I am the most common of commoners. I have no friends in high places. I have no voice. But one time, unbelievable as it was, someone took up my cause and stood up for me. Little me. Harry Reid has done more for Nevada than any politician has ever done. And he did it with cunning, intelligence and perseverance. Nuclear waste? Not in Nevada. Political purgatory? Not Nevada. Not anymore.

But enough about Harry. What about my issue. I am a casino worker and have been for longer than I care to remember or disclose. Suffice it to say, it’s been a long, lonely journey. Tip earners. Prior to the 1980s, the primary source of funding for casino building was the Teamsters Union. And the mob. Of course, to elevate from the Cosa Nostra stigma, the town had to clean its image. Howard Hughes didn’t do much cleaning, but what he did was to wrench some control of the city away from the mob. That crack in the armor was the opening for legitimate corporations to venture in and establish economic ties with major banks for funding. Thus a new chapter. Some bargains were made and the casino workers were delivered up to the IRS for unfettered scrutiny. All a continuation of cleaning the image. When the IRS swept in, it was a strong arm, no holds barred message of comply or else. We were made to feel like criminals and the assessed debts the IRS calculated that we owed was in the thousands of dollars. In a town where workers get a cash envelope at the end of the work day, saving for a rainy day wasn’t top of mind.

I was scared when I got the bill in excess of $25,000. With penalties and interest, I could never get out from under it. I decided to enlist the help of one of my political representatives. I wrote to Harry Reid and begged for his help. To my surprise, Harry Reid responded. And he offered assistance. When I met with the IRS agent, the tone was not threatening but was instead quite accommodating. He mentioned the intervention by Senator Reid’s office on my behalf. I was able to secure some relief and peace of mind, which if you have ever had occasion to be called to a reckoning with the IRS, is monumentally soothing.

I never met Harry Reid. I never spoke with him. But the willingness he showed to help a constituent in a time of great crisis was apparently normal operating procedure for him. Watching the eulogy, it was clear to me that Harry Reid was a special human being who happened to be a major political force. Naming an airport for him seems like a small gesture in relation to the size of his heart.

Harry Reid made things happen. He had a talent for politics that will never be equaled. He has been referred to as having been the guardian of the Senate and there is no greater need than now for such guardianship. As we witness the antics that are now our political reality, we are forced to realize that no one cared more deeply for democracy and the selfless duty to defend it, than Harry Reid.