This time, it was Harry Reid who started it. After it was announced that Nevada would not receive any Race to the Top education grant funds, Reid quickly placed the blame at the feet of Gov. Jim Gibbons. Here’s what he said in a statement:
I join Nevada’s students and their parents in being disappointed with Governor Gibbons and his severe lack of leadership in education. While governors from other states were aggressively working to pass new reform laws and position their states to take advantage of these important funds, our governor was satisfied with only meeting the minimum requirement to file our application. His delay in addressing Nevada’s eligibility prevented the state from submitting an application for the first round of funding. Nearly each of the states named as finalists today were able to get important feedback on their proposals, which ultimately strengthened their second round effort.
I commend the work of the blue ribbon panel for doing so much with so little to put together the state’s proposal and develop a strong plan to reform education in Nevada. It’s unfortunate that their effort has to fall victim to the governor’s lack of leadership. I remain strongly supportive of Nevada’s education reform proposal and will continue working with state leaders to help implement these reforms and better position Nevada to take advantage of Race to the Top and other competitive, matching funds.
As you can well imagine, that didn’t sit well with Gibbons, whose office returned fire with a campaign-style news release of its own. The text:
Once again, Harry Reid has failed Nevada. Reid has never lifted a finger to help us while we applied for these special federal funds for education. Harry Reid was asleep at the switch again when the teachers, parents, children and families of Nevada needed his help.
Senator Reid often brags about the work he has done for Nevada, but his dismal track record tells a different story. Harry Reid failed to get our state adequate stimulus funds, Harry Reid continues to fail to help Nevada families during our time of high unemployment, Harry Reid continues to fail to help Nevada families climb out of the economic crisis, and Harry Reid continues to fail Nevada families by purposely avoiding any effort to assist the Nevada Education Reform Blue Ribbon Task Force. Harry Reid truly has lost touch with Nevada.
I want to apologize, on behalf of Harry Reid, to Nevada Education Reform Blue Ribbon Task Force Co-Chairs Elaine Wynn and Nevada State Higher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich. Harry Reid’s remarks are an insult to both of these fine leaders and to all the rest of the Task Force members who are working hard to improve education in Nevada.
Harry Reid spends so much energy genuflecting before the Obama administration and carrying out this administration’s policies that are destined for failure. Harry Reid should be fighting for Nevada, instead he is working in Washington DC as a “gopher” for the Obama Administration and has again turned his back on Nevada families.
This is just another example of why Nevadans cannot count on Harry Reid to represent them.
Quick question: If the Obama administration’s policies are destined for failure, and Race to the Top is one of the Obama administration’s policies, then isn’t Race to the Top destined for failure? And if so, why is Gibbons so angry about Reid’s alleged failure to help Nevada take advantage of a policy destined for failure? Just asking.
Who’s right, here? Well, Reid couldn’t really help Nevada with an application once the criteria for applying for funds was set. And it’s likely Nevada’s own education funding — never anywhere close to the middle, much less the top — played a role in this, as matching funds do in so many other cases. States have to spend money in order to get money, as we all know. Bottom line: The state could really have used this money, no matter who’s really at fault for failing to get it.
Tags: Harry Reid, Jim Gibbons
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