Meeting on Yucca turns into GOP bashing session

Erin Neff and Jace Radke

Monday, April 22, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Billed as a show of unity against the Yucca Mountain project, a press conference Friday turned out to be little more than a Republican bash session.

Sure there was unity, but it was the seven Democrats -- led by congressional candidate Dario Herrera -- who united in their opposition of the GOP on the Yucca issue.

Herrera challenged his Republican opponent in the race for Nevada's third congressional seat to return money he has received from those who lobby for the nuclear repository or who lead support for the project in the House of Representatives.

"It's put up or shut up time for Jon Porter," Herrera said Friday on the steps of the George Federal Building. "It's time for him to take a long look in the mirror and decide whose side he's on, the pro-Yucca team or the pro-Nevada team.

"It's time for Jon Porter to stop lying down for Nevada's enemies and stand up for Nevada's families," Herrera said.

Herrera was joined at the rally by former Gov. Bob Miller, former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams, Assemblyman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas.

Porter has received $62,000 from House Republican leaders for both the current race and his bid for Congress in 2000. He has received donations from the political action committees of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., House Majority Whip Tom Delay, R-Tex., and House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Tex.

Porter has also received $1,000 from former Nevada Gov. Robert List, who is now lobbying on behalf of the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Herrera said Porter should return the money from the Yucca proponents or donate it to the Nevada Protection Fund -- an account established by the state to pay for the legal and advertising expenses related to fighting Yucca Mountain.

"When the crucial time comes, we're supposed to believe that he won't roll over when his money man is Denny Hastert," Herrera said. "His campaign money men are the same ones fighting to put Nevada in harm's way."

Porter said Friday on "Face to Face with Jon Ralston" that he would not return money he has received from Hastert and the other GOP leaders, because he said, if elected to Congress he will need the support from those leaders on issues like education.

Porter also said he has been an ardent dump opponent, signing the resolution against the project back in 1985, when Herrera, now 28, was 10 years old.