Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark Count District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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Governor Kenny Guinn of Nevada asks U. S. Congress for wild horse funding
By the GSBPA of WBTI*1

The Press Release from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn at CARSON CITY, Nevada, U. S. A. stated on February 13, 2004 that, "Governor Kenny Guinn today sent the following letter to Senator Conrad Burns and Congressman Charles Taylor regarding federal funding to deal with Nevada's wild horse issue:"*2

February 13, 2004

Senator Conrad Burns
Chairman,
Senate Appropriations, Interior
SD-132 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Congressman Charles Taylor
Chairman
House Appropriations, Interior and Related Agencies
B-308 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Burns and Chairman Taylor:

I am writing to urge you to break the funding impasse in Congress over wild horses. As you know, Nevada is home to more than half of the nation's herd and we need your assistance with the removal of thousands of wild horses currently on the Nevada range.

The continuing overpopulation of wild horses has caused a decrease in the amount of available habitat and jeopardizes the long-term welfare of wildlife populations, ranching, and the sagebrush habitat in our state. Additionally, the stress of long-term drought, wildfires and overpopulation has had a devastating effect on the wild horse and burro herd. With the resultant poor rangeland conditions occurring over much of our state, it is imperative to relieve the elevated stress to the public rangelands associated with wild horses and burros in excess of the appropriate management levels (AML). Given the fragile conditions of ecosystems within the Great Basin, the detrimental impacts of horse numbers in excess of the AML is of significant concern to the people of Nevada.

I realize that you are very familiar with the problems the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has experienced in the management of wild horse populations and appreciate your efforts to encourage the BLM to make responsible management changes to the program. With more than 87 percent of the land in Nevada owned and managed by the federal government, Nevada's efforts to control its wild horse population cannot possibly succeed without an effective federal effort. Currently, Nevada receives only 14 percent of the national budget for wild horse funding, in spite of more than half the herd living in our state. The federal government has a responsibility to properly manage the resources on public lands in a manner that does not adversely impact its neighbors. Effective management by the BLM requires adequate funding from Congress to do the job in Nevada.

For this year, I understand the Department is recommending a reprogramming that would earmark $7 million toward horse gathers in Nevada. Although this represents only a short-term solution, it would help defer declining environmental conditions this calendar year. It is my hope that your committees can work with Secretary Norton and the BLM to find a solution that will result in significant gathers of wild horses on Nevada's range before the end of the year.

I have resisted attempts by Nevada's own Wildlife Commission to sue the federal government over its management of horses, based on assurances by the Secretary of the Interior that plans are in place to begin to solve the problem. Therefore, I would appreciate your assistance in finding a speedy resolution. Please do not hesitate to contact me if Nevada can help to resolve this impasse.*3
Sincerely,
KENNY C. GUINN
Governor

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*1. The GSBPA of WBTI is the initials of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of Washington Business and Technology Institute.
*2. Office of the Governor. 'A Press Release on Governor Guinn's letter to ask Congress for wild horse funding,' "An email from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn to Dr. Tony Lei," (February 13, 2004), Carson City, Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*3. Ibid.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark Count District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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Top U. S. Senator Harry Reid Aide to be Nominated to NRC
By the Office of Senator Harry Reid

"Reid for Nevada"
Top Reid Aide to be Nominated to NRC

Senator Harry Reid's chief advisor on nuclear power, Dr. Gregory Jaczko, is set to be nominated by the White House to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He will work to protect public health and safety, promote defense and security, and protect the environment.*1

"Working with Nevadans"

Congressional Youth Leadership Council students Aaron Theis and Katie Serrano met with Senator Reid during their visit to Washington, DC.

Students from Centennial High School visited with Senator Reid as part of the Close-up program.

"Reid Travels to Nevada"

Senator Reid will be working in Nevada this week while the Senate is in recess. He will meet with veterans, senior citizens, firefighters and other groups, and will address the Las Vegas League of Women Voters on the issue of health care.

Students from Centennial High School in Las Vegas visit with Senator Reid during their visit to Washington D.C. as part of the Close-Up program.

"Week in Review"

Transportation Bill Passes - Despite veto threats by the White House, the Senate on Thursday passed a $318 billion surface transportation bill by a vote of 76 to 21. The House version of the bill stands at $375 billion, some $122 billion more than the White House's preferred number. Negotiations on how to bridge the differences with the House and the Administration will continue over the coming weeks.

