LV could benefit from Homeland Security change

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, July 31, 2003 | 9:31 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- A Senate panel Wednesday approved a change to Homeland Security funding calculations that could benefit Las Vegas and other cities with high tourist populations.

The Senate agreed to a resolution proposed by Sens. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Harry Reid, D-Nev., last week that would change the funding formula to take tourism into account.

The resolution was a compromise that edged out a proposal by Reid to create a $20 million grant program for tourist cities.

Reid had added the language to a separate emergency responders bill approved in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he sits. Under Senate rules the language could not be added to the Homeland Security spending bill approved last week.

"On a busy weekend there are an additional 300,000 people residing in Las Vegas," Reid said in a statment. "The population in the area increases substantially and so should the funding emergency responders need to do their jobs.

"I am confident that this new formula will be enacted very soon and Las Vegas will see a significant increase in homeland security funds."

Under current calculation, states receive federal Homeland Security funds based on resident population, but officials say the $25 million the state received so far is not enough.

Jerry Bussell, special homeland security adviser to Gov. Kenny Guinn, said the grant that Reid proposed would have been a one-time shot in the arm, but changing the formula should provide greater resources over a longer term.

"We should be receiving substantially more money when you look at the real population of Las Vegas," Bussell said.

Should the new calculation go through, Bussell said it would give Sheriff Bill Young more capability to protect tourists without having to take from other resources.

"This is exciting ... but we still have a long way to go."