Karl Rove’s Front Group Lies About Stimulus Bill’s Impact in Nevada
Even Tries to Deceive Voters Into Opposing Small Business Jobs Bill…Which Will Create Jobs
LAS VEGAS – Karl Rove is at it again. You remember Rove, he's the guy behind George W. Bush's failed policies that created our economic crisis. Now his new out-of-state smear group, American Crossroads GPS, is out with yet another misleading attack ad aimed at distorting Nevada Senator Harry Reid’s record in what can only be described as a flagrant attempt to mislead voters.
With absolutely zero sense of irony, the man known as "Bush's brain" tries to apply an emergency tourniquet to Sharron “It’s Not My Job to Create Jobs” Angle’s hemorrhaging campaign by lying through omission. Rove's latest ad deliberately ignores the crucial ways the Economic Recovery Act has benefitted Nevada not only by creating and saving jobs, but by keeping a bad economic situation from getting much worse.
In fact, the Reno Gazette Journal reported that Elliott Parker, professor and chairman of the economics department at the University of Nevada, Reno, said, “Without federal aid, we could be talking Great Depression levels of unemployment in Nevada.”
However, while the states of California, Vermont and Texas all make appearances in the attack ad – the state of Nevada is tellingly missing. But it’s no surprise that Karl Rove and his pet project, Sharron Angle, don’t want to talk about Nevada (not to mention their disastrous records).
If they did, they’d have to give Senator Reid credit for leveraging his position as Majority Leader on behalf of his home state to ensure Nevada made the most of the Economic Recovery Act:
· Securing more than $300 million to ensure Nevada leads the nation in clean energy, including more than $160 million for geothermal projects that employ thousands of Nevadans;
· Funding a brand new clean energy transmission line between White Pine and Clark counties to create more than 1,000 good paying clean energy jobs;
· Protecting more than 31,000 jobs at Harrah’s and other Nevada companies after Senator Reid personally inserted a debt cancellation provision into the final recovery legislation;
· Saving 2,000 jobs at the McCarran Airport Terminal 3 construction site through Alternative Minimum Tax relief;
· Delivering nearly $450 million to save almost 3,500 Nevada education jobs.
And if deliberately trying to mislead Nevada voters about Senator Reid’s record wasn’t bad enough – the ad kicks its level of deception up a notch, asking voters to call Senator Reid to oppose “S. Amdt 4594” because “Nevada needs jobs, not more spending.”
Really Karl? Really Sharron?
What Rove fails to mention is that S. Amdt 4594 is the Small Business Jobs bill Senator Reid will take up this month, legislation that will cut taxes and extend new lines of credit to struggling Nevada small businesses – doing exactly what the ad purports to advocate and what Sharron Angle has said is not her job: creating jobs right here in Nevada.
“It makes perfect sense that Karl Rove, the chief architect of Bush's economic policies that got us into this mess, would team up with Sharron Angle in a blatant attempt to distract from her extreme philosophy that it’s not her job to create jobs,” said Reid campaign spokesman Jon Summers. “The truth is that Rove and Angle can’t be honest about the Economic Recovery Act because they’d have to give credit to Senator Reid for saving and creating thousands of jobs, which economists said prevented Great Depression-like levels of unemployment. While there is still much work to be done to rebuild our economy, the choice in this election couldn’t be clearer between Senator Reid’s track record fighting for jobs and Sharron Angle’s dangerous opposition to all job creation initiatives, such as the Small Business Jobs bill.”
