Reid responds to maglev media maneuver
After being caught flat-footed by a potentially devastating series of commercials being produced on behalf of American Magline Group, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office issued a strongly worded response Friday morning in defense of the support for the DesertXpress steel-rail train project.
Last year, Reid threw his support behind the DesertXpress, stating his belief that the Las Vegas-to-Victorville rail had the best chance of breaking ground and being completed. He also said the maglev project had had decades to proceed and had failed to make sufficient progress.
Last week, Reid diverted $45 million that had been slated for the maglev project to a road project that would benefit McCarran Airport.
Meanwhile, American Magline spokesman Mark Fierro has been busy producing television commercials in which union ironworkers make a call “to Washington” for the maglev project to proceed because of its promise to create 90,000 jobs for construction workers. I have seen the spots, and they are emotional and powerful and potentially devastating to Reid, who has enjoys decades of support from organized labor.
In a statement Reid said, "I have no ill will toward the people behind the maglev project and want it to be clear that no one, including me, is stopping them from moving ahead with their project. During the many years I supported maglev, Congress made more than $50 million available, including a $45 million appropriation in 2008.
"We are now well into 2010 and maglev has failed to come up with the 20 percent match needed to obtain these federal funds, which is why I reprogrammed the $45 million for a transportation project in Southern Nevada that will actually create jobs right away. While Nevadans are rightfully impressed with the maglev technology, they, like me, just want to see something get done. DesertXpress is ready to break ground and put Nevadans back to work this year."
Magline officials have responded that they’ve met as many deadlines as rival DesertXpress. They also point out the obvious conflict in the senator’s message: His relationship with DesertXpress spokesman and investor Sig Rogich, who only weeks before winning Reid’s endorsement organized the “Republicans for Reid” group that raised eyebrows throughout the state Republican Party.
On Friday, my column called attention to the potential trouble for Reid, whose poll numbers remain abysmal as he fights for re-election at home and for health care reform in Washington.
Reid and DesertXpress saw Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council secretary-treasurer Steve Ross (the City Councilman) come to their defense Friday with this statement: "The DesertXpress high-speed train is estimated to create 20,000 jobs for skilled tradesmen and women and could easily create 700 permanent jobs.
"This benefits all of the members of the Building Trades Council and is exactly what workers need right now. In essence, high-speed rail will help get Southern Nevada’s economy back on track and we are proud to be a part of that process."
No word yet on whether Rogich and DesertXpress are also planning a media response.
