Editorial: 5 percent looms large

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004 | 9:14 a.m.

Results last week from a poll partially sponsored by the Las Vegas Sun revealed that 56 percent of Nevadans most likely to vote "strongly oppose" Yucca Mountain. Another 10 percent said they were "somewhat opposed" to the nuclear waste dump the federal government is planning to open in six years 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. And 36 percent of the voters said Yucca Mountain was among the most important issues for them.

An additional 5 percent felt that Yucca Mountain was the most important issue. This should not be discounted as miniscule. Ralph Nader, and the Libertarian Party candidate, Michael Badnarik, for example, will very likely not get 5 percent between them.

John Kerry has guaranteed Nevadans that "Yucca Mountain is not going to happen" if he's elected. In a close race, those 5 percent of voters could carry the state for Kerry, who deserves their votes. From that perspective, they loom large indeed.

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