Friday, January 22, 2010

Tennessee Governors Race

Tennessee's governors race is beginning to heat up, and as usual there is a full range of people running. We have everything from politicians, to lawyers to retired doctors.

I will begin keeping track of the candidates, posting about them and their goings on, but will especially be giving special attention to the independents and the ones without the large campaign funds, without the big names, who may be a better choice.

The country itself is struggling currently, so states need to make sure business is taken care of at home. Personally myself, and many people I know are sick of government lies, hiding issues, stepping around issues, and completely screwing the people over.

Tennessee like so many others is facing the same problems. Unemployment, immigration, drug problems, crime, loss of farmland, loss of industry, and general loss of the way of life.

What I want to see in a governor is one who understands and listens to the people, who won't spend state money for frivolous endeavors, who will work hard to bring industry to the state, and will work to make the state a clean, safe, beautiful, and energy efficient state.

Tennessee is in a unique capacity for leading the country in energy efficiency. This is in a large part to the research facilities in the Knoxville area. The University of Tennessee, Electric Power Research Institute, Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ride National Lab, and so many others are leaders in technology innovation, energy savings, energy production, and research. The new governor needs to realize this and work to bring the focus of the East Tennessee area into bringing in more industry and research. We need, as a state to develop and pursue alternate forms of energy, define and establish a recycling program that is not a hodgepodge of other left over programs. We need to focus on families, providing help for those that need it. We need to push for land conservation, and continuing to embrace and protect the Smoky Mountains.

We need to look forward while embracing our past. We need to build the future on the building blocks of the past. We have so many strengths as a state, it will be a shame to let them go to waste.