BACKGROUND
The Recovery Act Has Already Created Or Saved 29,000 Jobs In Nevada. According to a July 2010 report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the Recovery Act has created or saved roughly 29,000 jobs in Nevada. [White House Report, 7/14/10]
Gazette-Journal: “Economists Say There’s Little Doubt The State Would Be In Even Worse Shape Without Aid From Washington.” In August 2010, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported, “While U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican U.S. Senate challenger Sharron Angle, a former assemblywoman, debate whether the federal government has helped or hurt Nevada, economists say there’s little doubt the state would be in even worse shape without aid from Washington. Money from the feds — including about $3.2 billion in stimulus funds awarded to the state from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus bill — has helped prevent layoffs of state workers and extend unemployment benefits for the jobless, experts say … ‘Without federal aid, we could be talking Great Depression levels of unemployment in Nevada,’ said Elliott Parker, professor and chairman of the economics department at the University of Nevada, Reno.” [Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/14/10]
EXAMPLES OF JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN OR ARE BEING CREATED OR SAVED THANKS TO THE RECOVERY ACT
Recovery Act Tax Credits Are Allowing Amonix Inc. To Build A Solar Manufacturing Plant In Southern Nevada – Putting Close To 300 Nevadans Back To Work. According to a May 2010 release, “At the ‘flipping the switch’ ceremony today in Henderson, Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced that 278 permanent green jobs will be coming to the Las Vegas valley at a new solar manufacturing plant, and construction will begin this year … This project will put nearly 300 Nevadans back to work in permanent green manufacturing jobs as soon as this year,’ Reid said. ‘Amonix is taking full advantage of a tax credit from the Recovery Act and is helping Nevada lead the way in producing clean energy” … Using a $5.9 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act, Amonix’s new manufacturing facility will produce 150 MW of solar capacity annually and employ 278 people in management, technical and production jobs. The permanent manufacturing jobs will be well-paying positions that require minimal training for someone who previously worked in a construction industry that has been hard-hit by the economic recession.” [Reid Press Release, 5/15/10]
The Recovery Act Provided $12 Million For Geothermal Projects At Hawthorne Army Depot And Fallon Naval Air Station That Will Create More Than 200 Jobs. In April 2009, the Gazette-Journal reported, “The $12 million from the stimulus package will allow two additional test holes to be drilled at the Hawthorne depot, and for additional exploration of geothermal sources at the Naval station in Fallon. Capt. Michael Glaser, commander of the Fallon base, said the funds will be used to explore the southwest corner of its Bravo 16 area and Dixie Valley to find more geothermal sources to build its planned 30 megawatt power plant by 2011. [Hawthorne Depot Commander Lt. Col. Kimberly] Gilbert-Mason and Glaser said each of the 30 megawatt plants are expected to provide jobs for about 100 people during the construction phase and ongoing jobs for 10 to 15 more once the plants open.” [Gazette-Journal, 4/16/09]
The Recovery Act Provided More Than $90 Million For Nevada Geothermal Projects That Will Create Nearly 1,100 Nevada Jobs. In October 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced this morning that Nevada companies will receive $93 million in stimulus funds to develop 25 geothermal-power projects. Nevada is reaping nearly a third of the $338 million the federal government said this morning that it would commit to geothermal energy. Chu said the money will go toward locating and developing new geothermal fields, supporting research and development, drilling, stimulating existing reservoirs and converting heat to power.” According to a release from Reid’s office, “The funding is expected to create nearly 1,100 Nevada jobs while making geothermal power an even more readily available source of clean energy in our state.” [Review-Journal, 10/29/09; Reid Press Release, 10/29/09]
Harrah’s Senior Vice President Jan Jones: Reid’s Debt-Cancellation Provision In The Recovery Act “Allowed Us To Protect 31,000 Jobs In Nevada Alone.” In October 2009, the Sun reported, “Harrah’s Entertainment Senior Vice President Jan Jones said today’s teleconference wasn’t just a response to Wynn and Murren, but a reaction to those who question the need for the federal stimulus and its role in protecting jobs … Aside from the money Nevada received from the stimulus, the cancellation of indebtedness provision and Travel Promotion Act were important additions that helped the gaming industry, Jones said. She credited Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with both. The cancellation of indebtedness provision allows companies to restructure their debt and delays tax payments tied to capital gains. ‘For Harrah’s Entertainment, that allowed us to protect 31,000 jobs in Nevada alone. This piece of legislation allowed Harrah’s to work to restructure to make sure we kept our employees employed,’ said Jones.” [Las Vegas Sun, 10/23/09]
