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Facts

ANNCR: It’s bad enough that Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation.

On Screen: Highest Unemployment Rate In Nation / www.bls.gov

On Screen: "Joblessness ... Well Over 20%." / LV Review-Journal 5/20/10

FACT: THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL MADE IT CLEAR THAT “YOU CAN'T PIN STATE'S JOB LOSSES ON REID.”

RGJ Fact Checker: “You Can't Pin State's Job Losses On Reid.” In June 2010, the Reno Gazette-Journal Fact Checker reported, “It's easy -- and can be fun -- to blame one person. But it doesn't seem to be true regarding Nevada's unemployment rate, even partly. I've contacted Angle's campaign multiple times without response. I've searched conservative sites to find details on specific things Reid did to cost Nevada jobs. All I found was rhetoric -- or claims Reid used his power too much to benefit Nevada … Reid potentially could have done more, and I hold out the possibility someone will turn up concrete examples that he did less or did demonstrably harmful things. Until then, it appears untrue that Nevada's record unemployment can be laid at Reid's feet.” [Reno Gazette-Journal, 6/27/10]

FACT: ANGLE DOESN’T THINK IT’S THE JOB OF A UNITED STATES SENATOR TO CREATE JOBS

Angle On Jobs: “As Your U.S. Senator I Am Not In The Business Of Creating Jobs.” [Elko County Forum, 05/11/10]

Angle On Creating Jobs: It’s Someone Else’s Job. During a May 2010 campaign event, Angle said, “People ask me, what are you going to do to develop jobs in your state? Well that’s not my job as a US Senator, to bring industry to the state. That’s the Lieutenant Governor’s job. That’s your State Senator’s and Assemblyman’s job. That’s your Secretary of State’s job, to make a climate here in this state, ya’ll come.” [Angle Campaign Event, 5/14/10]

Neither Angle Nor Her Campaign Disputed The Accuracy Of Either Quote. In July 2010, FactCheck.org assessed the Reid campaign’s ad using both of these quotes from Angle. According to the report, “The remainder of the ad quotes Angle, and does so accurately. She’s heard saying, ‘People ask me, what are you going to do to develop jobs in your state? Well, that’s not my job as a U.S. senator.’ The audio is taken from a shaky, cell-phone video of Angle speaking to a small gathering, which Reid’s campaign had posted on YouTube in June. The quote is in context. In the video, Angle continues: ‘. . . to bring industry to the state. That’s the lieutenant governor’s job, that’s your state senators’ and assemblymen’s job. That’s your secretary of state’s job, to make a climate in the state that says, “Y’all come.”’ According to Reid’s campaign Web site, that video was taken at an Angle campaign event on May 14, 2010. Angle’s campaign, contacted by FactCheck.org, did not dispute the accuracy of the video. The Reid ad also shows another cell-phone video of Angle saying, at a different appearance, ‘I am not in the business of creating jobs.’ The full quote, as posted by Reid on YouTube, is, ‘As your senator, I am not in the business of creating jobs.’ The Reid campaign says that one was taken at a forum in Elko County, Nevada on May 11, 2010. Angle’s campaign didn’t dispute the accuracy of this video, either.” [FactCheck.org, 7/14/10]

Angle Doubled Down On Jobs Comments; Said, “When I Said That As A United States Senator That Was Not My Job To Create Jobs, It’s True.” During a June 2010 interview on Chalice Jackson’s internet radio show, Angle said, “But really we know that the government doesn’t create jobs and Harry Reid has been saying that he’s creating jobs, but really what has happened is that the unemployment rate in Nevada has gone from four percent to fourteen percent. And so he has not created jobs, in fact he has created more problems with unemployment than he has created any kind of jobs. We know from President Reagan that the government is not the solution. It is the problem. And so when I said that as a United States Senator that was not my job to create jobs, it’s true.” [Chalice Jackson Show, 6/23/10]

FACT: ANGLE WOULDN’T HAVE LIFTED A FINGER TO SAVE 22,000 JOBS AT CITYCENTER

Las Vegas Sun: “Reiterating her position that government should stay out of the way of business, even when it asks for help, Angle said this week that she would not have intervened to help rescue CityCenter when the project was on the brink of losing its financing.” [Las Vegas Sun, 7/9/10]

Angle Would Not Have Acted To Save CityCenter, Called It “Shuffling … Deck Chairs On The Titanic.” During a July 2010 interview with Alan Stock, Angle was asked if she, like Reid, would have acted to save CityCenter. Angle said, “No, I would not. You know the reason is because he may have saved jobs in CityCenter, but he actually cost jobs in other parts of the city. And you know that as well as I do. The issue here becomes bailouts, right? And stimulus. We want something that is not going to bail out and stimulate, what we want is deregulate, lower taxes, give businesses some breathing room to do what they do best which is create jobs. And just shuffling these, if you will, the deck chairs on the Titanic is not going to solve the problem.  And so shifting employment from one arena to the next is not going to solve the problem. What we really need is real jobs, permanent, full-time jobs with a future. And that can only be provided by the private sector, government does not provide jobs.” [KXNT, Alan Stock in the Afternoon, 7/7/10]

Immediately After The Interview, Angle Doubled Down. During a July 2010 episode of Face to Face, Jon Ralston reported that, after her interview with Alan Stock, Angle reiterated her opposition to helping save CityCenter. Angle said, “Well, I said that it wouldn’t be something I would have done because it’s not, it’s kind of like shifting the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. If you only shift jobs from one place to another when we know that when they put those jobs at CityCenter it was jobs that were taken away, or business that was taken away, from other areas. And so really it actually injured the economy of other businesses, and that’s not what government should be doing. Government should stand out of the way, through de-regulation and lower taxes that are able to create a climate where business has some confidence, and when they have confidence they do what they do best, which is create jobs. And that’s really what we want here in Nevada is full-time, permanent employment, with a future.” [Face to Face with Jon Ralston, 7/7/10]

Ralston: “This is a dicey position for Angle to take. On the one hand, I and others have raised questions about the propriety of a United States Senator pressing a banker to give a loan to a major corporate interest, and his largest campaign donor. But on the other hand, the same Senate candidate who says it’s not her job to create jobs now says she wouldn’t have tried to save thousands of jobs? That’s tough.” [Face to Face with Jon Ralston, 7/7/10 (emphasis added)]

MGM: “Ms. Angle's Statement Is Ridiculous On Its Face.” In response to Angle’s comments on CityCenter, MGM Resorts issued the following statement: “Ms. Angle's statement is ridiculous on its face. Senator Reid's support of our significant private investment in Las Vegas came during our company's darkest hour. He saved, not only 10,000 construction jobs and 12,000 permanent private sector jobs at CityCenter, but the jobs of 50,000 employees at our other resorts that would have been jeopardized had our company followed CityCenter into bankruptcy.” [MGM Resorts International, 7/7/10]

Las Vegas Sun: “Angle’s Stunning Statement Shows How Far Out Of Touch She Is With Reality.” In a July 2010 editorial, the Las Vegas Sun wrote, “Angle’s stunning statement shows how far out of touch she is with reality. MGM Resorts issued a statement calling Angle’s comments ‘ridiculous,’ adding that Reid ‘saved not only 10,000 construction jobs and 12,000 permanent private-sector jobs at CityCenter but the jobs of 50,000 employees at our other resorts that would have been jeopardized had our company followed CityCenter into bankruptcy.’ But Angle’s comments are more than ridiculous, they are factually wrong. There was no stimulus or bailout. There were no jobs lost in other parts of the city because of Reid’s action. Government didn’t create any jobs, MGM Resorts — the state’s largest private employer — did, and the jobs are ‘real.’” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

Sun: “Had She Been In The Senate Instead Of Reid, Tens Of Thousands Of Jobs Would Have Been Lost.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “But Angle says a senator’s role isn’t to create jobs and apparently doesn’t think a senator should help workers or businesses. Had she been in the Senate instead of Reid, tens of thousands of jobs would have been lost.” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

Sun: “Angle Just Doesn’t Get It.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “Angle just doesn’t get it. What Reid did was exactly what anyone should want a senator to do. He went to bat for a local business and for Nevada’s workers. Angle has shown a cold heart toward workers and their families, preferring instead to stick to her narrow anti-government ideology.” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

ANNCR: And Harry Reid claims to be helping the jobs situation? Really Harry?

