1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

As in the primary, the economy has been the main topic of conversation in the contest for Nevada's 1st Congressional District, which has an entrenched incumbent facing off against three challengers.

Shelley Berkley is seeking her sixth term in the House of Representatives. Republican Kenneth Wegner is in the race, as are Libertarian Raymond Duensing Jr. and Caren Alexander of the Independent American party.

Berkley said job creation, infrastructure and investments in renewable energy should be priorities for the next Congress.

That includes funding for finishing the Las Vegas Beltway, highway work, flood control projects and mass transit, which in turn will create construction jobs, she said.

An "integral part of taking care of our economy" is ensuring homeowners facing foreclosure are able to negotiate so that they don't lose their houses, Berkley added. And Congress needs to take a hard look at health insurance options no matter who becomes president, because the system right now is "upside down."

"We spend billions of dollars on end-of-life care ... rather than put money at the front end and research to find cures for diseases," she said. "I believe that will save billions of taxpayers' dollars.

"We've laid the foundation for moving forward. It's going to take a new president to rally the Congress and rally the American people."

Wegner talked about balancing the budget and concerns people have about the huge Wall Street bailout bill passed recently.

He said that replacing the tax structure with a 10 percent flat tax, a 10 percent import value tax and a 2 percent national sales tax would wipe out deficits -- "if you stay at this year's budget" and eliminate congressional earmarks.

The bailout has a lot of people talking, he said.

"I can't even express the outrage. They have just socialized losses and capitalized gains," Wegner said. "You'd think that for $700 billion, at least one family could stay in their homes that are being foreclosed on."

He said he's also stayed focused on illegal immigration.

"Deport illegal aliens in our jails and prisons, whether they're here from Germany or Mexico or Canada," he said. "If they committed a crime, I want them out of my country."

Duensing did not respond to a request for comment. His Web site expresses support for lower taxes and recalling U.S. troops from Iraq, and criticizes the Patriot Act for infringing on civil liberties.

Alexander, the Independent American candidate, could not be reached despite several attempts to contact her.

In a candidate questionnaire she provided to the Review-Journal, Alexander wrote that she is "fed up with direction country is taking" and wants to "get back to basics."

"We (the citizens/taxpayers of U.S.) can make a difference," she wrote. "Protect what our forefathers fought for."

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.