Actions We Can Take Right Now in Tennessee

Tennessee's 81st State House District (Haywood & Tipton Counties) has been no stranger to the struggles of the economic hardships faced these last two years. We have over 15% unemployment in the District, plants have shut down, and jobs are just plain hard to come by. I can remember in 1981 being laid off from a small oil company that went under in a recession much worse than even the one we are experiencing right now. National unemployment peaked around 12% (nearly 20% where I lived), inflation was double-digit, and good credit would land you a 20% mortgage if you were lucky.

We need our state and national government to recognize that businesses are just reluctant to expand and hire when the economic future is in question, taxes are too high and regulations choke the life out of free enterprise. I have been asked in these tough times what would I recommend we do if elected to the Tennessee State House. I'd start with these two actions:

1) Create a team of business, community and government experts, and give them 6 months to identify all state functions that do not protect life, sustain or create jobs, really educate our children, preserve liberty, and ensure that our property rights are respected. Their job would be to identify which state agencies and programs could be reduced, consolidated or eliminated, and then the Legislature would take immediate action on their recommendations.

2) Use the Texas model for a part-time state legislature - meet once every other year for about 6 months. Think of the reduced salaries, $185/day living and other expenses we could eliminate by having the legislature meet only once every two years. Budgets would be for 2-years, which would bring stability for business and government at all levels in the state. Finally, think how much better off we'd be with the Legislature meeting only half a much!

As for jobs, let's require the State to buy, if available, only goods and services from Tennessee businesses as long as cost and quality is equivalent. We make refrigeration equipment, food, water hoses and many other items in District 81, and our state agencies should be using our tax dollars right here in Tennessee.

Let's provide vocational training in high school to ensure those not college-bound are ready to work--this will attract industries! Let's help the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in recruiting business and industry to Tennessee by improving education, reducing tax burdens, eliminating non-value added regulations, and putting a stop to the abusive litigation and workers comp system that drives many businesses away and keeps many from coming.

In the mean time, as I was saying about being laid off in 1981 when the recession was worse, instead of unemployment I took any work that I could find, including being a garbage collector and working fast food. All of my co-workers laid off went to unemployment first. Jobs are there, just not always what we want or at the pay we desire. I encourage all of those laid off to make sure you have a clean appearance, and be willing to take anything until the right job does come along---and it will.

God Bless you all in these hard times!