On Screen: HARRY REID TV AD / No One Can Do More / Harry Reid, Solar, Friends for Harry Reid, first aired 6/10/10

On Screen: REALLY HARRY?

FACT: REID HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY TO CREATE AND SAVE JOBS IN NEVADA

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]

Ø      See below for examples of Nevada jobs being created or saved thanks to the Recovery Act …

Reid Personally Called CEOs Asking Their Financial Institutions To Consider Loans For CityCenter, Helping Save 10,000 Construction And 12,000 Permanent Jobs. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Nevada’s two senators personally called the CEOs and other top representatives of financial institutions asking them to consider loans to MGM’s troubled CityCenter project -- the nation’s largest private building project that employs 10,000 workers in Las Vegas. Both Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, the majority leader, and Republican Sen. John Ensign, the fourth ranking leader in his party, reached out as the company seeks $1 billion from wary credit markets to keep the project on track.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/23/09]

Ø      Jim Murren, CEO, MGM Mirage: “My darkest days in my professional career were this year. And it was all about CityCenter … That man called every CEO of every bank that I know and said ‘Look, this is important for my state. Get it done.’ Now we are going to open up CityCenter in December. We’re going to employ over 12,000 people. They would not have jobs today if not for Senator Reid … There’s no one else that could have done that.” [Reid Campaign Ad, 10/15/09]

Thanks To Senator Reid, A US-Chinese Partnership Is Bringing Their Wind Turbine Plant To The Las Vegas Valley, Which Will Create 1,000 Jobs Once Complete. In March 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “A consortium of companies announced plans today to develop a plant in the Las Vegas area that would employ about 1,000 people for manufacturing wind turbines. Once up and running, the 320,000-square-foot plant would be one of the largest manufacturing employers in Southern Nevada and would build upon an already fast-growing local renewable energy industry that so far has focused on solar power … In today’s announcement, the partners credited Sen. Harry Reid for their decision to locate the plant in Nevada. They also cited affordable real estate in Nevada, the state’s skilled workforce and Nevada’s business-friendly climate. Reid is a leader in developing renewable energy and his commitment to renewable energy and to promoting investment in Nevada was instrumental in the decision, the companies said in their statement.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/11/10]

Reid Helped Bring A Solar Demonstration Site To The Nevada Test Site, Which Will Create Thousands Of Jobs And Help Bring A New Expanded Mission To The Test Site. In July 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “Nevada took another step on Thursday toward becoming a world leader in the solar energy field. The state will be home to the nation’s first solar research testing ground, planned for a large swath of land on the Nevada Test Site. The 25-square-mile area will be home to a test lab for new concentrating solar power technologies. Sen. Harry Reid, who led efforts to get such a testing ground established on Nevada soil, said it would foster the next generation of solar energy technologies … Construction on the facility is expected to start in 2011 and should bring thousands of short- and long-term jobs to Nevada, Reid said. ‘When we bring the solar industry into Nevada, we bring jobs and we need jobs,’ Reid said. Those will include a wave of about 1,000 construction and electrical jobs to build the test projects, but also longer term jobs in maintenance, engineering and research.” [Las Vegas Sun, 7/8/10]

Solar Energy Industries Association: Economic Stabilization Package Contained Tax Credits That Will Create As Many As 41,000 Jobs In Nevada. In October 2008, the Solar Energy Industries Association praised the final vote in the House to pass “historic legislation that extends the 30-percent federal investment tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations for 8 years. This landmark legislation is part of H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, designed to address the U.S. financial crisis. It is the most significant federal policy ever enacted for the solar industry.” According to a September 2008 report from the SEIA, “More than 1.2 million employment opportunities, including 440,000 permanent jobs, and $232 billion in investment would be supported in the U.S. by the solar energy sector alone through 2016 if Congress extends the solar investment tax credit (ITC) for 8 years.” The report said that extending the tax credits would create 41,000 jobs in Nevada, 9,000 of them permanent. [Solar Energy Industries Association, Press Release, 9/15/08; Solar Energy Industries Association, Press Release, 10/3/08]

Ø      Sempra Energy Relied On Reid-Passed Tax Credits In Order To Finance Construction Of Copper Mountain Solar, Which Is Going To Create More Than 300 Construction Jobs. According to Sempra’s material, “Tax incentives are critical in maintaining the high cost of solar electric generation facilities. Without the incentives, projects such as El Dorado Solar and Copper Mountain Solar would not be economically viable and thus would not be feasible to build.” According to a Sempra official, one of the tax credits used to finance the construction of Copper Mountain Solar was the investment tax credit Reid passed as part of the economic stabilization package. Sempra also said that the project is expected to create “More than 300 construction job at peak, and once completed, 4 full-time jobs.” [Sempra Energy Literature, March 2010; Personal Interview with Sempra Official, 4/2/10]

Reid Passed A Jobs Bill That Included Billions In Tax Credits For Small Businesses. In February 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act offers $15 billion in tax credits, payroll-tax relief and bond-interest payments for schools and energy projects, and $20 billion for highway and mass-transit projects. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pushed hard for the bill, returning to Las Vegas earlier this month to promote the legislation … The bill would cut payroll taxes for companies that hire anyone who was out of work for 60 days or more, and it would provide a $1,000 tax credit for every new worker retained for at least a year. Businesses also could write off up to $500,000 in capital purchases.” [Review-Journal, 2/24/10]

Ø      Expedia Is Creating 130 Jobs In Las Vegas Thanks To The HIRE Act. In June 2010, KLAS reported, “The world's largest online travel company is adding 130 new jobs in Las Vegas. The city is home to a number of operational functions serving a number of Expedia, Inc.'s travel brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Egencia. The company, which is in Summerlin, plans to host an open house later this month to celebrate the expansion. The additional jobs will bring the Las Vegas office total to 500 employees … The company says it will benefit from incentives provided by the federal ‘Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act’ which was designed to create or restore employment to previously unemployed individuals.” [KLAS, 6/17/10]

Ø      More Than 4.5 Million Hires Qualified For The Tax Break – Roughly $8.5 Billion In Tax Relief For Businesses Around The Country. In July 2010, the Associated Press reported, “President Barack Obama signed a law in March that exempts businesses hiring people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December. Employers get an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year. Treasury released a report Monday estimating that from February to May, businesses added 4.5 million workers who qualify for the tax breaks. Those businesses are projected to save $8.5 billion in taxes. ‘Targeted, temporary incentives like the HIRE Act are helping to fuel a private-sector-led recovery,’ said Alan Krueger, assistant Treasury secretary. ‘After a period of extraordinary difficulty, the economy is continuing to grow and private sector companies have added jobs for six straight months.’” [Associated Press, 7/12/10]

