Herron Brings Jobs Tour to Carroll County

By Joel Washburn

washburn@mckenziebanner.com

 

HUNTINGDON (April 2) State Senator Roy Herron (D-Dresden) brought his Jobs Tour to Carroll County on Good Friday.

 

Meeting with government officials and small business owners at the FirstBank Activities Building in Huntingdon, Herron said the nation has become an urban-based economy and rural areas all across the nation and world have witnessed economic declines. Carroll County’s unemployment rate is 18.7%, according to January 2010 figures from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

 

Herron said that rate is the eighth highest in the state. Lauderdale and Haywood counties in West Tennessee are higher.

 

Unemployed, underemployed, and discouraged unemployed are one in five persons in the county, said Herron.

 

The congressional candidate said, “Families and business owners all across the 8th District are hurting. It’s time Washington focused on jobs instead of bailing out Wall Street.”

 

He said there is hope because there is no place with better people; there are tremendous educational opportunities at Bethel University, UT-Martin, Jackson State Community College, Lane, Lambuth, Union University, and the Technology School at McKenzie, Paris, and Jackson; the fourlane highway system in the area provides great transportation to all markets. Carroll County is a crossroads on the four-lane highway system. He said the proposed deep-water Cate Landing in Lake County, the megasite in Haywood County, and the four-lane roads from McKenzie to Clarksville provide great opportunities for the area.

 

Manufacturing jobs pay approximately three times what retail jobs pay, said Herron, who noted the importance of attracting manufacturing to the area.

 

Herron said Tennessee’s education reform program was recently lauded when the state was one of two to receive Race to the Top federal funding. The educational direction was established during the McWherter administration when the Sanders Model was adopted for evaluating. Commissioner Charles Smith and Deputy Commissioner Brad Hurley helped establish the policies. Those plans are now paying off for Tennessee, said Herron.

 

Tennessee’s business climate is rated in the top five in the nation because of good transportation systems, low taxes, and support for industry.

 

Herron said, unfortunately, the state is suffering from a downtick in revenues and some programs are being reduced to balance the budget. The nation’s budget should also be more fiscally prudent.

 

“This nation is facing its greatest challenge since WWII. If the nation’s budget is not balanced, the country could be turned “upside down.”

 

The congressional candidate said a huge part of deficit reduction is putting people back to work.

 

Dr. Lee Carter questioned if Herron will help clean-up the recently approved health care reform. Carter said the bill offers some very good things, but other elements are bad.

 

Herron said there is talk to repeal, however, even Senator Bob Corker, R-Chattanooga, realizes it requires a two-thirds vote to override an all-but-certain presidential veto of any repeal efforts. Herron said he would work to keep the good and change the problematic areas.

 

Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce asked Herron about his position on earmark funding. Herron said he would fight to eliminate earmarks but would ask for his district’s fair share if they are continued. He said he does support earmarks if it involves economic development.

 

In closing, Herron said he appreciated his first 10 years of public service when the people of Carroll County elected him to be their state representative. “I know where home is and I won’t forget you.”