Eugene Paslov: Young parents may look elsewhere for their children's future

I occasionally sit in the sun and enjoy the warmth. I'm overjoyed when my son brings his family and my 10-month-old granddaughter, Addie, to join me and her grandmother on the backyard deck. Addie has an infectious smile and can babble on for hours. Her blue eyes are alert and fun-filled. Her healthy, pudgy hands touch my face, and the touch is filled with hope, safety and trust. She knows her world is good. To me, Addie's babble makes more sense than many of the adults I have to deal with. We could all learn about the good life from my granddaughter.

But I worry about Addie's future. Her parents are already discouraged about their careers in Nevada.

My son would like to get a better job but that's becoming increasingly difficult. My daughter-in-law is working on her education to become a teacher but that too is becoming more difficult in Nevada, as well as more expensive. Both parents are discouraged about their ability to sell their home for even a modest profit, or to improve their education, or to find better jobs. And they worry about Addie's education. Nevada's schools have been hard-hit by the economic downturn and the schools are desperately trying to improve. The future of Nevada's public schools is cloudy.

Addie's parents are already talking about leaving Nevada. Her parents think they might have a better chance for the good life in Oregon, Washington or North Carolina. They believe the economies in those states are better; there are more job opportunities, better schools for their daughter, and better education and career opportunities for them. They are discouraged about Nevada.

There seems to be a growing number of young families like my son's who are actually leaving the state. There's been a population decline in Nevada for the first time in decades, and the K-12 school population is also in decline.

My wife and I have lived in Nevada for 25 years and we love the state and its people. But we know we can no longer wrap ourselves in a mantel of the past and rely completely on tourists, gambling and gold to grow our economy and develop our infrastructure. We must oppose decision-makers who are anti-tax, anti-government and anti-intellectual, and support political leaders who are thoughtful, creative, and visionary.

We hope this latter group of policymakers can also find ways for local, state and federal governments and business to work together for the benefit of Nevada and for the future of all of our grandchildren, including Addie.

• Eugene Paslov is a board member of the Davidson Academy at the University of Nevada, Reno and the former Nevada state superintendent of schools.