Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Women showing more clout

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Oct. 31, 2002 | 8:26 a.m.

"You've come a long way, baby."

If memory serves me correctly, that was the slogan for Virginia Slims cigarettes.

But it could be the story of women in Nevada politics.

A glance at the sample ballot proves the point. Indeed, women have come a long way in the state.

The election has two women as leading candidates for a congressional seat, two women vying for lieutenant governor, an incumbent state controller seeking another term, dozens of women campaigning for the state legislature, others running for judicial positions, and so it goes.

The Clark County Commission, as it is constituted, is controlled by women, though that could change after Election Day.

Actually, women were not even allowed to vote in the state until 1914. But that is not to say they were not active in politics. They lobbied for suffrage and subjects vital to the welfare of women and children. Some did serve on school boards and as school trustees.

One of the most prominent female candidates was Anne Martin, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 1918 and 1920.

It wasn't until 1974 that another woman sought that office, Maya Miller. Mary Gojack tried again in 1980, but so far no woman has been elected to the U.S. Senate from Nevada.

The House of Representatives is another matter. The first Nevada woman to hold this position was Barbara Vucanovich, who served 16 years until her retirement.

In recent years woman have continued to move upward on the political scene, both locally and nationally.

Someday, and perhaps sooner than later, we could see a woman president.

Then it could truly be said, "You've come a long way, baby."

The bickering and squabbling among members of the state Board of Regents has a positive side, if you are looking for one.

Remember the days, not too long ago, when few ever heard of the Board of Regents and even fewer could list the names of the members? Seldom were meetings covered by the media.

The board operated in a void, its deliberations followed almost exclusively by educators.

Today it is quite a different story, as board members wrangle over everything from a new state college to personal issues involving individual members.

The public is now well-informed about the "high and low jinks" of the board.

The problem with growth is it can't catch up.

For as long as I can remember the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center has been overcrowded.

Sun reporter Ed Koch recently wrote of youths sleeping on floor mats because the facility's 235 beds were filled.

On a recent date, 252 youths 18 or younger were housed in the detention facility.

Like other problems -- traffic, water, utilities, public facilities -- the detention center cannot keep up with growth.

They call it progress.

"A sure sign of bureaucracy is when the first person who answers the phone can't help you."