Reid Is Responsible For The Provision In The Recovery Act Providing Financing For A $550 Million Transmission Line Project That Will Create 400 Direct Jobs And “Thousands Of Indirect Jobs.” In January 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “At a press conference Monday morning at Harry Allen, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and executives with NV Energy and LS Power announced an agreement to give NV Energy co-ownership of the 500-kilovolt line and full access to its distribution capacity. The intertie will allow NV Energy to transmit renewable power from the state's rural areas to its cities, and it will link the utility's northern and southern operations for efficiency's sake … The building process would yield about 400 jobs. Upon completion, the intertie would create thousands of indirect jobs, Segal said, because it would create transmission capabilities for green-energy projects statewide.” The line, which will cost roughly $550 million would be financed thanks to a provision Reid made sure was included in the Recovery Act. [Review-Journal, 1/12/20; Las Vegas Sun, 3/8/09]
The Recovery Act Is Bringing $138 Million To Help NV Energy Install Smart Meters Around The State, Creating More Than 200 Jobs And Helping Nevada Families And Businesses Reduce Energy Costs. In October 2009, the Review-Journal reported that NV Energy “won $138 million in federal stimulus funds today for a three-year, $298 million project to replace every electric meter in Nevada with a smart meter that executives say will let ratepayers direct energy use year-round, all day and all night … The initiative will create 200 meter-installation jobs at NV Energy, as well as many more jobs bringing in computer equipment, consulting on a new billing system and marketing the program to consumers, Yackira said. NV Energy expects to launch its pilot program by late 2010, with plans to install all 1.45 million smart meters in the state by the end of 2012.” [Review-Journal, 10/27/09]
Tax Relief In The Recovery Act Helped Keep Close To 2,000 Nevadans On The Job Working On The Third Terminal At McCarran Airport. In January 2010, the Review-Journal’s “Political Eye” reported, “Reid on Tuesday toured the construction project that is Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport. The $2.4 billion project saved more than $70 million in large part to a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also called the stimulus law, that Reid as Senate majority leader helped to pass. ‘It’s fitting that Sen. Reid tour this project given the role he’s played in its ongoing development,’ said Rosemary Vassiliadis, deputy director of the Clark County Department of Aviation. ‘His efforts to include Alternative Minimum Tax relief in last year’s stimulus package helped keep this project on track, and will ultimately save our department millions of dollars in debt service costs in the years to come.’ Vassiliadis said AMT relief is projected to save the department $72.4 million in reduced debt service costs over the 30-year life of the applicable bonds issued to pay for the project.” According to the Associated Press, “Reid touted the role the project is playing employing more than 1,700 construction workers. Vassiliadis says last year's federal stimulus package helped keep the project alive. She says a tax provision will let the county save more than $72 million in interest on construction bonds.” [Review-Journal, The Political Eye, 1/13/10; Associated Press, 1/12/10]
Nevada News Bureau: Road Construction Projects Funded By The Recovery Act “Will Have Created Or Saved 5,600 Construction Jobs By The End Of The Year.” In May 2010, Nevada News Bureau reported, “Stimulus funds will have created or saved 5,600 construction jobs by the end of the year, according to a press release issued yesterday by the Nevada Department of Transportation. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the release says, has provided about $201 million in funding for road construction in Nevada, and 90 percent of the funds have already been contracted out to construction companies. The release states that 32 ARRA-funded projects are currently underway in the state, and an additional six will begin by the end of May. After the rest of the projects begin over the course of summer and fall, a total of 69 road projects will have used stimulus funding.” [Nevada News Bureau, 5/19/10]
The Recovery Act Is Bringing Around $26 Million In Funding For The Meadowood Interchange. According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, $26 million in Recovery Act funding is being used for work on the Meadowood Mall interchange in Reno. [NDOT, Recovery Act Projects, 1/28/10]
Meadowood Interchange Project Will Create As Many As 1,200 Jobs. In a March 2009 editorial, the Gazette-Journal wrote, “The Nevada Transportation Board made the right decision last week when it followed the Regional Transportation Commission's recommendation and approved stimulus funding for the almost-shovel-ready Meadowood interchange on U.S. 395 … The project fits well with the purposes of the stimulus plans: It will provide a significant number of good jobs quickly and build important infrastructure. At least two projects in the area, the expansion of Meadowood Mall and a casino planned for the southeast corner of McCarran and South Virginia, need the new interchange to move forward.” According to the Review-Journal’s “Road Warrior,” “The project is ‘shovel ready.’ In other words it just needs money so construction can start. Transportation officials believe the two-year project could create 1,200 jobs.” [Gazette-Journal, Editorial, 3/19/09; Review-Journal, Road Warrior Column, 3/1/09]
