Yucca coalition presses Reid on 'abusing' powers

[NVMojo]

more neo-conning profiteering-types?

WASHINGTON -- Leaders of a coalition that supports the Yucca Mountain repository applied pressure on Sen. Harry Reid on Thursday, saying that he is "abusing" his new powers as Senate majority leader by pledging to block votes on the project planned in Southern Nevada.

Reid, who will lead the Senate when it reconvenes in January, was challenged to allow debate and votes on "fix Yucca Mountain" bills that could pass even though he adamantly opposes them.

By refusing to schedule votes, the Nevadan is putting parochial interests before the needs of the nation to relocate radioactive spent fuel away from communities, and the desires of fellow Democrats who have nuclear waste piling up in their states, the repository advocates said.

"When (Reid) is leading the majority, he has to act in the best interests of the majority, and the best interests of the majority is to move nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain," said LeRoy Koppendrayer, chairman of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

"Would he vote for it himself? I doubt it, but he should let his members vote," Koppendrayer, coalition chairman, said at a news conference.

"To even prohibit it from coming to the floor to be addressed to me is a misuse and an abuse of the position," said Charles Pray, a former Maine legislator who now is that state's nuclear adviser.

"Please, Senator Reid, stand aside," declared Jack Edlow, president of Edlow International, a nuclear transport company.

more...

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-01-Fri-2006/news/11160651.html

[Mythsaje]

1. Unless I'm mistaken, he has an obligation to represent

his constituents...if that means opposing the Yucca Mt. project, that's what it means.

Too bad if they don't like it.

[Tempest]

5. His constituents are overwhelmingly against the project

Even if it came to a vote it would be rejected. There's not enough support in Congress.

[Dr.Phool]

2. Translation

We gave all these campaign contributions and bribes to select Senators, and you ain't even gonna let them help us out?

What's this country coming to?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. Imagine that, voters being represented by their elected official

I can imagine this odd behavior is causing quite a stir on the hill. People getting what they voted for in the US was rumored to be a myth, not unlike Big Foot or Nessie. It would appear this is yet one more myth proven to be grounded in fact.

[buddysmellgood]

4. If it doesn't go to Yucca, it will go to an indian reservation in Utah. There, I predict,

it will end up as permanent "temporary" storage. Given that the location is so remote, I'm not sure that isn't a better option.

[xchrom]

6. good for sen reid.

and i'm against moving this crap willy nilly all over the country.

a better more local way for this stuff to be stored needs to be found.

[Robbien]

7. Funny. Lobbyists accusing politicians of abusing powers

Isn't that exactly what lobbyists pay politician to do?

[w4rma]

8. I think that the extremist right wants to see Las Vegas destroyed like New Orleans was.

I think that's the real reason they want to move the dangerous waste onto an earthquake fault line close to Las Vegas.

[NVMojo]

9. 2 million people live 65 miles away ....go figure ...