Harry extorting Yerington mining jobs bill to pay back his ‘green’ buddies

Not only is Harry Reid determined to kill jobs in Nevada by replacing them with overpriced, underperforming “green” energy power plants, he is now willing to block the creation of well-paying mining jobs in order to demand a pound of flesh for his enviro buddies.

According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Reid, speaking at Truckee Meadows Community College Tuesday night, said he will support a bill to allow the city of Yerington to purchase at market price 10,400 acres of land to aid the Pumpkin Hollow copper mining project only if the bill includes the declaration of a wilderness area somewhere else in the state.

Harry listening to Obama in Reno. (Reno Gazette-Journal photo)

It has been estimated the project could create 800 jobs paying on average $75,000 apiece, but Reid apparently stands ready to sideline the economic development over some vague desire to protect some unspecified sensitive land.

“It is not a lot of wilderness area but it is something that is important,” Reid was quoted as saying by Ray Hagar. “They cannot think they are going to get this thing and do nothing for the environment.”

Rep. Mark Amodei managed to get the bill passed in the House and sent to the Senate, where Reid, as majority leader, controls the calendar.

Hagar further quoted Reid as saying of the mining industry, “I have fought their battles for 30 years in Washington. And they are going to get their mining law passed, but they are going to have something environmentally in it.”

I think the word for that is extortion.

On the Nevada Newsmakers television show recently Amodei said of Reid: “There are times when I wonder if Nevada is really a priority.”

He was interrupted by Hagar who said Amodei was insulting Reid, who now has Amodei’s Yerington land bill in his chamber.

Amodei continued, “I think there needs to be more concern expressed toward the folks who gave you the job.”

Is this now payback time for Amodei for daring to diss the great and powerful majority leader, even if his spite costs Nevada jobs? Reid doesn’t give a fig about Nevada. All he cares about are his “green” campaign contributors and keeping the planet savers energized through November.

There is absolutely no nexus between Yerington purchasing federal land at a fair price and any supposed need to declare still more off-limits land. If something needs to be protected, pass a bill to do so. Don’t shackle a rural Nevada jobs bill with a series of environmental Christmas ornaments.

Here is Sherm’s take on this topic.