Reid Helped Deliver More Than $1.25 Million In Additional Grant Funding For The Meadowood Interchange. According to a February 2010 release, “Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $1.254 million grant for the Meadowood Interchange project in Reno. The Meadowood Interchange is a busy commercial area that has become one of the more congested locations in the Reno-Sparks area. ‘I am pleased that the Department of Transportation recognizes the benefit of investing in this project,’ Reid said. ‘In addition to creating good-paying jobs for Nevadans, this project will help improve Reno’s economy by reducing traffic congestion and improving access for consumers and businesses.’” [Reid Release, 2/12/10]
Recovery Act Funding Saved At Least 3,500 Nevada Education Jobs. In December 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “Nevada reports it has been able to save about 3,500 public education jobs because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to state and federal data that track stimulus-related job creation and retention. That represents more than 60 percent of all jobs in the state attributed so far to the Recovery Act … With a method suggested by federal guidelines and approved by Gov. Jim Gibbons' office, state education officials arrived at a figure by dividing the average salary and benefits of employees into the total pool of ‘fiscal stabilization’ money allocated this year to the K-12 and higher education systems, $139.6 million and $92.4 million respectively.” [Review-Journal, 12/10/09]
More Than 2,400 Education Jobs Were Created Or Saved In Clark County Alone Thanks To The Recovery Act. In August 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “The Clark County School District received about $36 million in stimulus money, Harvey said. The federal government pumped another $82 million of stimulus funding into Clark County for education. The total created or saved 2,475 jobs, Harvey said.” [Las Vegas Sun, 8/1/10]
Nevada Stimulus Director: “We’ve Been Able To Save Jobs.” In November 2009, hen asked about jobs saved or created in Clark County schools, Nevada Stimulus Director Charles Harvey said, “We utilized state fiscal stabilization funds to basically retain thousands of jobs within the school district. And so those are educators and administrators that are directly – those positions are directly tied to the stimulus funds that have been utilized. So we’ve been able to save jobs in that regard.” [KNPR, Charles Harvey Interview, 11/3/09]
Washoe County Schools Got More Than $6 Million In Recovery Act Funding That Created Or Saved At Least 84 Jobs. In May 2009, the Daily Sparks Tribune reported, “According to Kristen McNeill, director of state and federal programs for the WCSD, under a draft plan a portion of $6.1 million in stimulus funding specifically dedicated to Title I schools will save about 60 positions for one or two academic years and improve student achievement, especially among groups most in need of intervention and corrective action, such as low-income students and limited-English learners.” In October 2009 the Gazette-Journal reported, “Some of the $254 million Nevada is expecting in education funding from the federal government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has already made a difference in Washoe County schools … About $6.2 million went toward hiring 24 intervention teachers, professional development, a home-visit pilot program, parent involvement, early childhood education, homeless student support, a $75 per pupil increase at each Title I school, dropout prevention and additional dollars for Bennett Elementary School in Sun Valley.” [Daily Sparks Tribune 5/19/09; Gazette-Journal, 10/7/09]
Recovery Act Funding For Work At Reno-Tahoe Airport Is Creating Between 130 And 180 Jobs. In March 2009, the Gazette-Journal reported, “The federal government is giving the Reno/Tahoe International Airport $2.2 million in stimulus money so the airport can improve the surface near the terminals where jets and equipment move … As far as stimulating the economy, Berthold said about 80 to 100 people working for contractors, vendors and suppliers will get employment because of the contract.” In August, the Associated Press reported, “U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $3.8 million in funding Thursday to be used to help reconstruct the airport's terminal apron. That's in addition to $2.2 million announced in March for the same project. Airport spokesman Brian Kulpin said 50 to 60 full-time jobs will be created by the latest dose of stimulus money.” [Gazette-Journal, 3/29/09; Associated Press, 8/14/09]
Karl Rove’s Front Group Lies About Stimulus Bill’s Impact in Nevada
Even Tries to Deceive Voters Into Opposing Small Business Jobs Bill…Which Will Create Jobs
LAS VEGAS – Karl Rove is at it again. You remember Rove, he's the guy behind George W. Bush's failed policies that created our economic crisis. Now his new out-of-state smear group, American Crossroads GPS, is out with yet another misleading attack ad aimed at distorting Nevada Senator Harry Reid’s record in what can only be described as a flagrant attempt to mislead voters.
