Editorial: Premature confidence

Monday, March 21, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Earlier this month Nevada got some good news from the budget committees of both the House and Senate. In putting together their budget resolutions for the 2006 fiscal year, neither committee included President Bush's plan to divert 70 percent of the money from federal land sales in Nevada back to Washington. This was not a sure bet by any means that Bush's proposal had been beaten back, but it was an encouraging sign. Bush's scheme is a major issue for Nevada -- we could lose as much as $700 million a year.

The five members of our congressional delegation -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley, both Democrats, and Sen. John Ensign and Reps. Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter, all Republicans -- are fighting Bush's plan. From the start, the delegation members declared unity on the point that none of the money from the federal land sales should end up in Bush's budget. The president wants the money to partially make up for his cut-taxes-and-spend policy, which has created a record federal deficit. But the money does not belong to the federal government. Under the provisions of the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, it belongs to Nevada.

We support our delegation on this issue. Bush's plan is an outrage. It's an affront to every resident of Nevada that Bush would even think about taking our money, which is going toward our schools, water lines, airports and environment. He swore the government could afford his tax cuts. Now let him prove it, without pilfering a benefit that partially compensates Nevada for the fact that 87 percent of its land belongs to the federal government.

It's critical now for our congressional delegation to be on the same page in fighting Bush on this issue. We're concerned, however, about Gibbons' embrace of statements made by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the House Resources Committee. This committee, which oversees issues involving federal land, could revive Bush's proposed money grab in a heartbeat. A subcommittee that reports to Pombo endorsed Bush's general idea two weeks ago, but recommended that the federal government filch 35 percent of Nevada's money, rather than the 70 percent proposed by Bush.

That's why we winced last week when Gibbons heralded his friendship with Pombo, whose rise to committee chairman he supported in 2003. In a press release headlined, "Key House leader supports Gibbons' effort to keep (lands act) money in Nevada," Gibbons took credit for winning Pombo over to our side. "I am greatly pleased that Chairman Pombo will work with me to protect the money that belongs to the people of Nevada," Gibbons gushed.

But will he? All Pombo said was that he will "continue to work with Reps. Gibbons and Porter to make sure that Nevada is well taken care of ... that Nevada comes out on top when all is said and done." Contacted Friday, Pombo's spokesman, Matthew Streit, acknowledged that all Pombo has ever said is that the federal government shouldn't take 70 percent.

We hope Gibbons stops grandstanding and begins working together with the whole delegation on this issue. His individual and possibly premature support of Pombo could weaken our position that the federal government has no right to any of Nevada's money.