stimulus funds for high-speed rail.  A Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail proposal has been in the works for many years, but has been languishing due to lack of funding.  The $83 million grant could have provided much-needed jobs for Nevada workers, but Reid claims that the commission that applied for the grant was not qualified due to a technicality.  Surely Harry could have used his influence to ensure that Nevada’s bid got more attention.

    The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $2 billion in grants in January 2010, intended to keep homeowners from foreclosure.  HUD denied a request from Clark County, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Las Vegas for a $367 million grant, despite the fact that Southern Nevada has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country.  Harry made a feeble attempt at protesting, but only after it was too late, and only after he received negative feedback in the press.  

    No matter which Republican wins the primary election on June 3, he or she will have to battle the Reid political machine, which is well on its way to raising a $25 million war chest to finance his re-election.  Harry will spend millions claiming that he has used his influence to help Nevada, but business leaders throughout the state aren’t fooled.  As evidenced it this issue’s “Power Poll”, Harry continues to receive failing grades for his performance, or lack thereof.    I have to agree with the signs that are popping up all over Nevada declaring, “Elect Anyone But Harry Reid.”

Lyle E. Brennan Publisher
COMMENTS? email: lyle@nbj.com