With absolutely zero sense of irony, the man known as "Bush's brain" tries to apply an emergency tourniquet to Sharron “It’s Not My Job to Create Jobs” Angle’s hemorrhaging campaign by lying through omission. Rove's latest ad deliberately ignores the crucial ways the Economic Recovery Act has benefitted Nevada not only by creating and saving jobs, but by keeping a bad economic situation from getting much worse.
In fact, the Reno Gazette Journal reported that Elliott Parker, professor and chairman of the economics department at the University of Nevada, Reno, said, “Without federal aid, we could be talking Great Depression levels of unemployment in Nevada.”
However, while the states of California, Vermont and Texas all make appearances in the attack ad – the state of Nevada is tellingly missing. But it’s no surprise that Karl Rove and his pet project, Sharron Angle, don’t want to talk about Nevada (not to mention their disastrous records).
If they did, they’d have to give Senator Reid credit for leveraging his position as Majority Leader on behalf of his home state to ensure Nevada made the most of the Economic Recovery Act:
· Securing more than $300 million to ensure Nevada leads the nation in clean energy, including more than $160 million for geothermal projects that employ thousands of Nevadans;
· Funding a brand new clean energy transmission line between White Pine and Clark counties to create more than 1,000 good paying clean energy jobs;
· Protecting more than 31,000 jobs at Harrah’s and other Nevada companies after Senator Reid personally inserted a debt cancellation provision into the final recovery legislation;
· Saving 2,000 jobs at the McCarran Airport Terminal 3 construction site through Alternative Minimum Tax relief;
· Delivering nearly $450 million to save almost 3,500 Nevada education jobs.
And if deliberately trying to mislead Nevada voters about Senator Reid’s record wasn’t bad enough – the ad kicks its level of deception up a notch, asking voters to call Senator Reid to oppose “S. Amdt 4594” because “Nevada needs jobs, not more spending.”
Really Karl? Really Sharron?
What Rove fails to mention is that S. Amdt 4594 is the Small Business Jobs bill Senator Reid will take up this month, legislation that will cut taxes and extend new lines of credit to struggling Nevada small businesses – doing exactly what the ad purports to advocate and what Sharron Angle has said is not her job: creating jobs right here in Nevada.
“It makes perfect sense that Karl Rove, the chief architect of Bush's economic policies that got us into this mess, would team up with Sharron Angle in a blatant attempt to distract from her extreme philosophy that it’s not her job to create jobs,” said Reid campaign spokesman Jon Summers. “The truth is that Rove and Angle can’t be honest about the Economic Recovery Act because they’d have to give credit to Senator Reid for saving and creating thousands of jobs, which economists said prevented Great Depression-like levels of unemployment. While there is still much work to be done to rebuild our economy, the choice in this election couldn’t be clearer between Senator Reid’s track record fighting for jobs and Sharron Angle’s dangerous opposition to all job creation initiatives, such as the Small Business Jobs bill.”
