Blocking the omnibus cost Nevada jobs

December 17, 2010

 Washington, DC – On the same day that Nevada received an update on its unemployment rate, Republicans have spent the day bragging about killing the Omnibus Appropriations bill – legislation that would have created Nevada jobs and provided vital resources for Nevada’s military and law enforcement personnel, veterans, and senior citizens.  
 
Make no mistake about what happened last night: Republicans’ hypocrisy on earmarks caught up with them. They got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, requesting billions of dollars in earmarks in private, while publicly criticizing the bill. Once again, Republicans chose to play politics instead of doing one of most basic jobs they were sent to Washington to do: responsibly fund the government.

The result? Nevada lost out on jobs and resources because of Republican obstruction and political posturing.
 
The following is partial list of what Republicans are bragging about killing for Nevada:

NOTE: Nearly all of these requests were made on behalf of local governmental entities such as the Nevada Department of Transportation and Nevada police departments.

Clean Energy Projects to Create Jobs:

•        $3,500,000 for the Nevada Renewable Energy Consortium (UNLV, UNR, and DRI) to collaborate on advancing renewable energy technologies

•        $1,000,000 for Great Basin College to develop the regional workforce by expanding an existing geothermal heating system serving public buildings in Elko

•        $3,000,000 to grow Nevada’s renewable energy industry by establishing “clusters” of companies working on deploying innovative clean energy technologies  

•        $500,000 for UNLV to develop low-cost, next-generation solar cells using nanotechnology



Infrastructure Projects that Create Jobs:

•        $2,000,000 to reduce congestion and expand the Pyramid Highway Corridor in N. Nevada

•        $2,000,000 for the City of North Las Vegas to construct the North 5th Street Arterial

•        $1,200,000 to increase capacity and improve safety at Exit 120 near the City of Mesquite

•        $2,000,000 to expand SR-160 from Las Vegas for Pahrump

•        $1,250,000 to reduce congestion on I-15 as part of the “Corridors of the Future” program



Initiatives to Attract New Jobs to Nevada:

•        $150,000 for the Nevada Center on Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) for professional development and job training

•        $150,000 for the Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC) to provide job training assistance to veterans, particularly those returning from Iraq/Afghanistan

•        $400,000 for the City of Carson City for a high tech business center in downtown



Foreclosure Assistance for Nevadans:

•        $500,000 for foreclosure assistance through the Consumer Credit Counseling Service



Funding for Nevada Law Enforcement:

•        $425,000 for the Washoe County Sheriff’s office to purchase an armored response vehicle

•        $700,000 for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to purchase a crime scene lab vehicle

•        $600,000 for the City of Henderson to construct a law enforcement training facility

•        $500,000 for Boulder City Police to construct a law enforcement training facility



Protections for the War fighter and Ensuring a Strong Defense:

•        $1,076,000 for the Nevada National Guard for procurement of weapons to replace outdated or unusable equipment for our Nevada Soldiers

•        $2,400,000 for Non-Lethal Technology for Special Operations Forces which will enable our Special Forces to engage, and immobilize personnel, vehicles with minimal risk of significant injury or damage to the targets.

•        $2,400,000 for Terrorist Threat Detection Systems for shipping containers to enable better protection of ports through enhanced cargo screening

•        $1,200,000 for UNLV to develop unmanned aerial platforms to support first responders during local and natural disasters.



Building Nevada’s military installations

•        $2,000,000 for Nevada National Guard and Nellis Air Force Base for range modernization

•        $1,480,000 for security upgrades at Fallon Naval Air Station

•        $11,400,000 for Nellis Air Force Base Communication Network Control Center to provide for a facility to meet the needs of the expanding mission.



Services for Nevadans

•        $400,000 to construct a community center in Virginia City

•        $200,000 to construct a new senior center in Pahrump



Improvements to Public Safety

•        $300,000 to improve security at the Carson City Courthouse and Juvenile Facilities

•        $600,000 to improve security at the Nye County Jail

•        $400,000 to improve security at the White Pine County Courthouse in Ely



Improvements for Mass Transit

•        $2,000,000 for ACE Boulder City Bus Rapid Transit to improve access between Boulder City and Henderson along a dedicated 17 mile corridor with exclusive transit lanes

•        $500,000 to expand Park and Ride facilities for the RTC in Northern Nevada

•        $750,000 for Bus Turnouts in Downtown Las Vegas to reduce traffic congestion when buses stop for passengers and improve safety for passengers



Safeguards for Nevada’s Natural Resources

•        $1,500,000 to protect Lake Tahoe from aquatic invasive species like the quagga mussel

•        $350,000 to protect and restore Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fisheries at Pyramid and Walker Lakes

•        $350,000 to support scientific research and conservation efforts to protect sensitive and endangered species

•        $19,000,000 for Nevada water infrastructure projects in rural counties and towns

•        $4,265,000 for protection from flood damage along the Truckee River from Reno to Pyramid Lake

•        $800,000 for the Las Vegas Wash to improve water quality and environmental restoration