Las Vegas Sun

December 2, 2009

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Reid, Ensign join forces against Yucca Mountain

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid doesn’t bargain with the devil.

Reid and fellow Nevada Sen. John Ensign stood as one today to pushed back against those in Nevada who would like the see the state soften its opposition to Yucca Mountain and reconsider potential economic benefits of the proposed nuclear waste dump.

Over the past week, longtime Yucca Mountain advocates -- or those who are neutral -- have reasserted themselves in a way the state hasn’t seen in years.

They seized on an opening handed to them when the longtime director of the state office fighting the dump, Bob Loux, came under fire for improperly giving himself and his staff unapproved pay raises.

Reid, a Democrat, and Ensign, a Republican, said there would be no negotiating over the dump.

“There will be no deal cut,” Reid said on a call with Nevada reporters. “You can’t deal with the devil, and that’s what Yucca Mountain is.”

As Ensign put it: “Absolutely no way.”

“Senator Reid and I are standing shoulder to shoulder in this fight,” Ensign said.

Neither senator would wade into the pay raise controversy, saying it was the state’s decision how to handle the situation.

“I like Bob personally,” Reid said. “But it’s not up to me to decide what’s going to happen.”

Said Ensign: “Senator Reid and I have enough fights back here to worry about.”

Discussion: 6 comments so far...

  1. I wish they would stand side by side and open this country to drilling.

  2. I wish we could all work together to come up with agreeable solutions to all our issues so that we can all stand side by side proudly united in country.

    Instead, we continue to be deeply divided on everything - it's my priorities over yours, my religion over yours, my life over yours.

    Let's agree to disagree, and work on solutions we can all live with.

  3. Calling Yucca Mountain "the devil" sounds a bit immature,don't you think? Instead of a reasoned debate on the technical and economic merits, our distinguished senior Senator resorts to childish name calling. In fact, establishing a national geologic repository at Yucca Mountain is the LAW OF THE LAND! Many in his own party voted for it and support it today. Why are Reid and Ensign afraid to let an independent panel evaluate the vast economic benefits that would flow from this project?

  4. It would be nice if they would work together to position Nevada as an alternative energy provider for the country, and actually do something. Maybe they should start construction on a couple nuclear powerplants at Yucce since the infrastucture is already there. Then Nevada could control the site rather than continually fighting for control.

  5. I hope they would be drilling in the heads of folks like Neiman.

    Any solution to our energy problem that involves oil is not a real and lasting solution. Look at any oil reserves map and it will reveal that most of the oil is in the hands of those who are not our friends. And the oil here in the USA is not enough to power our economy.

    What will it take, Neiman, for you to understand that the age of oil is ending. It not only pollutes our air, but makes us dependent on enemy nations. What is wrong with freeing ourselves from conducting business with rogue states by developing sustainable forms of energy? Are we to continue to publicly blast South America and the Middle East, while at the same time buying insane amounts of oil from them (making them filthy rich)? And as oil disappears, the price will continue to escalate through the roof.

    How many oil stocks do you own Neiman? Why else would you behave in such an UnAmerican manner? Why is oil your only "solution"? Are you Arab or Muslim? You live in one of sunniest cities in our great nation, yet I see no efforts to harness solar power. And I've experienced some massive winds in and near Southern Nevada, why not look into wind energy too? It seems you'd rather fatten yourself at the newest buffet table rather than be a true American and rid our country of oil dependence. Shame on you.

  6. "I like Bob personally," Reid said.

    That says it all that Reid personally likes crooks.

    Take one to like one.

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