Reid Passed The Travel Promotion Act. In March 2010, the Sun reported, “President Barack Obama today signed a long-pushed bill to establish a national tourism promotion agency that would market the United States to visitors from abroad. Obama said there is no better country to visit than the United States as he signed the bill in the Oval Office, flanked by lawmakers from Nevada and other tourism states … Obama thanked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid by name for ushering the bill to passage.” Fox 5 called the bill “a landmark law that aims to boost U.S. tourism using the same strategies of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/4/10; KVVU, 3/4/10]

Ø      Travel Promotion Act Could Create As Many As 6,000 Nevada Jobs. In February 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “Congress is just weeks away from passing a tourism bill that state and tourism leaders say will create thousands of jobs for Nevada … Rossi Ralenkotter, president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said the city's visitor volume is 15 percent international, and those global visitors keep about 30,000 Southern Nevadans employed. Boosting Las Vegas' international market share to 20 percent over five years would equate to roughly 5,000 to 6,000 new jobs, he said. Nationally, the bill would create 40,000 jobs in the first year, the U.S. Travel Association said. ‘It is truly a jobs bill across the board,’ Ralenkotter said.” [Review-Journal, 2/24/10]

Reid Brought Competing Energy Companies Together Along With Recovery Act Funding, To Build Job-Creating Energy Transmission Lines To Nevada. 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.” [Review-Journal, 1/12/20]

Ø      Construction Of The Transmission Lines Will Create Around 400 Jobs And “Thousands Of Indirect Jobs” When Completed. In January 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “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. With the ability to distribute power, developers would at last have the incentive to build far-flung desert projects deploying solar, wind and geothermal power, he said.” [Review-Journal, 1/12/20]

Ø      Reid Championed The Provision That Gave Power Companies Access To The Recovery Act Funds Needed To Build These Transmission Lines. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Tucked into the economic stimulus bill is a $3.2 billion provision championed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that gives power companies in Nevada and elsewhere access to low-cost government loans to build transmission lines to carry renewable energy. The lines are necessary to connect new power sources in desert solar fields and atop remote hilltop wind farms to the nation’s electric grid, a problem that has long vexed renewable energy developers.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/8/09]

Reid Intervened With The Defense Department To Keep Nye County Solar Project On Track. In January 2010, the Sun reported, “After a sometimes contentious 16-month negotiation with SolarReserve, intervention from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, extensive analysis by the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and a visit to the Nellis Solar Photovoltaic array by President Barack Obama, the military has broadened its linguistics skills to include a new language: energy geek speak. SolarReserve’s planned 100-megawatt solar thermal plant is slated for land farther west, near Tonopah, and is undergoing a BLM environmental impact review with the Air Force’s blessing.” [Las Vegas Sun, 1/8/10]

Ø      Sun: “Military Interests Have Run Smack Into Those Of The Nation’s Most Powerful Politicians” When They Opposed A Solar Project In Nye County. In January 2010, the Sun reported, “Military interests have run smack into those of the nation’s most powerful politicians and the industry touted as Nevada’s potential financial savior. Renewable energy companies want to fill the state’s desert with solar arrays and dot its peaks with wind turbines. They would create hundreds of short-term construction jobs, lease income for cities and the federal government, and emission-free energy. This would all be well and good if the towers associated with solar thermal and wind power plants didn’t cause problems for systems central to the training and tests taking place on Nevada’s military bases.” [Las Vegas Sun, 1/8/10]

Reid Helped Protect 750 Jobs And Helped Create 50 More By Pushing For Approval Of Mining Expansion In Nye County. In a July 2010 release, “Senator Harry Reid this week applauded the decision of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve a planned expansion of the Kinross Gold mining operation at Round Mountain in Nye County. This expansion makes sure that 750 high-paying mining jobs will stay in Nevada. The project will also lead to more than 50 new jobs for contractors this year, some of whom are already working on the expansion. The Round Mountain expansion will increase the existing mine’s boundary by 3,122 acres to a total of 10,385 acres and add an additional 4,928 acres to accommodate the new facilities. Kinross’ operation at Round Mountain is the largest private employer and private tax payer in Nye County.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Ø      Kinross Gold Corporation President And CEO Tye W. Burt: “This is great news for the 750 employees at our Round Mountain operation … This remarkable mine has been providing jobs and economic benefits to the people of Nye County since 1977, and we can now look forward to more years of responsible operation.  It took a lot of work and consultation with many stakeholders to get here, and we are especially appreciative of the support of Senator Reid throughout the process.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Ø      Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman: “It’s a relief to know that our community is not going to be torn apart by the loss of jobs … action will help keep our community whole. Round Mountain Gold has been a fantastic neighbor for almost 30 years. I appreciate Senator Reid’s help in pushing this through and BLM Director Bob Abbey, as well as the local BLM office in Nye County who were very responsive and helpful.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Reid Helped Secure Funding For Job-Creating Rehabilitation Work At McCarran Airport. In a July 2010 release, “Senator Harry Reid today announced a $6.3 million grant from the Department of Transportation to fund surface rehabilitation for McCarran International Airport. The C Concourse apron, an area where planes load and unload, is home to Southwest Airlines, McCarran’s busiest airline. The project will replace old asphalt with longer-lasting concrete material. There will be several phases of the project lasting nearly 2 years. At the peak of construction the project will employ the equivalent of 60 full-time workers.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Reid Helped Create And Save Dozens Jobs At Esmeralda County’s Only Lithium Mine. In July 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The only lithium mine in the nation is expanding in Esmeralda County. Twenty new jobs already have been created either by Chemetall Foote, the mine operator, or by contractors at the production plant at Silver Peak, the company said. During drilling of new wells in Clayton Valley to extract lithium that is suspended in underground springs, the project will employ another 50 people. The brine is evaporated in surface ponds, then the resulting concentrate is pumped to the factory three miles away. When the expansion is finished in 2013 the company will have doubled its capacity to produce lithium carbonate, the raw material for lithium compounds that have industrial and technology uses. The work force will consist of 50 people, double the number from 2009, according to North Carolina-based Chemetall Foote. The expansion was made possible partly through a $28.4 million federal stimulus grant from the Department of Energy, the company said. As part of a nurturing of industry to produce advanced transportation batteries, DOE is seeking to expand and upgrade lithium production. The federal money also will install a geothermal power plant that is expected to make the operation self-sufficient for electricity.” [Review-Journal, 7/14/10]

Esmeralda County Commissioner Nancy Boland: Senator Reid “heard of our distress and proactively supported our county to accomplish this expansion.” According to the Review-Journal, “The mine expansion is a boost for sparsely populated Esmeralda County, County Commissioner Nancy Boland said in a prepared statement. ‘At Christmas last year, the people of the town of Silver Peak had experienced only bad news. Longtime friends and co-workers were forced to leave due to layoffs; the economy was horrible. They felt hopeless and doomed to extinction,’ Boland said. ‘The expansion of the lithium operation will restore jobs and health to our community.’ Boland and officials with Chemetall Foote said Reid, D-Nev., worked with the Energy Department to obtain the grant. ‘(Reid) heard of our distress and proactively supported our county to accomplish this expansion,’ Boland said.” [Review-Journal, 7/14/10]

Reid Worked With Residents And Local Officials To Bring A Power Plant That Used Natural Gas And Solar Instead Of Coal To Mesquite. In March 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The last of three planned coal-fired power plants in Nevada is off the table, replaced with a proposal that will incorporate natural gas and solar power. Sithe Global Power of Houston said Monday that new plans for its Toquop Energy Project electricity plant near Mesquite will feature 700 megawatts of natural gas-fired generating capacity and 100 megawatts of sun-powered electricity output … James announced the company's new plans for the $1.45 billion Toquop project in a press conference with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck. Holecheck praised Reid for ‘working tirelessly’ as an advocate for the coal-fired plant's opponents. She also thanked Sithe's ‘willingness to compromise.’ ‘I know this must have been a costly consideration, but looking to the future wellness of our people and the environment carries larger benefits for all,’ she said.” [Review-Journal, 3/22/10]

ANNCR: Recent data shows Nevada ranks 50^th in the money received from Harry’s stimulus bill.

