Column: Schools need repair work promised by bond

"Have you ever seen a candidate talking to a rich person on television? --Art Buchwald

After much thought and listening to many citizens for whom I have a lot of respect, I'm supporting the Carson City school bond.

There's no doubt in my mind that all of the repair and upgrading work specified in the bond prospectus needs to be done at specific school sites and hopefully will be done as promised.

In case you're wondering why I've been hesitant, it's because some time between the early 1980s and mid '90s, school bond money was spent for all kinds of things other than what was promised by bond proponents. That's the reason why the last school bond failed. This time I've been assured by school board member Bob Crowell and Karl Neathammer, fellow curmudgeon who tracks public money like a Sicilian Don keeps books on loans, that we citizens may be assured this bond money will be used only for the specific purposes for which it's being raised.

LAST LOOK AT POLITICAL RACES: If you're genuinely concerned with improving the many ills within our public education establishment, it's imperative that you vote Republican. Yes, what I'm suggesting is partisan. But why is "partisan" only a dirty word when the Republicans practice it?

We belong to a political party because that party generally represents our personal ideologies. And sadly, the Democrat ideology on education as demonstrated from 25 of the last 26 years with their control of the Assembly Education Committee is one of letting the teacher's union and the PTA (the teacher's union rubber stamp) block real education reforms.

Sure, they've thrown a few bones our way but only window dressing. The Democrats and the union don't support alternative education for non-college bound students, teacher competency testing, competition between schools to pursue excellence, teacher merit pay, school choice on a broad scale, or accountability to us taxpayers. And contrary to the smoke screen being offered by one of my critics, Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means don't make education policy. They allocate money. How do I know? Because in 1985 when I was Vice Chairman of Ways and Means, I also chaired the Committee on Higher Education Funding. We had nothing to do with education policy. All policy passes through the Assembly Education Committee.

The candidates for the Nevada State Assembly who are committed to reforming public education are Jeanne Simons in District 40 and Greg Brower in District 37. Simons has had years of fighting the PTA and the intransigent, do-nothing State Department of Education. And Brower serves on the Assembly Education Committee. You can't do better than these two.

Again, looking at the race for mayor, a lot has been said by me, and others, about Ray Masayko being a full-time mayor while his challenger is a full-time employee of the State of Nevada, who, if elected, would be mayor in his spare time.

But what bothers me even more, having been a legislator, are the loyalty conflicts which can and will arise when a mayor who is employed by both Carson City and the State of Nevada is faced with a legislative dispute between the state and the counties.

Will he abstain? Or will he fight for Carson City in conflict with his state bosses? Nobody can serve two masters. We've got four good years invested in Mayor Masayko. He's worked as hard as any mayor could. Let's capitalize on what he's learned.

In the race for the U.S. Senate, if you want an independent thinker who isn't tied to special interests like the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, the overwhelming choice is John Ensign.

Ensign is a true Nevadan who was educated here in Carson City in his earlier years, is a veterinarian and has already had two terms as a U.S. Congressman where he had the audacity to support tort reform legislation aimed at limiting frivolous lawsuits. His opponent makes his millions from more and bigger lawsuits. This is our opportunity to elect a guy who has always shown himself to be a man of impeccable personal integrity, John Ensign.

Concerning the presidential race, I find it impossible to divorce Al Gore from the sleaze of the present administration of which he is an integral part. And Gore's running mate, Joe Lieberman, is a hypocrite. He's changed his views on almost everything since becoming a vice presidential candidate.

George Dubya isn't a Rhodes scholar like Bill Clinton (thank God), but he's a team builder as he has effectively proven as the governor of Texas. And unlike Gore, he isn't a liftetime politician. George W. Bush is successful on both the public and private sides of the fence as is his running mate, Dick Cheney. That's the kind of team this nation needs to balance our resources with our hopes and dreams. I'm voting for Bush and Cheney.

Bob Thomas is a Carson City businessman, local curmudgeon and former member of the Carson City School Board and Nevada State Assembly.