Proposed state college is big part of race

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000 | 9:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The proposed creation of a state college in Henderson is a major issue for candidates in the Board of Regents elections.

The board oversees the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Mark Alden, seeking a second term for the nonpartisan office, has supported the college. Wallace Best of Boulder City, one of three challengers to Alden, says if elected he would work to sink the state college. And Jim Ratigan of Henderson backs the college but questions the size of its first two buildings.

Those three and Juana Leia Jordan of Las Vegas are in the Sept. 5 primary election, with the top two finishers going into the general election for Subdistrict D.

The Henderson State College is one of several issues confronting the Board of Regents, which has been wracked by infighting in the past year. Richard Jarvis, the chancellor of the system, left in controversy. There have been two interim chancellors.

Computers loaned to nonprofit agencies by the Community College of Southern Nevada have become a source of complaints. Interim Chancellor Jane Nichols is conducting an administrative investigation of other allegations. And she has called in the state attorney general's office to look into possible criminal violations at the community college.

The Fire Training Academy in Carlin, operated by the University of Nevada, Reno, has shut down some of its courses due to environmental problems, and the system has already lost more than $1 million on the operation.

And the system is welcoming its first group of "Millennium Scholarship" students, which could mean the highest enrollment jump in recent years.

Subdistrict D is the only regent race in the primary election. In the general election, incumbent Subdistrict A Regent David Phillips of Las Vegas faces Linda Howard in a rematch of six years ago, when Phillips won 6,834 to 6,303.

Alden, a certified public accountant, says he wants to see more accountability of tax dollars spent. At the August meeting of the board, the 56-year-old Alden said the system has "to draw the line in the sand" in controlling spending and opposed any pay raises for university and college presidents.

But he favors cost-of-living increases for professional and staff employees. The regents did not include any money in their proposed budget for these raises, but are supporting a 3 percent increase for faculty and staff. He also backs programs that turn out more schoolteachers and nurses.

He wants more partnerships with the public schools, especially in the sharing of classroom and other space. And he wants to continue the teacher education initiative.

He gained his college degree from UNR in 1971. He received the outstanding service award in 1975 from the University of Nevada Alumni Association, was named an honoree by Hispanics in Politics in 1996 and was an "outstanding member" at the Henderson Boys & Girls Club in 1995-96.

Best, 73, of Boulder City, says he backed Alden six years ago but has soured on him since because of his support of Richard Moore as president of the Henderson State College.

"My primary objective in 2001 is to torpedo the Moore college. I don't think he (Moore) can get (Gov.) Kenny Guinn to give him $40 million. But he has eight regents in his pocket."

Best complained backers of the Henderson college pledged to raise $100 million in private money. But now they want $40 million in state money for the first two buildings on campus.

Best taught 45 years at a variety of universities including USC, Harvard, and Florida Atlantic on such topics as public administration and political science. He gained his bachelor's degree at Occidental College in California and a master's and doctorate at USC in political science.

His second objective is to bring "accountability and cost effectiveness" to the system. "They are not getting the best bang for their buck," said Best, who added he has served as an auditor over various programs at some schools. In the past, he said, he's been successful in getting grants and government contracts for the schools he's worked for.

Ratigan has been tracking Alden. He has attended five of the last six meetings of the regents and intends to continue to get familiar with the issues and the voting patterns. All too often, he says, there's been mismanagement in the university system but nobody ever gets taken to task. "There's no penalty," and that seems to be the "pervasive culture" on the board, he said.

The 47-year-old Ratigan says he was "taken aback" with the statement of Richard Moore that he could not get along with smaller buildings to start the Henderson campus. Private businesses start small and expand, he said. He backs the college as long as it doesn't mean a raise in taxes and doesn't drain money from the other campuses.

"My opponent (Alden) says he would not support state money for bricks and mortar" at Henderson. But Alden voted for $43.5 million in state funds for the building, Ratigan said. He said he knew all along that some state funds would be needed to get the college going.

Ratigan is managing partner of a computer network and consulting firm in Las Vegas and is president of a software development company.

His platform includes strategic planning for higher education and increased use of technology. He would like to see an interchange of technology among the campuses.

Ratigan graduated in 1978 from UNLV with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is past president of the UNLV Alumni Association.

He was named as the distinguished alumnus for the UNLV College of Business and Economics in 1994 and 1996. He has also served as a member of the state's Information Technology Advisory Board and has lived in Las Vegas for 30 years.

Jordan did not respond to a Sun questionnaire and could not be reached by telephone.