Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleTHE ECONOMY:
Got stimulus? We’ve got a project list
Mob museum, city halls make cut to get on list laden with road building and repair work
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009 | 2 a.m.
As debate over the size and scope of a federal stimulus bill intensifies in Washington, regional leaders could soon be engaged in a turf war for their piece of the pie.
Local jurisdictions have compiled lengthy wish lists of potentially “shovel-ready” projects, or those that could be under construction within 180 days. Among them: a $200 million project to build a more efficient ramp from the airport connector onto eastbound Interstate 215, $63 million in regional road repair and, of course, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman’s proposed $60 million mob museum downtown — a request that is being roundly rejected on Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, the day an $825 billion stimulus bill was pitched by House Democrats, Clark County Manager Virginia Valentine submitted a lengthy list of projects — including the mob museum — to the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition. The coalition, an area advisory group, approved the list, passing it on to the state’s congressional delegation.
An early economic study by market research firm Applied Analysis found that if all 348 projects were to be undertaken, they would support $3.38 billion in wage and salary payments, as well as $7.77 billion in aggregate economic activity. That would mean for every $1 spent on infrastructure, $1.56 would pass through the county economy.
Leading House and Senate Democrats have pledged a stimulus bill devoid of earmarks, or specified projects.
The House Democrats’ stimulus plan boasts investments in energy, education, health care and jobs-rich highway construction, at a time when states — including Nevada — are slashing budgets, noted David Cherry, a spokesman for Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley. The Senate is expected to introduce its own stimulus package soon. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants a recovery bill ready for the president’s signature by mid-February.
Some stimulus funding could be immediately available. Congressional staffers say the House bill, proposed by Wisconsin Democrat Dave Obey, appears to indicate a mix of direct disbursement to local jurisdictions and a competitive grant process. The United States Conference of Mayors is pushing hard for direct access to the money.
That’s a channel preferred by Goodman and Henderson’s city manager.
“It gives you more certainty and it gets those stimulus projects moving faster,” said Mary Kay Peck, Henderson’s city manager. “You want it to be effective? Cut out a layer.”
But if a competitive process remains, one Washington lobbyist with ties to Nevada anticipates a feeding frenzy among adjacent jurisdictions here. Peck and County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, however, doubt there will be much jockeying. Giunchigliani hopes Reid will bring a haul of dollars back to Nevada, and expects area cities and the county to prioritize projects by tiers as a way to determine which projects should go forward first.
Prioritizing has yet to get under way, local representatives and officials with the Nevada Transportation Department said this week, citing unanswered questions out of Washington. For example, will Congress dictate that construction money be reserved for projects that can be buildable within 120 days? If so, cities and the county would have to whittle their collective list projects down because some require six months to be ready.
Potential Nevada infrastructure projects (including some not included on Valentine’s list) that could receive full or partial stimulus funding, according to area city and transportation officials, include:
• $375 million for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
• $167 million for a new Las Vegas city hall.
• $135.9 million for a new city hall downtown campus in North Las Vegas.
• $250 million to add an extra lane in both directions on Interstate 15 between Blue Diamond Road and Tropicana Avenue.
• $175 million to widen U.S. 95 between Rainbow Boulevard and Ann Road.
• $200 million to improve the airport connector south of the tunnel at I-215. Today, drivers proceeding toward Henderson from McCarran International Airport and Paradise Road merge from two lanes onto one, which sharply curves right as a cloverleaf. The county proposes a softer-turning ramp from the connector onto the freeway, as well as an additional lane in each direction on I-215 between that interchange and Warm Springs Road.
• $82 million to complete the beltway between Decatur Boulevard and North Fifth Street. Traffic flow along this part of the beltway is now restricted by traffic lights.
• $63 million to repave thoroughfares. Some of the county’s more deficient roads would get preferential treatment if all, or part, of this project is funded. Seven roads are expected to be favored: Pecos Road, between Russell and Viking roads and again between El Dorado Lane and Sunset Road; Bermuda Road between Hidden Well Road and Sunset; Decatur between Gary Avenue and Pebble Road; Nellis Boulevard between Russell and Tropicana; Maryland Parkway between King Richard Avenue and Sahara Avenue; Carey Avenue between Pecos and Lamb Boulevard; and Palm Street between Emerald and Helaman avenues.
• $18 million for a new fleet maintenance facility in Henderson to repair and maintain city vehicles.
The $55 million request for the mob museum, referred to as the “Las Vegas Historic Post Office Museum Rehabilitation” for its previous use, also appears in a list of recommendations the U.S. Conference of Mayors unveiled last month. That roll cites examples of “Main Street” projects that could quickly invigorate local economies and create jobs — in contrast, says one official with the mayors group, with the $700 billion bailout, which thus far has largely aided banks.
