Regents name building after Raggio

Monday, Oct. 22, 2001 | 8:32 a.m.

FALLON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is gaining quite a presence in the University and Community College System of Nevada.

The regents voted Friday to name the College of Education building at the University of Nevada, Reno after Raggio. He already has his name on a science and tech center at the Reno campus, on a high-tech center at the Community College of Southern Nevada and on a parkway near the Desert Research Institute in Reno.

Reno President John Lilly said Raggio's leadership helped in the financing and building four to five buildings on each campus.

The regents also voted to name the new library and student center at Western Nevada Community College in Carson City to honor ranking Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington. Dini also was praised for his efforts in helping the university system.

Objections were raised by Las Vegas Regents Linda Howard and Mark Alden.

"I'm really against naming buildings after someone that is still alive and in office," Howard said, adding that there were other legislators who were deserving of the honor.

Alden praised both Raggio and Dini but said it was bad public policy to name buildings after people in public office. He called it "a form of pandering."

The building naming negates the efforts of the other 61 people in the Legislature, Alden said.