On Screen: Nevada 50^th

On Screen: In Money Received From Harry's Stimulus Bill / LV Review Journal 2/23/09 / *includes District of Columbia

ANNCR: That’s right, Senate Leader Harry Reid has gotten his own state less help than every other state but one.

On Screen: Nevada 50^th

On Screen: HARRY REID: LESS STIMULUS FOR NEVADA THAN EVERY OTHER STATE BUT ONE / *includes District of Columbia

ANNCR: And along with bailouts, deficits, and Obamacare, that’s what Harry Reid has done for Nevada.

On Screen: BAILOUTS / DEFICITS / OBAMACARE

On Screen: NEVADA RANKED 50^TH

ANNCR: Really Harry? That’s not the kind of help Nevada needs.

On Screen: REALLY HARRY?

On Screen: REALLY HARRY? / TELL HARRY: SAVE JOBS. STOP WASTEFUL SPENDING. / 775-882-7343

On Screen: PAID FOR BY AMERICAN CROSSROADS WWW.AMERICANCROSSROADS.ORG

RECENT DATA? THE ARTICLE THEY CITE IS MORE THAN A YEAR OLD.

FACT: NEVADA DOES NOT RANK 50^TH IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDING

According To The Recovery Board, Nevada Is Outperforming 17 Other States In Recovery Act Funding Available, Outperforming 18 States In Funding Received. According to Recovery.gov, Nevada has $3,091,993,818 in Recovery Act funding available to it, more than 17 other states. Nevada has already received $2,203,627,331 in Recovery Act funding paid out, more than 18 other states. [Recovery.gov, National Totals By State] Note: Recovery.gov last updated these totals on July 7, 2010

ProPublica Confirms American Crossroads’ Ad Is False: Shows Nevada Outperforms 14 States In Recovery Act Funding. According to the independent watchdog ProPublica, Nevada out-performs 14 states in Recovery Act funding. Even if you base the rankings on funds received per capita, Nevada still does not rank 50^th, outperforming 8 states. [ProPublica, Recovery Tracker] Note: ProPublica’s last updated their figures in June 2010

FACT: EVEN AT THE TIME, THE REVIEW-JOURNAL ARTICLE DID NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY, NEVADA PERFORMED AT OR ABOVE ITS POPULATION RANK IN 25 AREAS

Nevada Fared Equal To Or Better Than Its Rank In Population In 25 Areas Within The Recovery Act Under The Initial Calculations. According to a February 2009 release, “Nevada will benefit as much or more than other states its size in tax relief, help to hungry families and unemployment assistance through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recently passed by Congress. Nevada ranks 35^th in population with more than 2.6 million residents as of July 2008, yet the economic recovery package led to passage by Nevada Senator Harry Reid delivers a better-than-proportion cut of federal funding in 18 areas and an equal share in seven more categories.” [Reid Release, 2/20/09]

Ø      See below for specific areas where Nevada performed at or better than its population rank in initial Recovery Act funding calculations.

Reid Secured The Largest Percentage Of Medicaid Funding For Nevada Of Any State. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Reid’s staff engineered a sizable increase in Medicaid money for Nevada — the largest percentage increase of any state. Health care costs are an enormous state burden — one that worsens with unemployment as former workers rely on state-funded medical care. Reid, Ensign and other lawmakers from hard-hit states had lobbied for an allocation that would give them a bonus over states that were not suffering with as high a rate of unemployment. But other states were pushing back and successfully altered the bill in a Senate committee. Even so, Reid and Ensign worked the Senate floor to ensure hard-hit states got extra help. In the final negotiations Reid carried out, that provision was included, as well as a separate one that ensured the formula would be based on state’s greatest recent patient load, rather than when times were better.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/1/09]

Nevada Has Also Reaped Tremendous Benefits From Clean Energy Funding In The Recovery Act

$93 Million For Geothermal Projects: Nevada Received Nearly One Third Of The Funding And Will See Roughly 1,100 Jobs Created As A Result. 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]

$138 Million For Smart Grid Energy Technology: Nevada Was One Of The Top Recipients And Will See More Than 200 Jobs Created As A Result.  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.” According to an Energy Department breakdown of funding, Nevada was one of the top recipients of funding under this program. [Review-Journal, 10/27/09; Department of Energy, Smart Grid State Breakdown]

FACT: EVEN IF NEVADA DID RANK 50^TH IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDING (WHICH IT DOESN’T), IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF SOME IMAGINARY LACK OF CLOUT. IT WOULD BE DUE TO THE STATE’S REFUSAL TO SPEND WHAT IT TAKES TO REAP FEDERAL MATCHES.

Las Vegas Sun: “Stimulus Scroogery Was Fated For State; We Have A History Of Coming Up Short When Federal Formulas Are Used, A Fact Well Known By Plan’s Critics.” In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Lost in the uproar that has swept Nevada since the bill was signed into law Feb. 17 is an uncomfortable secret known by Ensign, Gibbons and virtually every elected official in Nevada: The stimulus bill was business as usual. Nevada has almost always ranked low in federal spending. In fact, Ensign campaigned on the theme 10 years ago when he first ran for the Senate.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/1/09]

State Budget Director Agreed That Low Recovery Act Funding Levels Reflected Already Low State Spending On Public Aid Programs. In February 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “The state budget director, Andrew Clinger, concurred with that analysis. Nevada’s fiscal conservatism, which many in the state view with pride, is the reason many analyses have shown over the years that state residents pay more to the federal government in taxes than they get back in spending -- about 65 cents on the dollar as of 2007, according to the Washington-based Tax Foundation. Similarly, Nevada’s low spending on both K-12 and higher education appears to be part of the reason the state came in last in per capita education funding from the bill. The $543 million the bill directs to the state for various education purposes is dead last per person. Nevada’s per capita allocation of education funding is just 74 percent of what first-place Alaska is getting, according to rankings compiled by the Congressional Research Service.” [Review-Journal, 2/23/09]

State Transportation Director: Recovery Act Infrastructure Funds Based On Highway Funding, Not Projects In Waiting Or Unemployed Workers. In February 2009, the Review-Journal reported that State Transportation Director Susan “Martinovich said the bill didn’t apportion transportation funding based on the length of a state’s transportation wish list or the amount of unemployed people who need to be put to work. Rather, it used formulas similar to those Congress uses to issue annual federal highway funding. The normal formula takes into account a variety of factors, including some -- growth, the size of urban areas and the amount of federal land in a state -- by which Nevada does well. But on other metrics, Nevada fares poorly: overall population, number of total road miles, and traffic congestion, which, believe it or not, is low here compared to other states.” [Review-Journal, 2/23/09]

Economist: “Nevada Wasn’t Well-Positioned To Leverage” Some Stimulus Dollars. In November 2009, the Sun reported, “Michael Helmar, Nevada analyst for Moody’s Economy.com … notes that manufacturing in the industrial Midwest has benefited from ‘cash for clunkers’ as well as the shovel-ready bridge and road maintenance stimulus money. Nevada wasn’t well positioned to leverage these dollars. Winning federal dollars is often predicated on matching dollar-for-dollar with state programs. But Nevada’s flinty government — we have one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the country, for instance — has made winning those dollars impossible.” [Las Vegas Sun, 11/11/09]

Ad

Facts

ANNCR: It’s bad enough that Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation.

