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IN BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT SENATE LEADER OFFERS ENCOURAGEMENT TO CHAMBER ON JOBS By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce members hoping for some encouragement on the prospect of more jobs in Southern Nevada got it in small portions last week from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But they did get a healthy dose on the importance of the new health care legislation regardless of the cost, why tax reform is essential and how frustrated he is going toe-to-toe with Tea Party Republicans on several issues. Employment help could be on the way as early as next week, when the Senate takes up the extension of a transportation bill that could put thousands of contractors to work on highway projects nationwide, Reid told the business lunch gathering of about 450 people. He warned that passage wouldn't be easy, noting how lawmakers couldn't even agree on funding improvements within the Federal Aviation Administration, so they merely extended the agency's budget for a year. "The FAA bill would create within a matter of three months 270,000 jobs," Reid said of the importance of an upgrade in the nation's air traffic control system. "We use the same technology that was used in World War II: radar," he said. "You can go to Nepal, Mongolia, any place that you would want to go with rare exception, and they use GPS and a modern way of moving (aircraft). We don't." Some kind of major infrastructure project would go a long way toward fixing unemployment problems because not only would construction workers be put to work but various suppliers in the pipeline, including small businesses, would benefit, he said. But Reid said GOP colleagues, who have made the defeat of President Barack Obama in 2012 their primary goal, have continuously frustrated him. Other prospective infrastructure projects, he said, were discussed in last week's National Clean Energy Summit. "That (the summit) was all about economic recovery," Reid said. Reid said exploiting the nation's clean energy potential could result in 2.7 million jobs. Another potential infrastructure development project he addressed is the DesertXpress high-speed rail project. Reid is confident the DesertXpress will succeed because Anthony Marnell, a major investor, has studied the ridership potential, he said. Construction could begin next spring and bring 40,000 construction jobs, mostly to California, and at least that many spinoff jobs. Chamber Chairman Michael Bonner relayed questions from the 6,000-member organization. He told Reid that small businesses are uneasy about hiring people because of the cost of providing health care and asked whether rolling back the minimum- wage law would be an option. He defended the passage of health care reforms. "We really didn't have much choice, we had to do something about health care," he said. Lawmakers started by finding $500 billion in fraud and waste, he said, extending the life of the Medicare program. They also had to "rein in the insurance industry because they were so unfair in many instances." "Is the bill perfect? Of course not," Reid said. "We've already made some corrections in some of the things we've found. The transition is always hard and it's going to continue to be that way until about the year 2014." On minimum-wage rollbacks, Reid suggested businesspeople first approach state lawmakers for relief, since Nevada has a higher wage rate than at the federal level. Reid also addressed tax policy, saying there's no need to raise taxes on individuals, but to reform policies on taxing businesses. "Exxon just made a deal with Russia for drilling in the Arctic," he said. "Should they be getting (tax) subsidies from us? Of course not." He also said farmers are making more money than ever because of loopholes in the nation's tax codes. 18 | 5 SEPTEMBER 2011 |