BACKGROUND
The Recovery Act Has Already Created Or Saved 29,000 Jobs In Nevada. According to a July 2010 report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the Recovery Act has created or saved roughly 29,000 jobs in Nevada. [White House Report, 7/14/10]
Gazette-Journal: “Economists Say There’s Little Doubt The State Would Be In Even Worse Shape Without Aid From Washington.” In August 2010, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported, “While U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican U.S. Senate challenger Sharron Angle, a former assemblywoman, debate whether the federal government has helped or hurt Nevada, economists say there’s little doubt the state would be in even worse shape without aid from Washington. Money from the feds — including about $3.2 billion in stimulus funds awarded to the state from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus bill — has helped prevent layoffs of state workers and extend unemployment benefits for the jobless, experts say … ‘Without federal aid, we could be talking Great Depression levels of unemployment in Nevada,’ said Elliott Parker, professor and chairman of the economics department at the University of Nevada, Reno.” [Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/14/10]
EXAMPLES OF JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN OR ARE BEING CREATED OR SAVED THANKS TO THE RECOVERY ACT
Recovery Act Tax Credits Are Allowing Amonix Inc. To Build A Solar Manufacturing Plant In Southern Nevada – Putting Close To 300 Nevadans Back To Work. According to a May 2010 release, “At the ‘flipping the switch’ ceremony today in Henderson, Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced that 278 permanent green jobs will be coming to the Las Vegas valley at a new solar manufacturing plant, and construction will begin this year … This project will put nearly 300 Nevadans back to work in permanent green manufacturing jobs as soon as this year,’ Reid said. ‘Amonix is taking full advantage of a tax credit from the Recovery Act and is helping Nevada lead the way in producing clean energy” … Using a $5.9 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act, Amonix’s new manufacturing facility will produce 150 MW of solar capacity annually and employ 278 people in management, technical and production jobs. The permanent manufacturing jobs will be well-paying positions that require minimal training for someone who previously worked in a construction industry that has been hard-hit by the economic recession.” [Reid Press Release, 5/15/10]
The Recovery Act Provided $12 Million For Geothermal Projects At Hawthorne Army Depot And Fallon Naval Air Station That Will Create More Than 200 Jobs. In April 2009, the Gazette-Journal reported, “The $12 million from the stimulus package will allow two additional test holes to be drilled at the Hawthorne depot, and for additional exploration of geothermal sources at the Naval station in Fallon. Capt. Michael Glaser, commander of the Fallon base, said the funds will be used to explore the southwest corner of its Bravo 16 area and Dixie Valley to find more geothermal sources to build its planned 30 megawatt power plant by 2011. [Hawthorne Depot Commander Lt. Col. Kimberly] Gilbert-Mason and Glaser said each of the 30 megawatt plants are expected to provide jobs for about 100 people during the construction phase and ongoing jobs for 10 to 15 more once the plants open.” [Gazette-Journal, 4/16/09]
The Recovery Act Provided More Than $90 Million For Nevada Geothermal Projects That Will Create Nearly 1,100 Nevada Jobs. In October 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced this morning that Nevada companies will receive $93 million in stimulus funds to develop 25 geothermal-power projects. Nevada is reaping nearly a third of the $338 million the federal government said this morning that it would commit to geothermal energy. Chu said the money will go toward locating and developing new geothermal fields, supporting research and development, drilling, stimulating existing reservoirs and converting heat to power.” According to a release from Reid’s office, “The funding is expected to create nearly 1,100 Nevada jobs while making geothermal power an even more readily available source of clean energy in our state.” [Review-Journal, 10/29/09; Reid Press Release, 10/29/09]
Harrah’s Senior Vice President Jan Jones: Reid’s Debt-Cancellation Provision In The Recovery Act “Allowed Us To Protect 31,000 Jobs In Nevada Alone.” In October 2009, the Sun reported, “Harrah’s Entertainment Senior Vice President Jan Jones said today’s teleconference wasn’t just a response to Wynn and Murren, but a reaction to those who question the need for the federal stimulus and its role in protecting jobs … Aside from the money Nevada received from the stimulus, the cancellation of indebtedness provision and Travel Promotion Act were important additions that helped the gaming industry, Jones said. She credited Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with both. The cancellation of indebtedness provision allows companies to restructure their debt and delays tax payments tied to capital gains. ‘For Harrah’s Entertainment, that allowed us to protect 31,000 jobs in Nevada alone. This piece of legislation allowed Harrah’s to work to restructure to make sure we kept our employees employed,’ said Jones.” [Las Vegas Sun, 10/23/09]