Veterans Panel Issues Report- A federal commission deciding the fate of veterans medical facilities across the country issued its long-awaited report on Friday, and all but assured southern Nevadans the construction of a new veterans medical center, long-term seniors center and outpatient clinic. A complete copy of the panel's report can be found at: www.carescommission.va.gov

Prisoners of War Continue to Fight- American prisoners of war who were brutally tortured by Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War continued to press their case for just compensation from the assets of the former Iraqi regime. Meeting with lawmakers this week, the POWs recounted the latest attempts by the U.S. Justice Department to have the lawful judgment obtained by the soldiers thrown out. Shocked lawmakers filed an amicus brief with a federal appeals court to uphold the rights of U.S. prisoners of war and all Americans victimized by terror. A complete account of the POWs' case can be found at: www.stoppowtorture.org

Marketing Blitz For Medicare Bill- Concerns about the President's Medicare bill continued to build this week after it was disclosed that the Administration is conducting a $22 billion marketing campaign, including TV ads, to counter negative public opinion about the measure. Just a few weeks ago the Administration revealed that the bill will cost at least one-third more than the original $400 billion price tag.

"INSIDER'S CALENDAR"
The Senate is in recess next week following the President's Day holiday.
The Senate will convene on Monday, February 23 at 12:00 noon. At that time Senator John Breaux (D-LA) will be recognized to deliver George Washington's Farewell Address.
Following the address, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2061, the Medical Malpractice bill.

No roll call votes will occur on February 23.

Cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to the Medical Malpractice bill. This vote will occur on Tuesday, February 24, at 5:00 p.m.

"Reid's Words"
The Medicare bill that President Bush signed last year does nothing to curb runaway drug costs. Instead of working to fix this problem, the Administration is spending $22 million on a publicity campaign about the bill. We should use that money for better health care, not misleading TV ads.
http://reid.senate.gov Fax: (202) 228-7362 Phone: (202) 224 - WHIP*2

---------------------------------------
References

*1. Office of Senator Harry Reid. 'Whip Round Up,' "An email from the Office of U. S. Senator Harry Reid to Dr. Tony Lei," (February 13, 2004), Washington, D. C.: Office of U. S. Senator Harry Reid.
*2. Ibid.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark Count District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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A powerful tool in helping our business
By Kenny Guinn*1

I want to tell you about the newly created mini-bond program in the Office of Business Finance and Planning (OBFP) because it is good for our state's business environment. As many of you are aware, the OBFP assists manufacturers and other businesses looking to expand in or relocate to Nevada so that we can create more quality jobs and diversify our state economy. To help, the OBFP can issue industrial development revenue bonds (IDRBs) as a financing vehicle for businesses to utilize.*2

The IDRB program was always intended to benefit businesses with smaller financing projects. However, the expense associated with issuing these bonds usually meant that projects needing less than $3 million could not be financed. To help correct this, a mini-bond program was created to make it easier to get affordable financing for smaller projects. While primarily used for manufacturing projects, mini-bonds can also be used for any project that qualifies for tax exempt financing, i.e., public health facilities, solid waste disposal sites, recycling projects, and education facility construction, including nonprofit projects.

Several steps have been taken to make the mini-bond program more attractive to businesses in our state. Paperwork for the program has been standardized. Reporting requirements for feasibility have been streamlined. Contract bond counsel has also been retained for a set fee per transaction. Further, the OBFP has partnered directly with institutional investors so that financing can be accomplished quickly for qualified projects. As a result, financing is now available for projects as small as $500,000.

Last September, as Chairman of the State Board of Finance, I was pleased that we were able to approve the first mini-bond financing project for the Carson-Tahoe Hospital complex in Carson City. With the proceeds from this bond issue, this facility was able to purchase medical equipment and, in turn, expand its medical services so that area patients will no longer have to travel to Reno for some types of medical care.

The state's ability to offer low-cost financing is a powerful tool in helping our businesses. For those of you who would like to know more about this program, you can visit the OBFP on line at: www.dbi.state.nv.us/obfp or send and e-mail to dwalther@dbi.state.nv.us.*3

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*1. Dr. Kenny Guinn is the Governor of Nevada, U. S. A..
*2. Office of the Governor, 'A message of Governor Kenny C. Guinn -- February 11, 2004,' "An email from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn to Dr. Tony Lei," (February 11, 2004), Carson City, Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*3. Ibid.