...Specifically, Harry Reid has presided over one of the biggest corporate welfare heists in this country's history -- it turns out that the mining industry has stolen $400+ billion of taxpayer dollars without ever having to pay for restoring federal lands that they had gutted after they were done mining the lands.And in a blatant conflict of interest, it turns out that Harry Reid owns several such defunct mining companies and his sons have financial interests in several others. In other words, Harry Reid is not working for the common good. He is in it for the benefit of himself. Coal, oil, and gas companies, as the article notes, have to kick back anywhere from 8 to 17% of their revenues back to the government annually. But thanks to Harry Reid and his cronies, the mining industry doesn't have to kick back any.
Minerals Mined on Federal Land Spared Taxes, Aided by Senator Reid 2011
...But Reid's ties to mining run deeper than his sentimental connection to his rough-and-tumble origins. His sons Rory and Leif work for law firms that represent mining companies. Since 1999, his son-in-law, Steven Barringer, has earned as much as $3.7 million lobbying for mining interests including Barrick Gold, though he does not lobby Reid directly.
Reid's natural resources staffer, Neil Kornze, is the son of a geologist who discovered Barrick's Betze deposit outside Elko. Since 1994, mining interests have donated more than $269,000 to Reid, including at least $82,000 from Barrick and its employees