Vegas Voice - A Clear Contrast

A Clear Contrast (Vegas Voice, September 2006)

By the time you read this column, "Team Titus" will already be past the celebration of a tremendous, hard-fought victory in the primary, and will have moved into the next phase of our campaign on behalf of all Nevadans.
The general election campaign will present a clear and stark contrast between the candidates. You will have a full opportunity to judge who will best serve your interests in the critical areas that matter most as you choose the next governor of Nevada.

Much has been made of the fact that, through the Washington establishment, Congressman Gibbons has amassed a large campaign war chest to fund an anticipated mountain of advertising. Some have even called it "scary." What is truly scary is the lack of faith that statement shows in you, the voters. I've found during my many years of service in our state that Nevada's voters are much too smart to fall for the rhetoric that war chest will buy. For Nevadans, a real record matters much more than any amount of rhetoric - and performance matters more than promises.

While I have been on the front line, fighting for Nevadans in the legislature since 1989, my opponent has been warming the back-benches in Washington. I have authored or sponsored numerous laws to address the issues affecting all Nevadans - to fight crime, increase access to affordable health care and control property taxes, to name just a few. The congressman has been out of touch with Nevada's issues, and amassed a dismal record on the issues that matter. Consider these examples:

Readers of this column know that I have consistently supported smaller classes in our schools and pushed for all-day kindergarten. The congressman, by contrast, supported "No Child Left Behind" without adequate funding for local school districts and voted against class-size reduction and mandatory kindergarten while he was in the Nevada Legislature.

I have advanced renewable energy as an affordable alternative to high-priced utility rates and as governor will appoint a tough Public Utilities Commission to prevent price gouging. The congressman voted to hand out $8 billion in tax breaks to big energy companies while opposing funding to help lower-income families with their utility bills.

I have championed ethics reform in the Nevada Legislature and as governor will institute a 12-point plan for ethics reform, including elimination of "pay to play" by developers at the local government level. The congressman voted to weaken ethics rules in the House of Representatives that were used to admonish his former Republican master in the House, Tom DeLay, and voted against a special panel to recommend measures restoring public confidence in the House of Representatives.

I have promoted legislation to make it easier for seniors to obtain less expensive mail-order prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies, while the congressman opposed a measure to allow importation of Canadian prescription drugs.

And while I have fought on behalf of all Nevadans to protect the Red Rock National Conservation Area and other natural state treasures, the congressman just last year received a zero rating from the League of Conservation voters and claimed that the threat of mercury contamination in our rivers and streams was "overblown".

While the record speaks for itself, in order to make a truly informed choice in November, Nevadans also deserve the chance to hear from both candidates, side by side, discussing the issues that matter most to you. With only weeks before the general election, this dialogue needs to begin as soon as possible. The day after the primary election, I proposed a series of debates to congressman Gibbons. And while the congressman evaded such forums until the eleventh hour of his primary race, I am hopeful that by the time you read this column, he will have agreed that this time, Nevadans deserve better.

I look forward to a lively and spirited campaign, and encourage you to stay engaged in this historic election. I hope you will visit my website, www.dinatitus.com to learn more about my plan for change in Nevada. I would be honored to have your support and your vote on November 7.

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