On Screen: Highest Unemployment Rate In Nation / www.bls.gov

On Screen: "Joblessness ... Well Over 20%." / LV Review-Journal 5/20/10

FACT: THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL MADE IT CLEAR THAT “YOU CAN'T PIN STATE'S JOB LOSSES ON REID.”

RGJ Fact Checker: “You Can't Pin State's Job Losses On Reid.” In June 2010, the Reno Gazette-Journal Fact Checker reported, “It's easy -- and can be fun -- to blame one person. But it doesn't seem to be true regarding Nevada's unemployment rate, even partly. I've contacted Angle's campaign multiple times without response. I've searched conservative sites to find details on specific things Reid did to cost Nevada jobs. All I found was rhetoric -- or claims Reid used his power too much to benefit Nevada … Reid potentially could have done more, and I hold out the possibility someone will turn up concrete examples that he did less or did demonstrably harmful things. Until then, it appears untrue that Nevada's record unemployment can be laid at Reid's feet.” [Reno Gazette-Journal, 6/27/10]

FACT: ANGLE DOESN’T THINK IT’S THE JOB OF A UNITED STATES SENATOR TO CREATE JOBS

Angle On Jobs: “As Your U.S. Senator I Am Not In The Business Of Creating Jobs.” [Elko County Forum, 05/11/10]

Angle On Creating Jobs: It’s Someone Else’s Job. During a May 2010 campaign event, Angle said, “People ask me, what are you going to do to develop jobs in your state? Well that’s not my job as a US Senator, to bring industry to the state. That’s the Lieutenant Governor’s job. That’s your State Senator’s and Assemblyman’s job. That’s your Secretary of State’s job, to make a climate here in this state, ya’ll come.” [Angle Campaign Event, 5/14/10]

Neither Angle Nor Her Campaign Disputed The Accuracy Of Either Quote. In July 2010, FactCheck.org assessed the Reid campaign’s ad using both of these quotes from Angle. According to the report, “The remainder of the ad quotes Angle, and does so accurately. She’s heard saying, ‘People ask me, what are you going to do to develop jobs in your state? Well, that’s not my job as a U.S. senator.’ The audio is taken from a shaky, cell-phone video of Angle speaking to a small gathering, which Reid’s campaign had posted on YouTube in June. The quote is in context. In the video, Angle continues: ‘. . . to bring industry to the state. That’s the lieutenant governor’s job, that’s your state senators’ and assemblymen’s job. That’s your secretary of state’s job, to make a climate in the state that says, “Y’all come.”’ According to Reid’s campaign Web site, that video was taken at an Angle campaign event on May 14, 2010. Angle’s campaign, contacted by FactCheck.org, did not dispute the accuracy of the video. The Reid ad also shows another cell-phone video of Angle saying, at a different appearance, ‘I am not in the business of creating jobs.’ The full quote, as posted by Reid on YouTube, is, ‘As your senator, I am not in the business of creating jobs.’ The Reid campaign says that one was taken at a forum in Elko County, Nevada on May 11, 2010. Angle’s campaign didn’t dispute the accuracy of this video, either.” [FactCheck.org, 7/14/10]

Angle Doubled Down On Jobs Comments; Said, “When I Said That As A United States Senator That Was Not My Job To Create Jobs, It’s True.” During a June 2010 interview on Chalice Jackson’s internet radio show, Angle said, “But really we know that the government doesn’t create jobs and Harry Reid has been saying that he’s creating jobs, but really what has happened is that the unemployment rate in Nevada has gone from four percent to fourteen percent. And so he has not created jobs, in fact he has created more problems with unemployment than he has created any kind of jobs. We know from President Reagan that the government is not the solution. It is the problem. And so when I said that as a United States Senator that was not my job to create jobs, it’s true.” [Chalice Jackson Show, 6/23/10]

FACT: ANGLE WOULDN’T HAVE LIFTED A FINGER TO SAVE 22,000 JOBS AT CITYCENTER

Las Vegas Sun: “Reiterating her position that government should stay out of the way of business, even when it asks for help, Angle said this week that she would not have intervened to help rescue CityCenter when the project was on the brink of losing its financing.” [Las Vegas Sun, 7/9/10]

Angle Would Not Have Acted To Save CityCenter, Called It “Shuffling … Deck Chairs On The Titanic.” During a July 2010 interview with Alan Stock, Angle was asked if she, like Reid, would have acted to save CityCenter. Angle said, “No, I would not. You know the reason is because he may have saved jobs in CityCenter, but he actually cost jobs in other parts of the city. And you know that as well as I do. The issue here becomes bailouts, right? And stimulus. We want something that is not going to bail out and stimulate, what we want is deregulate, lower taxes, give businesses some breathing room to do what they do best which is create jobs. And just shuffling these, if you will, the deck chairs on the Titanic is not going to solve the problem.  And so shifting employment from one arena to the next is not going to solve the problem. What we really need is real jobs, permanent, full-time jobs with a future. And that can only be provided by the private sector, government does not provide jobs.” [KXNT, Alan Stock in the Afternoon, 7/7/10]

Immediately After The Interview, Angle Doubled Down. During a July 2010 episode of Face to Face, Jon Ralston reported that, after her interview with Alan Stock, Angle reiterated her opposition to helping save CityCenter. Angle said, “Well, I said that it wouldn’t be something I would have done because it’s not, it’s kind of like shifting the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. If you only shift jobs from one place to another when we know that when they put those jobs at CityCenter it was jobs that were taken away, or business that was taken away, from other areas. And so really it actually injured the economy of other businesses, and that’s not what government should be doing. Government should stand out of the way, through de-regulation and lower taxes that are able to create a climate where business has some confidence, and when they have confidence they do what they do best, which is create jobs. And that’s really what we want here in Nevada is full-time, permanent employment, with a future.” [Face to Face with Jon Ralston, 7/7/10]

Ralston: “This is a dicey position for Angle to take. On the one hand, I and others have raised questions about the propriety of a United States Senator pressing a banker to give a loan to a major corporate interest, and his largest campaign donor. But on the other hand, the same Senate candidate who says it’s not her job to create jobs now says she wouldn’t have tried to save thousands of jobs? That’s tough.” [Face to Face with Jon Ralston, 7/7/10 (emphasis added)]

MGM: “Ms. Angle's Statement Is Ridiculous On Its Face.” In response to Angle’s comments on CityCenter, MGM Resorts issued the following statement: “Ms. Angle's statement is ridiculous on its face. Senator Reid's support of our significant private investment in Las Vegas came during our company's darkest hour. He saved, not only 10,000 construction jobs and 12,000 permanent private sector jobs at CityCenter, but the jobs of 50,000 employees at our other resorts that would have been jeopardized had our company followed CityCenter into bankruptcy.” [MGM Resorts International, 7/7/10]

Las Vegas Sun: “Angle’s Stunning Statement Shows How Far Out Of Touch She Is With Reality.” In a July 2010 editorial, the Las Vegas Sun wrote, “Angle’s stunning statement shows how far out of touch she is with reality. MGM Resorts issued a statement calling Angle’s comments ‘ridiculous,’ adding that Reid ‘saved not only 10,000 construction jobs and 12,000 permanent private-sector jobs at CityCenter but the jobs of 50,000 employees at our other resorts that would have been jeopardized had our company followed CityCenter into bankruptcy.’ But Angle’s comments are more than ridiculous, they are factually wrong. There was no stimulus or bailout. There were no jobs lost in other parts of the city because of Reid’s action. Government didn’t create any jobs, MGM Resorts — the state’s largest private employer — did, and the jobs are ‘real.’” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

Sun: “Had She Been In The Senate Instead Of Reid, Tens Of Thousands Of Jobs Would Have Been Lost.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “But Angle says a senator’s role isn’t to create jobs and apparently doesn’t think a senator should help workers or businesses. Had she been in the Senate instead of Reid, tens of thousands of jobs would have been lost.” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

Sun: “Angle Just Doesn’t Get It.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “Angle just doesn’t get it. What Reid did was exactly what anyone should want a senator to do. He went to bat for a local business and for Nevada’s workers. Angle has shown a cold heart toward workers and their families, preferring instead to stick to her narrow anti-government ideology.” [Las Vegas Sun, Editorial, 7/9/10]

ANNCR: And Harry Reid claims to be helping the jobs situation? Really Harry?