Reid Is Responsible For The Provision In The Recovery Act Providing Financing For A $550 Million Transmission Line Project That Will Create 400 Direct Jobs And “Thousands Of Indirect Jobs.” In January 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “At a press conference Monday morning at Harry Allen, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and executives with NV Energy and LS Power announced an agreement to give NV Energy co-ownership of the 500-kilovolt line and full access to its distribution capacity. The intertie will allow NV Energy to transmit renewable power from the state's rural areas to its cities, and it will link the utility's northern and southern operations for efficiency's sake … The building process would yield about 400 jobs. Upon completion, the intertie would create thousands of indirect jobs, Segal said, because it would create transmission capabilities for green-energy projects statewide.” The line, which will cost roughly $550 million would be financed thanks to a provision Reid made sure was included in the Recovery Act. [Review-Journal, 1/12/20; Las Vegas Sun, 3/8/09]
The Recovery Act Is Bringing $138 Million To Help NV Energy Install Smart Meters Around The State, Creating More Than 200 Jobs And Helping Nevada Families And Businesses Reduce Energy Costs. In October 2009, the Review-Journal reported that NV Energy “won $138 million in federal stimulus funds today for a three-year, $298 million project to replace every electric meter in Nevada with a smart meter that executives say will let ratepayers direct energy use year-round, all day and all night … The initiative will create 200 meter-installation jobs at NV Energy, as well as many more jobs bringing in computer equipment, consulting on a new billing system and marketing the program to consumers, Yackira said. NV Energy expects to launch its pilot program by late 2010, with plans to install all 1.45 million smart meters in the state by the end of 2012.” [Review-Journal, 10/27/09]
Tax Relief In The Recovery Act Helped Keep Close To 2,000 Nevadans On The Job Working On The Third Terminal At McCarran Airport. In January 2010, the Review-Journal’s “Political Eye” reported, “Reid on Tuesday toured the construction project that is Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport. The $2.4 billion project saved more than $70 million in large part to a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also called the stimulus law, that Reid as Senate majority leader helped to pass. ‘It’s fitting that Sen. Reid tour this project given the role he’s played in its ongoing development,’ said Rosemary Vassiliadis, deputy director of the Clark County Department of Aviation. ‘His efforts to include Alternative Minimum Tax relief in last year’s stimulus package helped keep this project on track, and will ultimately save our department millions of dollars in debt service costs in the years to come.’ Vassiliadis said AMT relief is projected to save the department $72.4 million in reduced debt service costs over the 30-year life of the applicable bonds issued to pay for the project.” According to the Associated Press, “Reid touted the role the project is playing employing more than 1,700 construction workers. Vassiliadis says last year's federal stimulus package helped keep the project alive. She says a tax provision will let the county save more than $72 million in interest on construction bonds.” [Review-Journal, The Political Eye, 1/13/10; Associated Press, 1/12/10]
Nevada News Bureau: Road Construction Projects Funded By The Recovery Act “Will Have Created Or Saved 5,600 Construction Jobs By The End Of The Year.” In May 2010, Nevada News Bureau reported, “Stimulus funds will have created or saved 5,600 construction jobs by the end of the year, according to a press release issued yesterday by the Nevada Department of Transportation. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the release says, has provided about $201 million in funding for road construction in Nevada, and 90 percent of the funds have already been contracted out to construction companies. The release states that 32 ARRA-funded projects are currently underway in the state, and an additional six will begin by the end of May. After the rest of the projects begin over the course of summer and fall, a total of 69 road projects will have used stimulus funding.” [Nevada News Bureau, 5/19/10]
The Recovery Act Is Bringing Around $26 Million In Funding For The Meadowood Interchange. According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, $26 million in Recovery Act funding is being used for work on the Meadowood Mall interchange in Reno. [NDOT, Recovery Act Projects, 1/28/10]
