Gates eager to deliver speech at Democratic convention in L.A.

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Aug. 10, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates had planned to attend the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles next week, but she never dreamed she would be invited to speak.

Atkinson Gates, who is seeking her third term on the County Commission, received the prestigious invitation earlier this week from the office of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Despite the short notice, Atkinson Gates had no problem coming up with a subject or a pointed message: Presidential candidate George W. Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, don't care about education.

"Education has always been my passion," Atkinson Gates said. "When you look at what George Bush has done in terms of education in Texas, it sets a poor example. If he can't do it as governor, he damn sure can't do it as president."

She said teachers in Texas are inadequately paid and students aren't learning. Cheney, she said, voted against programs that provided funding for preschool to lower income families.

Atkinson Gates said Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic presidential candidate, and his vice presidential choice, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, have made education a priority.

"To make sure our children have a future, we need to make sure they are properly educated," she said. "Gore and Lieberman are the best people to lead us."

Atkinson Gates, who was also appointed by Gore's camp to be a convention floor whip, does not know when she is scheduled to speak.

"Just the fact that I'm speaking at the National Democratic Convention is pretty significant and pretty important," she said, adding that she believes she is the first Clark County commissioner to be invited to speak. "I'm honored to share the stage with the next president of the United States."