Transcript from "Five Minutes with Flora" regarding education funding, 1964

PAUL LAXALT TESTIMONIAL MARTIN: FLORA, AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE PAST TWO SESSIONS, YOU'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MONEY THAT'S NECESSARY TO GIVE NEVADA CHILDREN A QUALITY EDUCATION. NOW WHAT'S BUGGING YOU ON THIS SUBJECT? FLORA: MARTIN, I DON'T THINK THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN IS FAIR POLITICAL GAME, BUT IT'S BEEN INJECTED INTO THIS CAMPAIGN AND I DON'T LIKE IT. THE OTHER DAY, THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE, OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, PAUL LAXALT, CHARGED THAT SENATOR HOWARD CANNON WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO LEGISLATION IMPORTANT TO EDUCATION. THAT GOT MY DANDER UP. A MARTIN: AND WHEN YOU GET YOUR DANDER UP, IT MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. TELL US MORE. FLORA: EVER SINCE SENATOR CANNON HAS BEEN IN WASHINGTON, I'VE FOLLOWED HIS RECORD - PARTICULARLY ON EDUCATION, WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE TO MY HEART. I'VE FREQUENTLY QUOTED A STATEMENT OF THE SENATOR'S THAT REALLY HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE RUSSIANS HAD PUT THEIR FIRST MAN INTO OUTER SPACE. SENATOR CANNON SAID: fee 2 "I CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER WHETHER THAT FIRST MAN IN ORBIT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AN AMERICAN IF WE'D CARED ENOUGH TO EDUCATE THE WORTHY SON OF THE POOREST AND MOST HUMBLE FAMILY IN AMERICA.'1 SENATOR CANNON/ A- RECORD, AID' TO COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL BRING A LOT OF MONEY INTO NEVADA IN THE NEXT YEAR. HE WAS BEHIND A VOCATIONAL educa?t e TION PROGRAM THAT IS SO CRITICALLY NEEDED IN OUR STATE Tggl'aEEEpj TRAIN SCHOOL DROP-OUTS AND UNSKILLED WORKERS. HE BACKED LEGISLATION FOR LOANS TO NEEDY COLLEGE STUDENTS AND MONEY FOR LIBRARY PROGRAMS. HE BILL THAT GAVE NEVADA ALMOST $11,500,000 OF SURPLUS FEDERAL PROPERTY FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IN ADDITION, SENATOR CANNON SPONSORED LEGISLATION TO GRANT AN ADDITIONAL TAX DEDUCTION TO PARENTS OF , AND A WORK-STUDY PROGRAM FOR NEEDY STUDENTS. MARTIN: WHAT ABOUT MR. LAXALT'S RECORD ON EDUCATION? \ A FLORA: I'D LIKE TO DEBATE THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ON THIS, BUT I'M SURE HE TOO BUSY MIS-STATING THE FACTS TO SIT DOWN AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM SOMEONE WHO WATCHED HIM OPERATE IN THE NEVADA LEGISLATURE. YOU KNOW, PAUL LAXALT IS THE HEAD OF THE NEVADA REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR STATE SENATE. THERE ARE NINE REPUBLICANS^ AND 3 EIGHT DEMOCRATIC SENATORS. LAST JANUARY, WE WERE CALLED INTO SPECIAL SESSION TO PROVIDE MORE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS. SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE IN SUCH BAD SHAPE, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLOSE DOWN IF THEY HADN'T GOTTEN MORE MONEY. BUT WE FOUND OUR EDUCATION BILLS IN THE MIDDLE OF A POLITICAL FIGHT. THE REPUBLICANS - LED BY PAUL LAXALT - WERE AFRAID THAT THEY MIGHT DO SOME?THING TO MAKE OUR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR - GRANT SAWYER - LOOK GOOD. SO MR. LAXALT GOT HIS CREW TOGETHER AND MADE THEM PLEDGE THEMSELVES AGAINST THE LEGISLATION. MARTIN: HOW DID YOU GET THE MONEY, THEN? FLORA: MARTIN, THE ONLY TROUBLE WITH MR. LAXALT?S STRATEGY WAS THAT ONE OF HIS REPUBLICAN SENATORS - MYf FRIEND, CHARLIE GALLAGHER OF WHITE PINE COUNTY, HAD TROUBLES TOO, AND HE?S UP FOR REELECTION THIS YEAR. MR. GALLAGHER COULDN?T POSSIBLY BE REELECTED IF HE?D GONE HOME WITHOUT THE MONEY TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN IN ELY. SOME OF US KNEW THIS, AND WE HELD FIRM UNTIL MR. GALLAGHER COULDN?T STAND THE PRESSURE ANY LONGER, AND PAUL LAXALT COULDN?T HOLD A HIM Utk THE REFUBLIGAN ( CONSPIRACY. YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATE SENATE CONTROLLED BY NINE REPUBLICANS AGAINST THE EIGHT DEMOCRATS, IF THE REPUBLICANS LOSE ONE SEAT, THEY LOSE THAT CONTROL. 4 SO MR. LAXALT AND THE OTHERS FINALLY HAD TO GIVE IN ON THE SCHOOL MONEY OR THEY WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE SENATE ANYWAY. AND LET ME ADD THIS NOTE. AFTER THE REPUBLICAN SENATE BLOC FAILED TO SIDE?TRACK OUR SCHOOL FUNDS, MR. LAXALT TOOK CREDIT FOR GETTING THE BILL PASSED. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PARENTS KNOW THIS, BUT WE WHO WERE IN THE LEGISLATURE WERE PRETTY DISGUSTED WITH THE WHOLE SHOW. THIS IS W K RECORD OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION 01?- LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. AND HE NOW WANTS TO BE OUR UNITED STATES SENATOR. IT REMINDS ME OF THE REMARK MADE BY HIS POLITICAL PATRON, SENATOR GOLDWATER, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. HE SAID THAT CHILDREN HAVE NO RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION; THAT THEY GET ? er vj T o H f> 6" ALONG FINE WITHOUT IT. ? MR. LAXALT MIGHT BE A PERSONABLE YOUNG MAN WHO HAS A CHARMING WORD FOR YOU PARENTS - PARTICULARLY THE LADIES - BUT I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT HIM BEFORE YOU BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS. SENATOR CANNON HAS PROVED THAT HE IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF EDUCATION. LAXALT HAS PROVED THAT HE IS NOT. I DON?T WANT HIM IN AN OFFICE WHERE HE CAN DO MORE HARM. I HOPE YOU DON'T, EITHER 5 MARTIN: THIS HAS BEEN "FIVE MINUTES WITH FLORA." YOU HAVE BEEN VIEWING ASSEMBLY* MAN FLORA DUNGAN SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON EDUCATION IN THE PRESENT SENATE CAMPAIGN. m C~ f. \ 'fi te. i ...B C T