University Regent Ron Knecht inked an op-ed for the Nevada Appeal on today that blasts holes in a recent liberal think tank’s claims regarding higher ed funding in Nevada…
“A recent Brookings Institute study on economic growth in Nevada…was marred by a high-profile false claim it made that provided red meat for the statists who dominate academe and the mainstream media. Smash-mouth left-wing pundit Jon Ralston trumpeted gleefully Brookings’ claim that Nevada not only underfunds higher education, but is last among comparable states by a significant margin. The claim is a classic Big Lie. Nevada’s higher-education funding is in the mainstream and even high by some measures.”
Knecht went on to note that “Nevada higher-education regents, administrators and faculty are working to improve academic quality” in Nevada’s university system despite “challenges of a Great Recession caused mainly by public-sector excesses that Brookings, Ralston and other statists promote. Our efforts are hindered, not helped, by the Chicken Little squawks of ideologues and special interests.”
“Journalist”/political activist/ideologue Jon Ralston is guilty of a “big lie” to help advance the liberal agenda in Nevada? I’m shocked (not).