February '10 Nevada Government—U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus Column

Titus Announces $34 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Sahara Ave. Bus Rapid Transit

February 17, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District announced today that Southern Nevada is receiving more than $34 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for bus rapid transit on Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas to reduce congestion and improve mass transit. This announcement comes on the anniversary of the signing of the Recovery Act and is part of $1.5 billion in projects funded through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program. Titus sent a letter to Transportation Secretary LaHood in September in support of the project. Click here to read the letter.

“Traffic and congestion have long been a problem in Southern Nevada, and today’s announcement will fund an important project that will help alleviate some of that in one of Las Vegas’ busiest areas,” Congresswoman Titus said. “Improving the speed and reliability of our transit service will enable the movement of more people through this section of town, spurring economic growth and development. This project will also improve and increase service in an area that has a higher than average number of disabled and elderly, enhancing their ability to get around our community.”

The TIGER grant will provide the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada with $34,400,000 to improve the efficiency and quality of transit service by converting existing breakdown lanes on Sahara Avenue to bus-only lanes, improving passenger amenities, increasing the use of off-board fare collection, and expanding the corridor’s Intelligent Transportation System infrastructure to improve both traffic and transit operations. The project will further bolster RTC’s efforts to implement a comprehensive bus rapid transit (BRT) network by connecting directly to two other BRT routes.

More than 1,400 applications for projects were submitted to the Department of Transportation for TIGER grants, which are allocated for improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit, and intermodal facilities. The Southern Nevada project is one of 51 projects to earn the competitive grant.

Titus Statement on the Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

February 16, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District released the following statement today on the anniversary of the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is tomorrow, February 17.

“From the largest package of tax breaks in history to critical investments in education, transportation, and health care, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has provided important funds at a time when Nevada’s families are struggling to make ends meet.

“In Congressional District Three alone, 375,000 people have seen more money in their paychecks due to the Making Work Pay tax credit. As of the end of last year, 25,000 people in Nevada had taken advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, giving a boost to our struggling housing market. And with the state facing budget shortfalls, $397 million from the Recovery Act saved about 1,100 teacher jobs in Nevada last year.

“With Nevada’s unemployment the second highest in the country, it is critical we continue to make job creation a top priority. While we work to bring good jobs to Southern Nevada, the Recovery Act has provided vital assistance to families by extending unemployment benefits to help people ride out this economic storm. For many families, that can make the difference between losing a home to foreclosure and getting back on their feet.

“With an economy that is so dependent on tourism and travel, getting Nevada back on track will mean turning our national economy around as well. And thanks in no small part to the Recovery Act, our national economy is growing at the fastest rate in over two years. We went from losing more than 700,000 jobs the month before the Recovery Act was signed to creating jobs for the first time in two years. We know the Recovery Act is working because Republicans who voted against it and criticized it are taking credit for its impact in their home districts. Putting money in people’s pockets in Georgia or Iowa will mean they have money to spend on a trip to Las Vegas.

“Now I know this is little comfort to those who still are out of work and struggling to get by. That is why our work is far from over. The Recovery Act was an important step that helped prevent this recession from turning into a depression, but more must be done. I will continue to make job creation the number one priority and work every day to put Nevadans back to work.”

Titus Applauds Federal Funding for Health IT and the Nevada Cancer Institute

February 12, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District highlighted two funding announcements today for Nevada that will help strengthen the health care system while preparing Nevadans for jobs in the growing health care field. The Department of Labor has awarded the Nevada Cancer Institute in Southern Nevada with $3.2 million for a Heath Care and High Growth Job Training grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In addition, through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, more than $6 million will be allocated to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services to help the state and health care providers advance the adoption and meaningful use of health IT.

“The health care sector is one of the few industries that has continued to grow and offer job opportunities for those who are trained and ready to step into these positions,” Congresswoman Titus said. “The grant for the Nevada Cancer Institute will help put Nevadans to work by giving them the skills they need to compete in this growing field. At the same time, investment in health IT throughout Nevada is an important step toward improving care and reducing unnecessary repetitive testing at a time when families and businesses in Southern Nevada are feeling the strain of soaring health care costs.”

The Health Care and High Growth Job Training grant will help provide workers with a path to career enhancing opportunities in high growth or emerging industries such as the health care sector. With an increase in demand for health care and assistance due to an aging population and longer life expectancies, along with projected retirements for current health care workers, there will be a growing need for trained individuals ready to enter health care occupations. The Recovery Act has provided $266 million for these grants nationwide, with the Nevada Cancer Institute receiving $3,262,676.

Nevada is one of 40 states to receive $386 million to facilitate health information exchange. The award of $6,133,426 will help the Nevada Department of Health integrate health information technology that can reduce health care costs by eliminating duplicative tests and procedures while providing a higher level of care.

Titus Letter to Obama Again Urges Greater Action to Address Foreclosure Crisis

February 12, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus sent a letter to President Obama today to again call his attention to the foreclosure crisis and its devastating effects on Southern Nevadans. Titus wrote to President Obama last month, and will continue to highlight the challenges her constituents face until further action is taken to assist communities in the hardest hit areas.

Below is the text of the letter.

February 12, 2010

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

On January 12, I wrote to you to express my frustration regarding the lack of attention your Administration has paid to the housing challenges in Southern Nevada and other areas of the country that have been most affected by the foreclosure crisis.

Since I wrote to you there have been approximately 7,100 formal notices of default filed in Clark County, Nevada. This staggering number of foreclosures has been consistent since the beginning of the housing crisis and is not expected to decline in the near future.

When I began my term in Congress just over a year ago, I was determined to help families in Southern Nevada avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. I made finding solutions for the foreclosure crisis the top priority of my Congressional office. I was encouraged by your administration’s promise to help 7 to 9 million homeowners throughout the country who are making good faith efforts to save their homes. In the past year, however, the Department of the Treasury has significantly reduced this projection.

As I wrote last month, I am convinced that the program currently in place will not help homeowners in Southern Nevada and other places that have been hit hardest by this downturn. My office was one of the first Congressional offices to work directly with homeowners to help them connect with their lenders with hopes of reworking their mortgages in a way that will allow them to continue making payments and avoid foreclosure. Through this casework, I have seen firsthand problems with the Making Home Affordable program that I believe are preventing long term, sustainable success. The majority of these problems stem from lenders’ reluctance to fully engage in the program. Paperwork is often misplaced and many cases are declined without adequate explanation. More must be done to require lenders and servicers to fully engage in the process.

I look forward to working with you directly on this important issue and helping families in Southern Nevada avoid foreclosure.

Sincerely,

Dina Titus
Member of Congress