Editorial: Who needs details?

Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007 | 7:30 a.m.

P erhaps the most telling thing to come out of the past week following Gov. Jim Gibbons' State of the State address was that the governor's office could provide only one solid detail about his administration's plans:

First lady Dawn Gibbons, according to a press release, will be wearing a "Bordeaux velvet gown, designed by Giorgio Armani," to the Inaugural Balls in Reno and Las Vegas.

That was the first official word from the governor's office after the speech - to tell Nevadans that her gown "is strapless and has organza detail around the bust line with a matching velvet jacket highlighted in white silk satin and pleated collar."

On a topic Nevadans don't care about, we get way too much information, yet on the issues Gibbons covered in his speech, his office is silent. When does this start making sense?

Gibbons, who ran a campaign of platitudes, promised innovation and "new and bold" ideas in his State of the State speech, yet so far he has just delivered more platitudes - school choice, empowerment, bold and decisive leadership. He left the state with a dearth of specifics, the ingredients of sound public policy.

Gibbons said Nevada needed "more innovation," but his proposals are folly:

Instead of following his speech with specifics, Gibbons and his staff clammed up - no press conference, no details. Instead, the governor went in search of information, attending a session Wednesday to "learn" about empowerment schools because, he said, he only has a "peripheral knowledge" of them.

This is the worst start of any governor in recent history, and does not bode well for the innovations the governor says the state needs - unless an Armani gown counts. We just hope the Legislature can pick up the slack and chart the proper course for the state since the governor is failing to do so.