Funds detour

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2000 | 11:04 a.m.

Clinton plan

President Clinton wants to siphon about $1.3 billion in federal highway money away from states, including $9.2 million from Nevada, to use for various projects:

The balance of the $1.3 billion would be spent on highway research, such as studies on asphalt, some of which have been conducted at University of Nevada, Reno.

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton wants to siphon $1.3 billion in federal highway money away from states, including $9.2 million from Nevada, to use for a variety of other transit projects, according to a congressional analysis.

The plan peeves some House members and concerns Nevada officials.

"Clinton's plan may have some elements that have some merit," state Department of Transportation Director Tom Stephens said. "But $9 million is something we could use in the state ourselves."

Nevada in fiscal year 2001, which begins Oct. 1, was projected to receive $189.3 million in federal transportation money, according to a funding formula that doles out money to states. The dollars are earmarked mostly for interstate and highway improvements.

But a Clinton proposal would funnel money from each state to pay for various projects, including $468 million for Amtrak and $48 million for projects in Mississippi Delta states. Clinton argued that the states have $1.3 billion to spare because the states are set to split $3 billion in a projected gas tax surplus in addition to annual transportation allotments.

But House transportation committee chairman Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Pa., last week vowed to fight Clinton's proposal, which threatens to bleed Shuster's home state of $65.6 million in highway funds.

"Current law says that the $3 billion surplus must be shared by the states," Shuster said in a written statement last week. "The bad news is that the president wants to deny the states $1.3 billion of the surplus and redirect it to a few of his favorite programs."

The transportation committee on Thursday is scheduled to discuss the 2001 budget.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., a transportation committee member, agreed with the Republican chairman.

"The needs in Southern Nevada for highway funding are extraordinary due to the unprecedented growth of our population," Berkley said. "Any proposal that would take money out of Nevada for other projects, I would oppose."

It was not immediately clear how a $9 million loss would affect Nevada projects. Federal money is now wrapped in various Southern Nevada road projects -- some under way, some planned. The projects include major improvements to the U.S. 95-Interstate 15 interchange, known as the Spaghetti Bowl, widening of Interstate 15 from Las Vegas to the California border, widening of U.S. 95 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Craig Road, a proposed bypass around Boulder City and a Hoover Dam bypass.

The Spaghetti Bowl improvements still under way have cost about $168.5 million so far, including all design, planning and preliminary engineering costs, according to the state Department of Transportation. About $136.6 million of that was federal money; $16.4 million state money; $15.5 million local.

Nevada officials note that if $9 million were taken from Nevada, it could resurface in the state tucked into Clinton's programs. Nevada could receive Amtrak money, for instance.

Nevada's lobbyist in Washington, Michael Pieper, who tracks transportation money, said Nevada received nearly all of the funds the state lost last year when Clinton made similar proposals.

"Whether that will happen again this year, we don't know yet," Pieper said. "Any time you start to mess with the formulas, that threatens to undermine our funding."

Benjamin Grove covers Washington, D.C., for the Sun. He can be reached at (202) 628-3100, ext. 269 or by e-mail at benjamingrove@yahoo.com