On Screen: HARRY REID TV AD / No One Can Do More / Harry Reid, Solar, Friends for Harry Reid, first aired 6/10/10

On Screen: REALLY HARRY?

FACT: REID HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY TO CREATE AND SAVE JOBS IN NEVADA

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]

Ø      See below for examples of Nevada jobs being created or saved thanks to the Recovery Act …

Reid Personally Called CEOs Asking Their Financial Institutions To Consider Loans For CityCenter, Helping Save 10,000 Construction And 12,000 Permanent Jobs. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Nevada’s two senators personally called the CEOs and other top representatives of financial institutions asking them to consider loans to MGM’s troubled CityCenter project -- the nation’s largest private building project that employs 10,000 workers in Las Vegas. Both Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, the majority leader, and Republican Sen. John Ensign, the fourth ranking leader in his party, reached out as the company seeks $1 billion from wary credit markets to keep the project on track.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/23/09]

Ø      Jim Murren, CEO, MGM Mirage: “My darkest days in my professional career were this year. And it was all about CityCenter … That man called every CEO of every bank that I know and said ‘Look, this is important for my state. Get it done.’ Now we are going to open up CityCenter in December. We’re going to employ over 12,000 people. They would not have jobs today if not for Senator Reid … There’s no one else that could have done that.” [Reid Campaign Ad, 10/15/09]

Thanks To Senator Reid, A US-Chinese Partnership Is Bringing Their Wind Turbine Plant To The Las Vegas Valley, Which Will Create 1,000 Jobs Once Complete. In March 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “A consortium of companies announced plans today to develop a plant in the Las Vegas area that would employ about 1,000 people for manufacturing wind turbines. Once up and running, the 320,000-square-foot plant would be one of the largest manufacturing employers in Southern Nevada and would build upon an already fast-growing local renewable energy industry that so far has focused on solar power … In today’s announcement, the partners credited Sen. Harry Reid for their decision to locate the plant in Nevada. They also cited affordable real estate in Nevada, the state’s skilled workforce and Nevada’s business-friendly climate. Reid is a leader in developing renewable energy and his commitment to renewable energy and to promoting investment in Nevada was instrumental in the decision, the companies said in their statement.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/11/10]

Reid Helped Bring A Solar Demonstration Site To The Nevada Test Site, Which Will Create Thousands Of Jobs And Help Bring A New Expanded Mission To The Test Site. In July 2010, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “Nevada took another step on Thursday toward becoming a world leader in the solar energy field. The state will be home to the nation’s first solar research testing ground, planned for a large swath of land on the Nevada Test Site. The 25-square-mile area will be home to a test lab for new concentrating solar power technologies. Sen. Harry Reid, who led efforts to get such a testing ground established on Nevada soil, said it would foster the next generation of solar energy technologies … Construction on the facility is expected to start in 2011 and should bring thousands of short- and long-term jobs to Nevada, Reid said. ‘When we bring the solar industry into Nevada, we bring jobs and we need jobs,’ Reid said. Those will include a wave of about 1,000 construction and electrical jobs to build the test projects, but also longer term jobs in maintenance, engineering and research.” [Las Vegas Sun, 7/8/10]

Solar Energy Industries Association: Economic Stabilization Package Contained Tax Credits That Will Create As Many As 41,000 Jobs In Nevada. In October 2008, the Solar Energy Industries Association praised the final vote in the House to pass “historic legislation that extends the 30-percent federal investment tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations for 8 years. This landmark legislation is part of H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, designed to address the U.S. financial crisis. It is the most significant federal policy ever enacted for the solar industry.” According to a September 2008 report from the SEIA, “More than 1.2 million employment opportunities, including 440,000 permanent jobs, and $232 billion in investment would be supported in the U.S. by the solar energy sector alone through 2016 if Congress extends the solar investment tax credit (ITC) for 8 years.” The report said that extending the tax credits would create 41,000 jobs in Nevada, 9,000 of them permanent. [Solar Energy Industries Association, Press Release, 9/15/08; Solar Energy Industries Association, Press Release, 10/3/08]

Ø      Sempra Energy Relied On Reid-Passed Tax Credits In Order To Finance Construction Of Copper Mountain Solar, Which Is Going To Create More Than 300 Construction Jobs. According to Sempra’s material, “Tax incentives are critical in maintaining the high cost of solar electric generation facilities. Without the incentives, projects such as El Dorado Solar and Copper Mountain Solar would not be economically viable and thus would not be feasible to build.” According to a Sempra official, one of the tax credits used to finance the construction of Copper Mountain Solar was the investment tax credit Reid passed as part of the economic stabilization package. Sempra also said that the project is expected to create “More than 300 construction job at peak, and once completed, 4 full-time jobs.” [Sempra Energy Literature, March 2010; Personal Interview with Sempra Official, 4/2/10]

Reid Passed A Jobs Bill That Included Billions In Tax Credits For Small Businesses. In February 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act offers $15 billion in tax credits, payroll-tax relief and bond-interest payments for schools and energy projects, and $20 billion for highway and mass-transit projects. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pushed hard for the bill, returning to Las Vegas earlier this month to promote the legislation … The bill would cut payroll taxes for companies that hire anyone who was out of work for 60 days or more, and it would provide a $1,000 tax credit for every new worker retained for at least a year. Businesses also could write off up to $500,000 in capital purchases.” [Review-Journal, 2/24/10]

Ø      Expedia Is Creating 130 Jobs In Las Vegas Thanks To The HIRE Act. In June 2010, KLAS reported, “The world's largest online travel company is adding 130 new jobs in Las Vegas. The city is home to a number of operational functions serving a number of Expedia, Inc.'s travel brands, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Egencia. The company, which is in Summerlin, plans to host an open house later this month to celebrate the expansion. The additional jobs will bring the Las Vegas office total to 500 employees … The company says it will benefit from incentives provided by the federal ‘Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act’ which was designed to create or restore employment to previously unemployed individuals.” [KLAS, 6/17/10]

Ø      More Than 4.5 Million Hires Qualified For The Tax Break – Roughly $8.5 Billion In Tax Relief For Businesses Around The Country. In July 2010, the Associated Press reported, “President Barack Obama signed a law in March that exempts businesses hiring people who have been unemployed for at least 60 days from paying the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December. Employers get an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year. Treasury released a report Monday estimating that from February to May, businesses added 4.5 million workers who qualify for the tax breaks. Those businesses are projected to save $8.5 billion in taxes. ‘Targeted, temporary incentives like the HIRE Act are helping to fuel a private-sector-led recovery,’ said Alan Krueger, assistant Treasury secretary. ‘After a period of extraordinary difficulty, the economy is continuing to grow and private sector companies have added jobs for six straight months.’” [Associated Press, 7/12/10]

Reid Passed The Travel Promotion Act. In March 2010, the Sun reported, “President Barack Obama today signed a long-pushed bill to establish a national tourism promotion agency that would market the United States to visitors from abroad. Obama said there is no better country to visit than the United States as he signed the bill in the Oval Office, flanked by lawmakers from Nevada and other tourism states … Obama thanked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid by name for ushering the bill to passage.” Fox 5 called the bill “a landmark law that aims to boost U.S. tourism using the same strategies of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/4/10; KVVU, 3/4/10]

