Gubernatorial candidate Bob Beers stumps in Fallon

epublican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beers focused on the state of the Clark County School District when he spoke to the Lahontan Valley Republican Women during a luncheon on Wednesday.

Beers, a state senator from Las Vegas, said the Clark County School District, the nation's fifth-largest school district with 285,000 students, differs greatly from the state of education in Northern Nevada.

He cited poor performance, seniors unable to pass high school proficiency exams and too many administrators as characteristics of the Clark County School District.

Beers proposed breaking up the large district into several smaller districts to create competition. He also would like to see school district administrators teach in a classroom at least one day a year.

Beers said his priorities for the state of Nevada rank K-12 education first, public safely second, higher education third and social services and welfare as fourth. He said basic education is something government can provide as a way to break the poverty cycle.

He spoke highly of a Northern Nevada shop teacher who implemented vocational classes at a school in Reno. When the vocational funding was cut, the teacher chose to move to another community and teach shop rather than teach history. Beers admired the teacher's commitment to vocational education.

"When you have an enthusiastic teacher, it's seriously contagious."

The other issue Beers addressed was his Tax And Spend Control initiative, or TASK. According to his Web site, Beers is the "father" of the TASC amendment, which limits government spending increases to the percentage of population growth plus inflation, unless voters approve the additional increase. He said his initiative wasn't passed during the last legislative session, so he will now pursue a TASC state constitutional amendment.

When asked how he would address the methamphetamine problem, he said he's "hopeful the pendulum will swing back" and the drug will fall out of fashion. He said drug laws need to be enforced and more effort put into substance abuse education.

Of illegal immigration, he said, "Congress failing to deal with the problem." He believes the solution is a resolution through federal acts.

He said he would address illegal immigration in Nevada with three measures. The first would be to make English the sole language for state documents.

Secondly, he said immigrant elementary students should be fully immersed in classrooms, which would teach them English within a year. Older students would receive intensive language assistance with a push toward citizenship education.

Lastly, he would restrict social services to legal citizens only. Offering social services to illegal immigrants devalues citizenship, according to his Web site.

He concluded his presentation by saying as time goes by, voters will see more contract in the candidates.

Christy Lattin can be contacted at clattin@lahontanvalleynews.com