Our opinion

Nevada politics hasn't been at a loss for providing entertainment for the Silver State citizenry.

The latest salvo in the Jim Rogers-Jim Gibbons war intensified this weekend when the chancellor, in an editorial column in the Nevada Appeal, ravaged Gov. Gibbons over the college system's budget " or lack thereof " for the next biennium.

Rogers, the self-made multimillionaire and owner of Sunbelt Communications, has been at odds with Gibbons before he even ran for governor in 2006. At that time, Rogers questioned Gibbons' ability to handle the job if elected. They reportedly mended their disagreements, but the feud resurfaced last year.

In September 2008, Rogers spoke at a luncheon and used sentences that contained both the words "Gibbons" and "idiot" at least 10 times. Nothing, apparently, has changed Rogers' mind about the governor.

In the Sunday editorial piece, Rogers came out guns blazing, accusing the governor of being a "greedy, uninterested, unengaged human being whose only, and I mean only, goal is see what Gibbons can do for himself and his greedy friends."

The governor now refuses to talk to Rogers and said he will communicate only through a liaison.

What's remarkable is how a university supposedly teaches students to think for themselves and use diplomacy to resolve disagreements. Both Rogers and Gibbons are thinkers, but the diplomacy factor has failed them miserably in trying to resolve this conflict.

State Sen. Bill Raggio said it best in a recent interview that the Democratic leadership in the Assembly and Senate needs to meet with the minority leaders like him to resolve issues.

Exactly!

Wouldn't it be a plus for Nevada if Rogers, Gibbons, the senior leadership of the Legislature and the Board of Regents could meet to work out both their personal and professional differences regarding funding Nevada's university system?

Until they do, the real losers in this battle will be the students and their parents " the ones who may be forced to balance the budgetary woes of higher education on their shoulders.