Yucca on minds of Nevadans

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002 | 9:14 a.m.

Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn thought President Bush was delivering "an outstanding" speech Tuesday night.

But an image from the State of the Union address rankled Guinn -- shots of the Energy Secretary in the audience.

"I saw that Spencer Abraham four times," Guinn said. "I went up and put a piece of paper over him and said, 'Get him off of there."'

Despite Bush's 76 percent approval rating -- according to a poll of 500 likely Nevada voters -- many are waiting to see whether he approves Abraham's recommendation to store the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Guinn said that while Bush's address was important to his Republican Party message during an important midterm election year, Nevadans are united in their opposition to Yucca Mountain.

"Certainly the polls don't indicate they see it in party terms," Guinn said.

Democrats think Nevadans view the nuclear waste fight as a Republican problem and say images of Abraham smiling at Bush don't help the GOP's congressional candidates in Nevada.

"His one failure in homeland security is Yucca Mountain," Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said. "People hear him talking about protecting the nation, but here in Nevada people want protection from Yucca Mountain."

Perkins said his law enforcement experience tells him that keeping the waste in the states that generate it would be a safer strategy than trucking it to Nevada.

"It's a whole lot easier to guard something in place," Perkins, a deputy chief of the Henderson Police Department, said.

Dennis Barber, a North Las Vegas resident who watched the speech, said he thinks Bush is doing a good job, but added that the address raised serious questions for him.

"I totally support the war on terrorism, but when he started to talk about domestic issues I just didn't trust him as much," said Barber, who is not registered to vote. "He talks about protecting pensions but doesn't mention Enron.

"He talked about keeping nuclear waste out of the hands of terrorists," Barber added. "But it's his administration recommending an easy way for terrorists to get the waste."

State Sen. Jon Porter, who is a Republican running for Nevada's new congressional seat, said he thought Bush "inspired the nation" irrespective of partisan lines.

"This evening is not about Republicans or Democrats," Porter said. "He talked about security and each American's responsibility."

Porter said he didn't think Nevadans viewed the address with this year's elections in mind. But he was quick to point out Bush's commitment to Head Start and prescription drug benefits in Medicare as "key points of my campaign."

Bush was supposed to travel to Nevada last November but canceled in light of the terrorist attacks. He is tentatively planning a trip West this spring to help Republican candidates for Congress and may stop in Nevada.

"With that speech that he delivered tonight and with that high of an approval rating, people are saying we like what we see," Guinn said. "I think some of that has to carry over a little."