Based on that reasoning, Goodman has argued that the mob museum should win support because it could lure a quarter-million tourists downtown annually as part of a redeveloped district. But Reid, who supports the project, this week nixed the notion of using stimulus dollars for it, saying such use would amount to an earmark.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Star Surveillance: Vince Neil turns 51, Criss Angel, Angel Porrino, ‘Stripped’
- Chinese company agrees to finance proposed Henderson arena
- Romney says he prevented Massachusetts from becoming ‘the Las Vegas of gay marriage’
- South Point owner Michael Gaughan’s take on ‘Vegas Stripped’: ‘I’ll give it an 8’
- See mug shots of 16 arrested in stolen-property police sting
- UNLV basketball anxious to get on the court for big game against San Diego State
- Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags
- Criss Angel denies allegations of fight with fired employee
- Conceptual design unveiled for Henderson Space and Science Center
- Lumberjacks — ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ — hiring for North Las Vegas location
Blogs
The Kats Report
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (1 Comment)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Kats Report
A sophisticated look at line-moving and dog-show handicapping from Wynn's Johnny Avello
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Mob Museum Huh?
Me thinks a lot of our Politicians in Washington would fit in Perfectly !
My wife wants new rugs for our own infrastructure, and the toilet needs a new flush device. How do I get on the list?
Stealing taxpayer money for useless garbage, yet another infringement on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations:
They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like "America Deceived" from Amazon, Wikipedia and Facebook.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.
They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.
They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.
They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing at Gitmo.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting illegal wars without declaration.
Impeach them all (both parties) and save this great country.
Last link (unless Google Books caves to the gov't and drops the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookD...
We could get 2:5 to 1 or better job creation from manufacturing projects. With our relatively cheap backhaul trucking rates, we could become a manufacturing center with competitive advantage in Southern and Central California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and West Texas.
Eighty percent of our elected officials at the Federal level are incompetent or just plain stupid. Worse, they could be psychologically unfit. Please see www.libertymind.com for a diagnosis. They all need to be voted out of office ASAP, and replaced with people who know that our Federal govenmnet is not to be all things to all people.
The Feds take too much of our money, which reduces our freedoms as they use the confiscated money to buy votes.
I am all about the democratic process and less government.
That is why I plan to run for Senate in 2014.
Contact me if you wish, at WilliamLee2014@GMail.com
So whats the plan after the road's fixed?
[quote]So whats the plan after the road's fixed?[/quote]
Employ some more workers to go back and tear it up.
Job security !
This BS is NOT going to Solve the Big Picture !
It's a Smoke Screen !
On Jan. 20th the Chicago Mob will begin will begin to control this country. The stimulus package is a scheme to "give" money in exchange for enacting Socialist "regulations" which will criminalize many of the freedoms we take for granted.
America ends on Tuesday, the Obama-Nation begins.
CNN = Communist News Network
zzzzzz "America ends on Tuesday, the Obama-Nation begins."
Hey zzzzzz, Zzzzzzzz....
Oscar Goodman should be thrown out of office for even considering a Mob Museum during our economic crisis.
What is he thinking?
It's outrageous. If the Mob wants a museum, let them pay for it. Is this museum going to better anyone's life? Will it create world peace?
Is it a want or is it a need? Definitely a want. The world will keep on turning if a Mob Museum never sees the light of day.
Any other bright ideas, Mayor?
Yes to all the road projects, because roads can be used by everyone. Many more roads need help. Clark County Public Works needs new management and a big assist to get caught up again.
No to city halls, art centers, mob museums, and city fleet maintenence centers, because they are for special interests use. Let them arrange their own financing, or wait for better times.
"George W. Bush's presidency cost the country about $11.5 trillion, if we estimate liberally."
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Inv...
zzzzzz - wake up and realize your beloved ex-president Bush already "bought the farm" as they say! Obama might be able to fix the idiot's legacy, but I doubt it. The neocons really screwed the pooch and the nice cat as well! What a legacy- bankrupting the richest country in the world in 8 years! Guinness, the record keeper, can make a new listing for the "biggest presidential losers of all time-G. W. Bush and Neocon Cheney"!
Good riddance to the fool of fools!
I hope that Obama can fix Clinton's and Bush's combined legacy.
Clinton signed into law several financial deregulation bills that caused the mess.
Clinton appointed people to the FRB to lowered interest rates to ungodly levels in the 2000's.
Clinton started the policy of putting heavy pressures on financial institutions to lower lending standards for sub-prime loans.
Bush did not fix any of those ticking time bomb's that Clinton passed to him.
Hey!! Wassa matta wit youse joiks, HAH? Doan youse no dat we mafia types is apart a histry and ur cultcha? Are youse stoopid or what? Do we gotta come dere and brake a kneecap?
leve da museem alone or i'm gonna trow all a youse a beatin you won't fuhget.
FUHGHEDDABOUDIT!!!!
Why stop at a museum for mobsters, why not a museum for murders and child molesters? We have really hit rock bottom when we spend our hard earned and very limited money on immortalizing criminals.
