Mark Alden Regent to focus on raising money for re-election campaign in 2006

Citing a need to raise money for his re-election campaign in 2006, Regent Mark Alden said he will resign from all Board of Regents committees as of January.

He said Wednesday he'll continue to serve at the full board meetings, which occur about every other month. All 13 regents attend and approve any major budget and policy decisions.

Alden, who had a heart attack this year and has often attended committee meetings in which he is not an official member, said he still plans to watch as many meetings as he can.

"I've got to have some time to go out and raise some money," he said.

Campaign consultants have recommended he raise $140,000 for the campaign, he said.

He plans to sit on committees again in an official capacity in July.

However, he also cited problems with fellow board members as a reason to drop out of the audit, budget and investment committees to which Regent Chairman Bret Whipple had assigned him.

"The problem is no matter what I say in these committee meetings -- and I do believe I have a wealth of experience -- nothing happens," he said.

For example, he said, he requested the amount spent by Nevada System of Higher Education officials on a technology consultant for a proposed computer system and did not obtain the documents for six months.

"I've been elected by the taxpayers to protect the taxpayers but I'm not allowed to protect the taxpayer," he said.

Regents are not required to serve on committees, but Craig Walton, president of the Nevada Center for Public Ethics questioned, "Why would anyone want to contribute to someone who is AWOL?"

Alden's District 4 spans the southeast portion of Clark County, including Las Vegas and Henderson.

"There is a whole district of men and women and children counting on him to speak their needs," Walton said.

Alden said he is very concerned about his constituents and was confident he left his committees in competent hands.

However, he said he thinks Whipple will replace him on committees with members of his "club." "He's really pushing for his club, so let his club serve," he said.

When asked who belonged to Whipple's club, he said, "All the usual suspects. I know it's not me or (Regents) Linda Howard or Steve Sisolak and (Howard) Rosenberg," he said.

Whipple said he was sorry to see Alden drop his name from the committees and hoped he'd come back.

He said he was surprised Alden would see him as favoring others, noting he'd appointed Sisolak as head of the budget committee, Howard as chair of the diversity committee and Rosenberg remained head of the academic affairs panel.

"I consider them all friends and I enjoy working with them," Whipple said.

He wants the three chairs of committees Alden left to recommend a replacement.

Sisolak said, "I'll appoint Mark. I'll try to get him back. He has a lot to offer."