Faculty, support one of our own, Dina Titus for Congress

We all know how hard it is to get people outside education to understand what we do, and why it is valuable. So many elected officials, especially in Nevada, don't consider quality, affordable higher education to be a priority. Some candidates are even on record saying teaching isn't a "real job."

It’s rare to be able to support a candidate who understands, values, and champions the work we do and the contributions we make. That’s why I'm writing to ask you to support our colleague and fellow NFA member, Dina Titus, in her campaign for Congress.

So please join your colleagues from UNLV, CSN and NSC at a party hosted by the Nevada Faculty Alliance, to support Dina Titus in her fight to go back to Congress for us. The event will be Thursday September 9 from 4:00 to 6:00 at a private home near UNLV; for details, to rsvp and to contribute, please go here or email MNNaft@gmail.com or unlvfaculty@gmail.com.

Dina is one of the only full-time academic faculty in the Congress, and we can't afford to lose a voice in Congress that really understands, appreciates and champions what we do. She's counting on us so we can rely on her to represent us.

It hasn't gotten much press but Dina's been an effective member of the Eduction Committee in Congress, helping pass a major overhaul of student aid that ended 40 years of subsidies to corporate banks that issue government-guaranteed student loans. Due to this bill, that money will instead go where it was always intended to go -- students, in the form of Pell Grants and low-interest loans, rather than to bank profits. And she helped pass the portion of the stimulus bill that invested in state education budgets; here in Nevada, that money saved at least 1400 jobs in the Nevada System of Higher Education. Without that kind of leadership, the current budget crisis would be much much worse.

By contrast, her opponent in this year's election has no proposals for improving higher education other than abolishing all federal Department of Education aid. He attacks Dina for not holding a "real job." We can't afford to lose Dina's thoughtful approach to education policy and have it replaced by someone like that.

It’s going to be one of the closest races in the country, and its going to come down to whether Dina can get the word, and the vote, out this fall. To do that, she needs our support now. Many of you may have supported her campaign already, but this is a chance to show not only her but all candidates in Nevada that higher education faculty are paying attention to who our friends are and who thinks we don't have a "real job."

So please join us on September 9 to support one of our own. Go to http://www.tinyurl.com/Dina2010 or email MNaft@gmail.com or unlvfaculty@gmail.com to rsvp.