Ø      Travel Promotion Act Could Create As Many As 6,000 Nevada Jobs. In February 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “Congress is just weeks away from passing a tourism bill that state and tourism leaders say will create thousands of jobs for Nevada … Rossi Ralenkotter, president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said the city's visitor volume is 15 percent international, and those global visitors keep about 30,000 Southern Nevadans employed. Boosting Las Vegas' international market share to 20 percent over five years would equate to roughly 5,000 to 6,000 new jobs, he said. Nationally, the bill would create 40,000 jobs in the first year, the U.S. Travel Association said. ‘It is truly a jobs bill across the board,’ Ralenkotter said.” [Review-Journal, 2/24/10]

Reid Brought Competing Energy Companies Together Along With Recovery Act Funding, To Build Job-Creating Energy Transmission Lines To Nevada. 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.” [Review-Journal, 1/12/20]

Ø      Construction Of The Transmission Lines Will Create Around 400 Jobs And “Thousands Of Indirect Jobs” When Completed. In January 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “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. With the ability to distribute power, developers would at last have the incentive to build far-flung desert projects deploying solar, wind and geothermal power, he said.” [Review-Journal, 1/12/20]

Ø      Reid Championed The Provision That Gave Power Companies Access To The Recovery Act Funds Needed To Build These Transmission Lines. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Tucked into the economic stimulus bill is a $3.2 billion provision championed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that gives power companies in Nevada and elsewhere access to low-cost government loans to build transmission lines to carry renewable energy. The lines are necessary to connect new power sources in desert solar fields and atop remote hilltop wind farms to the nation’s electric grid, a problem that has long vexed renewable energy developers.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/8/09]

Reid Intervened With The Defense Department To Keep Nye County Solar Project On Track. In January 2010, the Sun reported, “After a sometimes contentious 16-month negotiation with SolarReserve, intervention from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, extensive analysis by the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and a visit to the Nellis Solar Photovoltaic array by President Barack Obama, the military has broadened its linguistics skills to include a new language: energy geek speak. SolarReserve’s planned 100-megawatt solar thermal plant is slated for land farther west, near Tonopah, and is undergoing a BLM environmental impact review with the Air Force’s blessing.” [Las Vegas Sun, 1/8/10]

Ø      Sun: “Military Interests Have Run Smack Into Those Of The Nation’s Most Powerful Politicians” When They Opposed A Solar Project In Nye County. In January 2010, the Sun reported, “Military interests have run smack into those of the nation’s most powerful politicians and the industry touted as Nevada’s potential financial savior. Renewable energy companies want to fill the state’s desert with solar arrays and dot its peaks with wind turbines. They would create hundreds of short-term construction jobs, lease income for cities and the federal government, and emission-free energy. This would all be well and good if the towers associated with solar thermal and wind power plants didn’t cause problems for systems central to the training and tests taking place on Nevada’s military bases.” [Las Vegas Sun, 1/8/10]

Reid Helped Protect 750 Jobs And Helped Create 50 More By Pushing For Approval Of Mining Expansion In Nye County. In a July 2010 release, “Senator Harry Reid this week applauded the decision of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve a planned expansion of the Kinross Gold mining operation at Round Mountain in Nye County. This expansion makes sure that 750 high-paying mining jobs will stay in Nevada. The project will also lead to more than 50 new jobs for contractors this year, some of whom are already working on the expansion. The Round Mountain expansion will increase the existing mine’s boundary by 3,122 acres to a total of 10,385 acres and add an additional 4,928 acres to accommodate the new facilities. Kinross’ operation at Round Mountain is the largest private employer and private tax payer in Nye County.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Ø      Kinross Gold Corporation President And CEO Tye W. Burt: “This is great news for the 750 employees at our Round Mountain operation … This remarkable mine has been providing jobs and economic benefits to the people of Nye County since 1977, and we can now look forward to more years of responsible operation.  It took a lot of work and consultation with many stakeholders to get here, and we are especially appreciative of the support of Senator Reid throughout the process.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Ø      Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman: “It’s a relief to know that our community is not going to be torn apart by the loss of jobs … action will help keep our community whole. Round Mountain Gold has been a fantastic neighbor for almost 30 years. I appreciate Senator Reid’s help in pushing this through and BLM Director Bob Abbey, as well as the local BLM office in Nye County who were very responsive and helpful.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Reid Helped Secure Funding For Job-Creating Rehabilitation Work At McCarran Airport. In a July 2010 release, “Senator Harry Reid today announced a $6.3 million grant from the Department of Transportation to fund surface rehabilitation for McCarran International Airport. The C Concourse apron, an area where planes load and unload, is home to Southwest Airlines, McCarran’s busiest airline. The project will replace old asphalt with longer-lasting concrete material. There will be several phases of the project lasting nearly 2 years. At the peak of construction the project will employ the equivalent of 60 full-time workers.” [Reid Press Release, 7/9/10]

Reid Helped Create And Save Dozens Jobs At Esmeralda County’s Only Lithium Mine. In July 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The only lithium mine in the nation is expanding in Esmeralda County. Twenty new jobs already have been created either by Chemetall Foote, the mine operator, or by contractors at the production plant at Silver Peak, the company said. During drilling of new wells in Clayton Valley to extract lithium that is suspended in underground springs, the project will employ another 50 people. The brine is evaporated in surface ponds, then the resulting concentrate is pumped to the factory three miles away. When the expansion is finished in 2013 the company will have doubled its capacity to produce lithium carbonate, the raw material for lithium compounds that have industrial and technology uses. The work force will consist of 50 people, double the number from 2009, according to North Carolina-based Chemetall Foote. The expansion was made possible partly through a $28.4 million federal stimulus grant from the Department of Energy, the company said. As part of a nurturing of industry to produce advanced transportation batteries, DOE is seeking to expand and upgrade lithium production. The federal money also will install a geothermal power plant that is expected to make the operation self-sufficient for electricity.” [Review-Journal, 7/14/10]

Esmeralda County Commissioner Nancy Boland: Senator Reid “heard of our distress and proactively supported our county to accomplish this expansion.” According to the Review-Journal, “The mine expansion is a boost for sparsely populated Esmeralda County, County Commissioner Nancy Boland said in a prepared statement. ‘At Christmas last year, the people of the town of Silver Peak had experienced only bad news. Longtime friends and co-workers were forced to leave due to layoffs; the economy was horrible. They felt hopeless and doomed to extinction,’ Boland said. ‘The expansion of the lithium operation will restore jobs and health to our community.’ Boland and officials with Chemetall Foote said Reid, D-Nev., worked with the Energy Department to obtain the grant. ‘(Reid) heard of our distress and proactively supported our county to accomplish this expansion,’ Boland said.” [Review-Journal, 7/14/10]

Reid Worked With Residents And Local Officials To Bring A Power Plant That Used Natural Gas And Solar Instead Of Coal To Mesquite. In March 2010, the Review-Journal reported, “The last of three planned coal-fired power plants in Nevada is off the table, replaced with a proposal that will incorporate natural gas and solar power. Sithe Global Power of Houston said Monday that new plans for its Toquop Energy Project electricity plant near Mesquite will feature 700 megawatts of natural gas-fired generating capacity and 100 megawatts of sun-powered electricity output … James announced the company's new plans for the $1.45 billion Toquop project in a press conference with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck. Holecheck praised Reid for ‘working tirelessly’ as an advocate for the coal-fired plant's opponents. She also thanked Sithe's ‘willingness to compromise.’ ‘I know this must have been a costly consideration, but looking to the future wellness of our people and the environment carries larger benefits for all,’ she said.” [Review-Journal, 3/22/10]

ANNCR: Recent data shows Nevada ranks 50^th in the money received from Harry’s stimulus bill.

