WSPC03408 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

0022{6 tt .TIIe Phoenix Gazette Fri~y, JUDe 1, 1984 C-ll tt 'Obstructionist' senator disliked in West . By Sean Griffin GaIllJtUo Washington Bureau . WASHINGTON - No one would accuse Sen. Howud Metzen-. Ileum, D-Ohio, of being popular in' the 'WesL In fact, his popularity' ~n llIIlOl'.g his colleagues is lim- ited. A'map. reference work on mem- bers of (;ongr.... "Politics in Amer- ica.. bas this to BaY about the t-:tenn Ohioan: . 'Obstructionist' Is one of the nicer names thrown af Metzenbeum in the past couple 01 "*" ... He bas learned he caD block almoat any biII, especially when lime ia abort and his col- leagues are in a buny to leave 1owJL" : From bia _t 011 the Senate Juoliciuy Committee, Metzenbaum Ibo&t reeenuy gained fame by Jingle-bandedly blocking the DOIIIi. nation of presidenlial counselor Edwin Meese to aucceed William rrellCb Smith as at10mey general. But Western lawmakers ancI ad. _ta for utilities and ....ter-uoers Me IDOfI! COI~"u...,j with Metzen- lle.um 'a attitude toward federal lB'JIts and """,er projec:ta. . ."1 don't think he fully under- AaDda the separate set of Western problems that eooverge around ,..t.er and bydropower," aid An- . .sona'a Democratic Rep. Morria. Udall, ...ho probably baa Bleenod lIIore ....ter and power bills toward the Senate than any other rep_ Wive. .; :"rve tried to educate him and I think I've had some auccesa. But fIe'a very diligenL He'a been willing to . fight the pork barrel and atop IOine program.." Udall said. A large part of Metzenbaum'a . influence depends on the peculiar i-uIes of the Senate. Where the House operata in a majority-rules atmosphere, the Senate operata by ananimous _nL That meana . Single senator - even a member in Ole minority like Metzenbawn - can hold up virtually any piece of IegislatiOlL Hut in """,nt years, when the need to noduce the federal deficit Pas 'become a preasing political issue, Metzenbaum bas found be 'a Dot alone in his resentment of the Iow-cost, federally produced ...ater and power available in the WesL A ,lizable coalition of represenUives eame within a aingle vote of halting . dam safety legislation in the House. . "They're atarting to realize that reclamation is one of the easiest . places to recoup some of. th... 'federel dollarw," one Capitol Hill .taffer oni~!!.ngjb,e.biU ~ . At.the moment, Metzenbawn~' -holdi up a $650 million dam :urei;'till t.h4t earmarb about half ;that "IIIODe)' for repairs to dams ~ the Salt and Verde riven east ;of PliOiiiix.. - -, - -- ,u : ".I'ln for that bill." Metzenbaum -1oIiI 'I'M Pbodiz Gazette in an ;Interview .t his Senate offioe. "I ~ that bill to paaa. " : But Metzenbaum .....ta the hen- ~ of those ...pain to ahare in ~coat. ' :'I'he IegiaJatioo providea money -to add 70 feet to the beight of ~elt Dam and repair five :Clher dams along the Salt and :Yerdariven. : . The benerw:iariee of thooe dams 'are virtually every ....ts user in the 'Valley of the Sun. So a Metzen- 'baum coat-abaring approach would mean higher water rates. t : 1'be Reagan administration, in a . 'COIltrovenial policy atatement in . 'January, concluded the federal goy. WDment _ respoaaible for the ;casta of repain to unaafe dama. As -Metunbaum -. it, that'a asking '},is Obio coast.ituenta to pay higher' taxes for a project that benefita :only the Phoenix area. ; To date, Metunbaum'a ofTenod 'one amendment permitting the :federal government to pick up the tab for the fmt $450 million, with 'benefICiaries paying the real. But 'opponents succeasfuJly argued that ig,as . first-<:ome, first-serve ap- 'proach that was eminently unfair. A Jltaff member Baid Metunbaum Wasn't rommitted to that particular itpproac:b. . but wanted to get the procesa of rompromise atarted. Diacussiona are under way be- :tween ataffers for Metunbaum and ~ Dennis DeConcin~ D-Ariz., on -the dam safety legislatiolL So far they've been unproductive. : "Before I came to the U.s. :Sen..te J probably ...sa typical of an .overWhelming majority of people in .the rountry," Mew.nbaum said. "We didn't know about federal water. projec:ta. We knew about . Hoover Dam, but we didn't know about the monetary aspects." Metzenbaum Baid he'a appalled that the Bonneville Power Adminis- . tzation'a customers in the North- ....t can endure 80 percent rate hikes and still enjoy rata hall the national average. Or that Hoover Dam's turbines generate power that is marketBd for about a 10th the national average price of electricity_ . "Some peOple are getti~ a free ride or are .t below . falf-lhare ride," Metsenbaum said. "When federal benefits are dispenaed, it ought to be based on need rather . . than greed. " He applauded a National Wild- life Federation report criticizing 3.3 percent interest rates on Centzal . Arizona Project financing. "T.bat'a juat ra...," he IBid, ahak- Metunbaum be~ the public power iasue is about to burst wide open, giving utilitiea throughout the country a abot at power prod~ by Hoover and other faderally financed dam..