By Jon Ralston · February 20, 2009 · 3:49 PM

With a couple of GOP assemblyman saying Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid didn't get the state its fair share in the stimulus package and Gov. Jim Gibbons telling Chancellor Jim Rogers that Reid "failed" the state (or so Rogers says the governor said), Reid responded today with his own version of events:

NEVADA GETS ITS SHARE AND MORE IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE

While 35th in population, state gets proportional or better cut in 25 different categories

Washington, D.C. – 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 35th 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.

The State Stabilization Fund designed to assist struggling economies like Nevada’s delivers more than $387 million to our state – a share equal to our 35th-ranked population. In health care, Nevada received the largest percentage increase of any state in Federal Medical Assistance Program (FMAP) funding with $450 million in the package. This is money that will help the state avoid cutting eligibility for Medicaid and maintain the services available to recipients.

In addition to these areas, Nevada also fares better than its size in such vital parts as renewable energy funding, crime prevention, senior meal assistance, emergency food and shelter funding and more areas as well.

“The people of Nevada are hurting and we delivered relief for them in a great number of ways through this package,” Reid said. “This is good legislation that creates jobs here in Nevada and will help get both our state and national economies back on track. It is not a perfect package, but I will continue working to make sure Nevada gets what it needs and more as we move forward toward better days in our state.”

A listing of important areas where Nevada fares well through the economic recovery package follows:

Nevada Will Receive At Least Its Fair Share of Benefits from the Economic Recovery Plan

According to the Census Bureau, Nevada ranks 35th in population (with 2,600,167 people as of July 2008).

Certain tax provisions in the economic recovery plan will benefit Nevadans in a way that is better than proportion to the state’s population:

Nevada ranks 33rd in terms of the number of recipients of the Making Work Pay tax credit of up to $400 per individual or $800 per married couple. The White House estimates that 960,000 Nevadans will receive this benefit. This is more than Arkansas and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 33rd in terms of number of taxpayers who will be saved from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax this year. CRS estimates that 116,000 taxpayers will benefit.

Benefits and training for unemployed and dislocated workers benefit Nevadans better than proportion to its population

Nevada ranks 23rd in Department of Labor Youth State Grants. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $7,646,679. This is more than Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and Nebraska, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 24th in Department of Labor Dislocated Workers State Grants. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $14,103,475. These grants support immediate strategies for regions and communities to meet their need for skilled workers, as well as longer-term plans to build targeted industry clusters with better training and a more productive workforce. This is more than Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 27th in terms of the unemployment insurance beneficiaries that will benefit from the economic recovery plan. The National Employment Law Project estimates that 195,000 workers will receive an additional $100 in unemployment insurance benefits. This is more than Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 29th in benefits received from the Unemployment Insurance extension and enhancement in the economic recovery plan. The Department of Labor estimates that Nevada will receive an estimated $77.4 million. This is more than Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 31st in estimated jobs saved or created by the economic recovery plan. The White House estimates that 34,000 jobs in Nevada will be saved and created.

Nevada ranks 32nd in Department of Labor Adult State Grants. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $3,426,444. This is more than Iowa, Kansas, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada will receive funds that provide help for the most needy and vulnerable Nevadans better than proportion to its population:

Nevada is one of 17 states receiving supplemental TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) grants. These supplemental grants provide additional assistance to states with high population growth and/or increased poverty. Nevada’s share is more than that of Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana [And California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming will receive nothing].

This funding will improve Nevada’s ability to collect child support – a critical safety net for struggling families and a reliable source of economic stimulus because those families reinvest the money into the local economy for basic needs.

Nevada ranks 29th in Senior Meals Program funding. The Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates that Nevada will receive $976,121. This is more than Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada. This funding will help senior meals programs cope with steep increases in food and fuel costs. Nationally, many programs are reducing meal deliveries to seniors or closing meal sites.

Nevada ranks 32nd in Emergency Food and Shelter Program funding. The Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates that Nevada will receive $829,767. This funding is for grants for nonprofit and faith-based organizations at the local level to supplement their programs for emergency food and shelter to provide for the immediate needs of the homeless.

Nevada ranks 34th in Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funding. The Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates that Nevada will receive $748,727.

Nevada will receive funding for crime prevention better than proportion to its population

Nevada ranks 12th in Internet Crimes Against Children Grants funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $1,057,620. This is more than Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 26th for Crime Victims funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $986,535. This is more than Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 29th in Commerce-State-Justice formula funding for anti-crime discretionary programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $521,519,453 for Byrne/JAG, Crime Victims, Internet Crimes Against Children Grants, and Violence Against Women Grants (all of the formula-based discretionary programs for which we could estimate state-specific benefits). This is more than Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 30th for Byrne/JAG funding to support local law enforcement efforts. The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates that Nevada will receive $21,928,862. This is more than Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, and Utah, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Other discretionary programs funded through the economic recovery plan will benefit Nevada better than proportion to its population:

Nevada ranks 29th in Transit Formula Funding benefits. The Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates that Nevada will receive $49,463,771. This is more than Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, which have larger populations than Nevada.

Nevada ranks 33rd in Drinking Water State Revolving Fund benefits. The Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates that Nevada will receive $19,651,000.

Nevada will receive its proportionate share (ranking 35th) of funding for:

State Stabilization Fund ($387,400,000)

Child Care and Development Block Grants ($14,315,337)

VAWA Grants ($1,780,636)

Title I Education for the disadvantaged ($80,835,818)

Education Technology ($3,707,000)

State Energy Program ($34,166,000)

Child Tax Credit (118,000)

(These figures represent Senate Committee on Appropriations estimates)

There are national projects that will directly and proportionately (or better) benefit Nevadans:

Energy:

· A three year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit. The long-term extension of this tax credit is critical to ensure investment in Nevada’s geothermal and wind energy potential.

· $3.25 billion in new borrowing authority for the Western Area Power Administration to finance and facilitate development of renewable energy transmission capacity. The new borrowing authority should facilitate access to Nevada’s vast solar and geothermal resources.

· $2.5 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of which $400 million is designated for geothermal energy.

· $5.4 million through the State Energy Program for energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy projects.

· A new Advanced Energy Investment Credit for facilities that manufacture advanced energy property like solar cells or mirrors, wind turbines, technology that can access geothermal deposits, or energy storage systems for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

· $1.6 billion in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds that Nevada’s cities, counties, and electric cooperatives will be able to compete for to finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

· A two year extension and expansion of the 10 percent energy efficiency tax credit for existing homes to 30 percent.

· Approximately $20 million for energy efficiency and conservation block grants for Nevada’s communities.

· Hundreds of millions of dollars that will make military installations more energy efficient and more energy secure through greater use of renewable power and alternative fuel vehicles.

· $250 million that Nevada’s public housing agencies will be able to compete for so that they can invest in energy conservation.