Nevada fails to reach funding goal

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 | 11:17 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada has fallen short of raising $3 million in state matching funds to fight Senate approval of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, officials said.

The state has raised $1.9 million in private donations so far, but hasn't been able to raise the rest.

The Senate could vote at any time, although a vote is expected later this month or in July.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, who has led the fund-raising, said he can do little more than he already has to drum up the remaining $1.1 million. In April Guinn appealed to the public and local governments, and the state launched an advertising campaign for the Nevada Protection Fund to pay for the fight.

"I've tapped out all my contacts," Guinn said.

The money already committed will go toward the state's legal fight against Yucca Mountain as well as television ads in various states to lobby senators to vote against the dump.

"Certainly, any additional funding could be used," most likely for advertising, Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said today.

But Nevada is in its own budget crunch, requiring cuts to make sure it finishes in the black, Guinn said. He said he can't ask the state to put up any more money and defended his actions.

"I was the one who suggested we start putting money aside for our legal battles," Guinn said. "I wish some of the governors before me had done the same during better economic times."

Raising $1.1 million may not seem like a huge task, but those close to fund-raising efforts for political campaigns have already begun noting the money difficulties this year.

"Fund-raising is down since 9/11," said Pete Ernaut, Guinn's re-election campaign chairman and the governor's former chief of staff. "It's a very tight year because of the downturn in the economy, and a lot of people are keeping their money close.

"I also think a lot of people are cynical about our chances in the Senate," Ernaut added.

Ernaut also said he thought any criticism of Guinn's fund-raising efforts is misguided.

"Where was Las Vegas?" he asked. "What about Henderson and North Las Vegas?"

Guinn said the state has come with as much money as it can given the huge shortfall. He has repeatedly said he hoped local governments could contribute more to the fight. Local governments have contributed to the fight, and responded to the governor's call by chipping in smaller amounts. Local governments have also said their budgets are stretched thin due to the economic downturn.

Guinn requested $5 million from the 2001 Legislature -- an amount cut to $4 million for passage -- and later got Clark County to contribute another $1 million.

Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., asked Guinn in March to convene a special session of the Legislature to appropriate additional funds for a television ad campaign in states with senators who remain undecided about the Yucca Mountain issue.

Aides to Reid and Ensign today could not confirm whether the senators, Guinn and other Nevada officials planned to discuss a final-push fund-raiser.

After lawmakers expressed hesitance over such a session, Guinn went to the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee for the money. Lawmakers would only agree to the matching funds due to the state's budget shortfall and medical malpractice crisis.

Guinn said he would listen to what Reid and Ensign have to say. But he added, "It's becoming a steeper uphill battle," in the Senate. Ensign and Reid, he added, are still optimistic.

Guinn also said he was immersed with other issues such as the medical malpractice controversy and the budget cuts he must make to keep Nevada in the black.

Nevada has spent close to $2 million. The state conducted advertising campaigns in Vermont, Wyoming and Utah in hopes of getting citizens to call their senators to vote against the proposed nuclear dump.

"We're looking at (advertising in) a couple more states," said Bob Loux, director of the Nevada Office of Nuclear Projects.

Guinn's April call for help resulted in about $1.9 million with the biggest contribution coming from Clark County at $1.5 million. That money can only be used for legal expenses but may be used to meet the matching requirement of the legislative committee.

About $400,000 has been collected in addition to Clark County. That includes $150,000 from the city of Las Vegas; $20,000 from Steve Cloobeck of Las Vegas; $10,000 from the city of Sparks; $75,000 from Dorothy Lemelson of Incline Village and $25,000 from the Marshall-Rousso Company of Las Vegas.

The state has already committed $3 million toward hiring attorneys Joseph Egan in Washington and Antonio Rossman in San Francisco to carry the legal fight.

Sun reporters Erin Neff and Benjamin Grove contributed to this story.

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