What better way to celebrate Nevada Day than by voting

By Brian Greenspun (contact)

Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Now that we’ve celebrated Nevada’s 150th birthday, we can start planning our bicentennial!

And when I say we, in fact it probably won’t be us. Most of us will be too feeble — or worse — in 50 years, and it’s likely the big party in 2064 will be planned by today’s children or those not yet born.

And nothing could be more appropriate — because today’s children and those not yet born may be the first to experience a Nevada that shines academically and technologically.

Indeed, today’s Nevada, at the ripe age of 150, is truly on the brink of greatness. Our tourism and gaming industries have recovered from the Great Recession, our economy is back on track, and we’ve got good incubators to nurture technology. Tesla Motors is giving the state a big charge, and the development of Apex as a sprawling industrial park, even if it requires a big commitment of money and time, certainly will bring good fortune to North Las Vegas and the entire county.

So the stage is being set for amazing progress and diversification. All that remains is providing the labor force necessary to meet widely diverse job requirements, from Ph.D.s and researchers to engineers and technicians. New industry will generate top-shelf jobs that will require the best possible education, which in turn will help Nevada attract even more industry. We finally would be in an upward trajectory versus a downward spiral.

But to get there, we have to carefully elect politicians who share that vision and show the courage to get there. Our political leadership must acknowledge that education — both K-12 and higher ed — needs more resources to deliver us into the future we all want — and our children deserve.

The history of the Silver State is a story of leadership, visionaries and builders. For sure, there was a robber baron or two — or more — in the mix, but for the most part, we have gotten to where we are against impossible odds because we had an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with leaders who were willing to take risks.

We allowed ourselves to be convinced that low (or no) taxes were the only keys to success. But that philosophy backfires when low taxes come at the cost of education, health care and overall quality of life.

I would like to see Nevada lead the nation in the quality of our education at all levels, focusing on the STEM courses of science, technology, engineering and math. I would like to see a Nevada that leads in health care and job growth, and has matured beyond the political and economic jealousies of the past as it grows forward with an attitude that One Nevada is not just a slogan but who we really are. So what’s our first investment for our children? A simple one, but so important: Go to the polls to elect leaders who will value education as vital to our future. There is no greater agenda.

Let’s give our children — and their children — something to really celebrate the next time Nevada throws itself a big party.