Let's get Obama to fix it. He has all of this experience, so why not? Clinton didn't know anything about running a government and neither did Bush, but Obama knows everything! If you believe this, I have some swamp land in Southern Arizona to sell to you. Obama does not know squat about anything except BS and Socialism. He is a Chicago fabricated celebrity who is more of a social activist than anything else. Arrogant as all get out too. The sheeple love him, no matter what he does or will do. This clown is going to drag this country through the cesspool before all but the sheeple run him out of office. All Hail King BO!
I have an idea... how about they include a special section on how the mob along with the CIA and members of the government were involved with the Kennedy assassination and include a list of names with details of the plan.
It used to be called pork. Now the dems call it stimulus.
Those costs are not going to cover those roads. Everything has skyrocketed. Cost of concrete will be 4 times that amount. Politicans are also famous for underestimating. The purpose of upgrading roads? For tourists, for driving to work, for going to Curcuit City to buy a new TV? Tourist industry is down 15%, unemployment is up and Curcuit City is shutting down. Harry, lets use that money to build some cheap electrical power! Or hiring someone to obtain a better electrical rate contract, like Eureka County.
Please tell me how all these road construction jobs are going to help put AMERICANS back to work when you know damn well that most of the workers out there will be illegals! I'm all for creating jobs - but let's make sure the American people get hired and not the illegals.
"if all 348 projects were to be undertaken, they would support $3.38 billion in wage and salary payments, as well as $7.77 billion in aggregate economic activity. That would mean for every $1 spent on infrastructure, $1.56 would pass through the county economy."
And we can expect that 384 project will be concidered a "major effort".
How about if we create 10,000 projects? In other words, put our countries growth and prosperity ahead of EVERYONE elses.
No more money to Iraq, since they have oil profits and no desire for civilization. No more money to Saudis, since they already controll the worlds oil. No more money for Aids research except for American researchers. And on and on.
Whats wrong with using a few billion to build refineries and drill for oil BEFORE the Saudi's increase the cost of oil.
spend some to finish city center?
So let me get this straight:
America needs to produce more goods so that it can export them to the rest of the world and become wealthy again...
In order to accomplish this, Obama wants to leech potentially trillions of dollars of taxpayer wealth out of the economy and give it to 3 million people to build new roads, bridges, city halls, museums....
and that is that going to make America a production powerhouse like China and India again?? Or is it just to make the employment numbers look better????
We are so screwed.
"spend some to finish city center?"
Geez. Am I the only beacon of hope around here? Doesn't anyone believe in us? Well, I do.
City Center will get done. And by the time it opens, the mood of the country and the economy will be much better.
I truly believe that once we all have a sence that things are starting to turn, overwhelming relief will be the all pervading feeling in the country. That will happen soon, and will signal the beginning of a long steady growth period.
Buy a house now if you can. People who still have money now (hello? smart people?) are doing just that.
I would much rather congress and President B. Housain Obama gave us a 3 month federal tax holiday, no income tax and no social security tax taken out of our check for 3 months as a stimulus package. That would be much better than an $850 billion pork filled package that would most likely never get down to the working people the money was taken from in the first place. Just imagine getting to keep your whole check for 3 months. No mob museum, no city hall, no lobiest or earmarks ... just American workers keeping their money. Now THAT would be a stimulus packgage.
Mobsters+Politicos=Leechs and Pigs feeding at the Public trough!
ALL IN THE SAME SCENE!!!
Uddeboda - I would call it a 'hand BACK not a hand OUT - where do you think the government got the money to being with - from the TAXPAYERS - and yes, when I see them wasting my money left and right - I WANT IT BACK! I don't call that a handout at all.
DOC, I don't want them to stop taxing me for 3 months while I continue to earn income unless they are going to lower the tax rate - otherwise all that happens is that for 3 months we have a bigger paycheck and to help the economy we run out and spend it - and then guess what, at the end of the year when we figure out our taxes we wind up owing the government because we didn't have enough withheld (ya, like for 3 months we had NOTHING withheld) oh and btw, since we spent the extra bucks to help the economy we have to now somehow manage to scrounge up the money we still owe at the end of the year - or make payments (plus interest). So I don't think 3 tax-free months is the answer - not unless, as I said previously, the entire tax rate is lowered to ensure we don't all wind up owing Uncle Sam.
That is what I meant and said badly. That 3 month tax and socilal security would not ever be taken out. That would be an $850 billion dollar tax cut. Not to be collected EVER. The money would just never go to the government. That way they could not waist it on overhead, earmarks, favors for votes, mob museums, ... it would stay in our pockets .... we would stimulate the economy.
Why do it any other way. This way it doesnt even cost money to administer the stimulus package ... just don't take it away from us in the first place.
But Washington would never do that because they want the power ... We the people are suposed to have the power in America.
It should be noted that Clark County simply passed along a list of projects submitted by each jurisdiction and did not weigh in on the relative merits of each project. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that Clark County necessarily supports each project on the list.
Erik Pappa
Director of Public Communications
Clark County