Governor Phil Bredesen came to town last Tuesday to meet and greet the citizens of Macon County.
A reception was held at Macon County Jr. High School in Lafayette where Governor Bredesen spoke about current political issues.
Governor Bredesen praised Macon County for achieving a 3-Star status and promoting the Imagination Library. He commented on the 278th soldiers from Macon County and efforts from the county to aid the recent Hurricane victims. He said, “All these things are a testament to the county. Thank you for all you do.”
Bredesen spoke about the current balanced budget in Tennessee and how the state was operating with its finances in good condition. He then shifted to the current situation of Tenn Care cuts. He said, “The state of Tennessee could no longer afford Tenn Care. The state must establish a safety net which includes cutting Tenn Care.”
When ask about his accomplishments during his administration and what his future plans were, the governor replied, “Having the state’s budget under control has allowed us to put money into education and promote job development. All these things are possible because we have Tenn Care under control. Health coverage is important, but so is education, industry, and other programs. Anywhere you go there’s going to be concerns about Tenn Care, it’s one of those situations where there are no easy solutions. It’s not perfect, but we’re trying to adjust as much as possible.” We have had the richest health care coverage in the nation for over a decade. We’ve got to put some money in some traditional programs including nutrition.” He also said expanding Tennessee’s pre-kindergarten program as part of a statewide initiative and launching Tennessee’s war on methamphetamine abuse were accomplishments.
When ask about alleviating overcrowding in schools he responded, ”There are different situations in different communities, I do think investing in education is the most important investment we can make.”
He concluded by saying “Life is gonna be good in the decades ahead and the economy is changing. I love my job and feel like my life has been spent training for it. Thank you!”
Before serving as Tennessee’s governor, Bredesen built a reputation for effective leadership as the mayor of Nashville from 1991 to 1999, charting a course that made Music City U.S.A. one of the best places in America to live, work and raise a family. Among other accomplishments, he invested nearly $500 million to build new schools and hire new teachers. He developed a state-of-the-art library system, oversaw downtown redevelopment, expanded the city’s park system and drove down the crime rate. Under his leadership, Nashville saw record economic growth by recruiting high-quality jobs and companies such as Dell Computer Corp. and HCA Inc. Bredesen also brought two professional sports teams to Nashville: the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
County Mayor, Glen H. Donoho said, “Having the governor visit was an honor. It will help Macon County in the future and Macon County will benefit from the visit down the road.”
Following the public reception, the governor, city council members, county commissioners and other dignitaries attended a ham supper in Red Boiling Springs. Bredesen said he grew up in a small rural area and enjoyed visiting and seeing the the strength in these communities where people could live, work and raise a family.
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