On Screen: Nevada 50^th

On Screen: In Money Received From Harry's Stimulus Bill / LV Review Journal 2/23/09 / *includes District of Columbia

ANNCR: That’s right, Senate Leader Harry Reid has gotten his own state less help than every other state but one.

On Screen: Nevada 50^th

On Screen: HARRY REID: LESS STIMULUS FOR NEVADA THAN EVERY OTHER STATE BUT ONE / *includes District of Columbia

ANNCR: And along with bailouts, deficits, and Obamacare, that’s what Harry Reid has done for Nevada.

On Screen: BAILOUTS / DEFICITS / OBAMACARE

On Screen: NEVADA RANKED 50^TH

ANNCR: Really Harry? That’s not the kind of help Nevada needs.

On Screen: REALLY HARRY?

On Screen: REALLY HARRY? / TELL HARRY: SAVE JOBS. STOP WASTEFUL SPENDING. / 775-882-7343

On Screen: PAID FOR BY AMERICAN CROSSROADS WWW.AMERICANCROSSROADS.ORG

RECENT DATA? THE ARTICLE THEY CITE IS MORE THAN A YEAR OLD.

FACT: NEVADA DOES NOT RANK 50^TH IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDING

According To The Recovery Board, Nevada Is Outperforming 17 Other States In Recovery Act Funding Available, Outperforming 18 States In Funding Received. According to Recovery.gov, Nevada has $3,091,993,818 in Recovery Act funding available to it, more than 17 other states. Nevada has already received $2,203,627,331 in Recovery Act funding paid out, more than 18 other states. [Recovery.gov, National Totals By State] Note: Recovery.gov last updated these totals on July 7, 2010

ProPublica Confirms American Crossroads’ Ad Is False: Shows Nevada Outperforms 14 States In Recovery Act Funding. According to the independent watchdog ProPublica, Nevada out-performs 14 states in Recovery Act funding. Even if you base the rankings on funds received per capita, Nevada still does not rank 50^th, outperforming 8 states. [ProPublica, Recovery Tracker] Note: ProPublica’s last updated their figures in June 2010

FACT: EVEN AT THE TIME, THE REVIEW-JOURNAL ARTICLE DID NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY, NEVADA PERFORMED AT OR ABOVE ITS POPULATION RANK IN 25 AREAS

Nevada Fared Equal To Or Better Than Its Rank In Population In 25 Areas Within The Recovery Act Under The Initial Calculations. According to a February 2009 release, “Nevada will benefit as much or more than other states its size in tax relief, help to hungry families and unemployment assistance through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recently passed by Congress. Nevada ranks 35^th in population with more than 2.6 million residents as of July 2008, yet the economic recovery package led to passage by Nevada Senator Harry Reid delivers a better-than-proportion cut of federal funding in 18 areas and an equal share in seven more categories.” [Reid Release, 2/20/09]

Ø      See below for specific areas where Nevada performed at or better than its population rank in initial Recovery Act funding calculations.

Reid Secured The Largest Percentage Of Medicaid Funding For Nevada Of Any State. In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Reid’s staff engineered a sizable increase in Medicaid money for Nevada — the largest percentage increase of any state. Health care costs are an enormous state burden — one that worsens with unemployment as former workers rely on state-funded medical care. Reid, Ensign and other lawmakers from hard-hit states had lobbied for an allocation that would give them a bonus over states that were not suffering with as high a rate of unemployment. But other states were pushing back and successfully altered the bill in a Senate committee. Even so, Reid and Ensign worked the Senate floor to ensure hard-hit states got extra help. In the final negotiations Reid carried out, that provision was included, as well as a separate one that ensured the formula would be based on state’s greatest recent patient load, rather than when times were better.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/1/09]

Nevada Has Also Reaped Tremendous Benefits From Clean Energy Funding In The Recovery Act

$93 Million For Geothermal Projects: Nevada Received Nearly One Third Of The Funding And Will See Roughly 1,100 Jobs Created As A Result. 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]

$138 Million For Smart Grid Energy Technology: Nevada Was One Of The Top Recipients And Will See More Than 200 Jobs Created As A Result.  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.” According to an Energy Department breakdown of funding, Nevada was one of the top recipients of funding under this program. [Review-Journal, 10/27/09; Department of Energy, Smart Grid State Breakdown]

FACT: EVEN IF NEVADA DID RANK 50^TH IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDING (WHICH IT DOESN’T), IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF SOME IMAGINARY LACK OF CLOUT. IT WOULD BE DUE TO THE STATE’S REFUSAL TO SPEND WHAT IT TAKES TO REAP FEDERAL MATCHES.

Las Vegas Sun: “Stimulus Scroogery Was Fated For State; We Have A History Of Coming Up Short When Federal Formulas Are Used, A Fact Well Known By Plan’s Critics.” In March 2009, the Sun reported, “Lost in the uproar that has swept Nevada since the bill was signed into law Feb. 17 is an uncomfortable secret known by Ensign, Gibbons and virtually every elected official in Nevada: The stimulus bill was business as usual. Nevada has almost always ranked low in federal spending. In fact, Ensign campaigned on the theme 10 years ago when he first ran for the Senate.” [Las Vegas Sun, 3/1/09]

State Budget Director Agreed That Low Recovery Act Funding Levels Reflected Already Low State Spending On Public Aid Programs. In February 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “The state budget director, Andrew Clinger, concurred with that analysis. Nevada’s fiscal conservatism, which many in the state view with pride, is the reason many analyses have shown over the years that state residents pay more to the federal government in taxes than they get back in spending -- about 65 cents on the dollar as of 2007, according to the Washington-based Tax Foundation. Similarly, Nevada’s low spending on both K-12 and higher education appears to be part of the reason the state came in last in per capita education funding from the bill. The $543 million the bill directs to the state for various education purposes is dead last per person. Nevada’s per capita allocation of education funding is just 74 percent of what first-place Alaska is getting, according to rankings compiled by the Congressional Research Service.” [Review-Journal, 2/23/09]

State Transportation Director: Recovery Act Infrastructure Funds Based On Highway Funding, Not Projects In Waiting Or Unemployed Workers. In February 2009, the Review-Journal reported that State Transportation Director Susan “Martinovich said the bill didn’t apportion transportation funding based on the length of a state’s transportation wish list or the amount of unemployed people who need to be put to work. Rather, it used formulas similar to those Congress uses to issue annual federal highway funding. The normal formula takes into account a variety of factors, including some -- growth, the size of urban areas and the amount of federal land in a state -- by which Nevada does well. But on other metrics, Nevada fares poorly: overall population, number of total road miles, and traffic congestion, which, believe it or not, is low here compared to other states.” [Review-Journal, 2/23/09]

Economist: “Nevada Wasn’t Well-Positioned To Leverage” Some Stimulus Dollars. In November 2009, the Sun reported, “Michael Helmar, Nevada analyst for Moody’s Economy.com … notes that manufacturing in the industrial Midwest has benefited from ‘cash for clunkers’ as well as the shovel-ready bridge and road maintenance stimulus money. Nevada wasn’t well positioned to leverage these dollars. Winning federal dollars is often predicated on matching dollar-for-dollar with state programs. But Nevada’s flinty government — we have one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the country, for instance — has made winning those dollars impossible.” [Las Vegas Sun, 11/11/09]