Titus criticizes Gibbons, urges legislators to take stimulus funds

CARSON CITY -- Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., a longtime state legislative leader before winning her U.S. House seat last year, said Wednesday that state lawmakers should take all the federal stimulus funds they can get to ensure that essential services aren't wiped out.

"I beseech you not to leave any of that money on the table, because if you do, that money will just go to other states, and Nevadans need it drastically," said Titus, who served for 15 years as state Senate minority leader.

"This isn't a liberal or a conservative issue, this isn't a partisan issue, this is a Nevada issue, and those dollars need to come to the state for those needed programs."

Titus, who lost a race for governor in 2006 to Republican Jim Gibbons, told reporters after her speech that she's concerned about Gibbons' "inconsistent message" on taking all of the $1.5 billion in stimulus funds.

"That's my main problem with the governor right now, not taking advantage of the federal dollars," she said. "He didn't want to take the unemployment money, he didn't know if he was going to support a waiver or not.

"He's saying we shouldn't be spending so much money at the federal level with one side of his mouth, and on the other side he's saying, 'Give me all you can and I want to talk to the president about it.' It's just an inconsistent message and not one I think is very helpful."

Last month, Gibbons criticized Titus and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., for saying it would be foolish for Nevada to turn down unemployment money that's part of the stimulus package. He said they "need to stop being led around by lobbyists and put the interests of Nevada citizens first."

Titus said Wednesday: "That's not my reputation in Nevada, and it's not going to change now that I'm in Washington. Besides, if anybody puts any credence in what the governor says, they might be misdirected."

Asked whether she missed being in a leadership post in the state Legislature -- which may pass a major tax increase next month to help close a huge state revenue shortfall -- Titus said, "Not for a second."