Meadowood Interchange Project Will Create As Many As 1,200 Jobs. In a March 2009 editorial, the Gazette-Journal wrote, “The Nevada Transportation Board made the right decision last week when it followed the Regional Transportation Commission's recommendation and approved stimulus funding for the almost-shovel-ready Meadowood interchange on U.S. 395 … The project fits well with the purposes of the stimulus plans: It will provide a significant number of good jobs quickly and build important infrastructure. At least two projects in the area, the expansion of Meadowood Mall and a casino planned for the southeast corner of McCarran and South Virginia, need the new interchange to move forward.” According to the Review-Journal’s “Road Warrior,” “The project is ‘shovel ready.’ In other words it just needs money so construction can start. Transportation officials believe the two-year project could create 1,200 jobs.” [Gazette-Journal, Editorial, 3/19/09; Review-Journal, Road Warrior Column, 3/1/09]
Reid Helped Deliver More Than $1.25 Million In Additional Grant Funding For The Meadowood Interchange. According to a February 2010 release, “Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $1.254 million grant for the Meadowood Interchange project in Reno. The Meadowood Interchange is a busy commercial area that has become one of the more congested locations in the Reno-Sparks area. ‘I am pleased that the Department of Transportation recognizes the benefit of investing in this project,’ Reid said. ‘In addition to creating good-paying jobs for Nevadans, this project will help improve Reno’s economy by reducing traffic congestion and improving access for consumers and businesses.’” [Reid Release, 2/12/10]
Recovery Act Funding Saved At Least 3,500 Nevada Education Jobs. In December 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “Nevada reports it has been able to save about 3,500 public education jobs because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to state and federal data that track stimulus-related job creation and retention. That represents more than 60 percent of all jobs in the state attributed so far to the Recovery Act … With a method suggested by federal guidelines and approved by Gov. Jim Gibbons' office, state education officials arrived at a figure by dividing the average salary and benefits of employees into the total pool of ‘fiscal stabilization’ money allocated this year to the K-12 and higher education systems, $139.6 million and $92.4 million respectively.” [Review-Journal, 12/10/09]
More Than 2,400 Education Jobs Were Created Or Saved In Clark County Alone Thanks To The Recovery Act. In August 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “The Clark County School District received about $36 million in stimulus money, Harvey said. The federal government pumped another $82 million of stimulus funding into Clark County for education. The total created or saved 2,475 jobs, Harvey said.” [Las Vegas Sun, 8/1/10]
Nevada Stimulus Director: “We’ve Been Able To Save Jobs.” In November 2009, hen asked about jobs saved or created in Clark County schools, Nevada Stimulus Director Charles Harvey said, “We utilized state fiscal stabilization funds to basically retain thousands of jobs within the school district. And so those are educators and administrators that are directly – those positions are directly tied to the stimulus funds that have been utilized. So we’ve been able to save jobs in that regard.” [KNPR, Charles Harvey Interview, 11/3/09]
Washoe County Schools Got More Than $6 Million In Recovery Act Funding That Created Or Saved At Least 84 Jobs. In May 2009, the Daily Sparks Tribune reported, “According to Kristen McNeill, director of state and federal programs for the WCSD, under a draft plan a portion of $6.1 million in stimulus funding specifically dedicated to Title I schools will save about 60 positions for one or two academic years and improve student achievement, especially among groups most in need of intervention and corrective action, such as low-income students and limited-English learners.” In October 2009 the Gazette-Journal reported, “Some of the $254 million Nevada is expecting in education funding from the federal government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has already made a difference in Washoe County schools … About $6.2 million went toward hiring 24 intervention teachers, professional development, a home-visit pilot program, parent involvement, early childhood education, homeless student support, a $75 per pupil increase at each Title I school, dropout prevention and additional dollars for Bennett Elementary School in Sun Valley.” [Daily Sparks Tribune 5/19/09; Gazette-Journal, 10/7/09]
Recovery Act Funding For Work At Reno-Tahoe Airport Is Creating Between 130 And 180 Jobs. In March 2009, the Gazette-Journal reported, “The federal government is giving the Reno/Tahoe International Airport $2.2 million in stimulus money so the airport can improve the surface near the terminals where jets and equipment move … As far as stimulating the economy, Berthold said about 80 to 100 people working for contractors, vendors and suppliers will get employment because of the contract.” In August, the Associated Press reported, “U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $3.8 million in funding Thursday to be used to help reconstruct the airport's terminal apron. That's in addition to $2.2 million announced in March for the same project. Airport spokesman Brian Kulpin said 50 to 60 full-time jobs will be created by the latest dose of stimulus money.” [Gazette-Journal, 3/29/09; Associated Press, 8/14/09]
