The Question I’d Like Answered

 

Hi, my name is Phil...

 

The time is fast approaching when Tennesseans will have to decide who will replace Phil Bredesen in the governor’s office. While I think most people accept the job he’s done, this state, like most, have been hit hard by the economic downturn. One of the things Phil made a big deal out of when he first ran for governor was how his experience as a businessman was going to help him administer the state in straightforward and businesslike manner. Of course, that ignored the fact that he’d have to deal with entrenched civil servants who fight change like barbarians storming ancient Rome. Or with lawmakers more interested in the special interests funneling them re-election dollars than enacting laws to bring about positive change.

Which goes to the point that all of Phil’s “business” experience couldn’t do much to stop the global economic downtown that hit the state like a baseball bat a couple of years ago.

So, it seems that the two guys trying to replace the governor are playing up one particular skill that each believes makes them the best man for the job.

 

Bill Haslam for Governor

 

The Republican nominee, Bill Haslam, a member of the family that owns and runs the Pilot Oil empire, notes that he has the business acumen to help pull Tennessee out of its economic doldrums and put people back to work. The guy is the mayor of one of the larger cities in the state, but doesn’t really talk much about his executive experience on the public side (not in his TV commercials anyway). He makes this point on his site: “Bill Haslam’s top priority as governor will be making Tennessee the #1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs. At a time when our state is facing double-digit unemployment and many more are underemployed, Tennessee needs a governor who understands how to create jobs.”

 

Mike McWherter for Governor

 

Mike McWherter, son of former Governor Ned McWherter, is the Democratic nominee. As the operator of his own beer distributorship (and being pretty much in control of his father’s distributorship as well), he also says his business experience will help turn the state around, mostly by continuing Gov. Bredesen’s positive policies. Here’s a pertinent quote from McWherter’s site, on his approach to repairing the economy: “Creating new jobs. Mike is the proud owner of a Tennessee-based company that provides good jobs to working families. He knows how to communicate with businesses and industries that are expanding, and as governor, he’ll work overtime to bring new jobs to Tennessee.”

 

Jim is the one on the right

 

Promising job creation is a time-honored method of campaigning for high office. I grew up in Ohio when Jim Rhodes was governor. He was one of the few people to serve 4 four-year terms as a state governor. You could pretty much sum up his campaign approach in three words. “Jobs, jobs, jobs.” When he was mayor of Columbus, he helped convince voters to approve a city income tax. Income tax? That kind of leadership would never fly in the Tennessee Statehouse. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a fan. Even though we worked in the same office building after he left office and saw each other often, I soured on him after Kent State in 1970. Still, his “jobs” mantra worked on voters until he ran for a fifth term in 1986.

However, here’s my question: unless Haslam or McWhether offers every jobless Tennessean a position at a Pilot gas station or at Central Distributors, just how is their “business experience” going to make a lick of difference in getting people back to work? Seriously, the guy in office now is an experienced businessman, and we’ve seen that’s there is damn little he can do about keeping state workers in their jobs, much less other people, until the economic recovery gains steam around the country. Cutting taxes for the rich isn’t an answer. Rich people are interested in being rich – not necessarily using their money to create jobs. If they can get richer by creating jobs inside the U.S., they’ll do it. If they can get richer by moving jobs to other countries, wave goodbye – those jobs are gone for good. If making stock prices rise by laying off staff is necessary, it’s time to look for another job. Trust me, I felt that pain personally.

So Mike, Bill – lemme ask you – instead of joining all the other candidates on TV, slinging all that mud, why not tell us that you’re hoping that a rising tide will lift all boats economically and a governor really can’t do much to bring new jobs anywhere – unless businesses (which are sitting on tons of cash right now) are feeling confident enough to spend that money to create those jobs?

Doing Bidness

Waiting for the other boot to drop

I have no opinion as to who should be the next governor of Tennessee. Given the state’s current economic situation, as well as the peculiarities of the legislature, I don’t feel that any of the leading candidates can really turn things around, although Ron Ramsey‘s got a sweet pair of cowboy boots. That is, judging from the one he’s showing off on his website.

Bill's Year?

Ned Ray's Boy

If we take the state’s shift to the right, along with recent poll results, it would seem that Bill Haslam, currently mayor of Knoxville, has the inside track on winding up in recently renovated governor’s mansion. The latest poll from the Tennessee Newspaper Network (a cooperative effort of the state’s four largest newspapers) show Mayor Haslam leading his Republican opponents, Ramsey and Congressman Zach Wamp. The putative Democratic nominee, Mike McWherter, hasn’t don’t a lot of advertising, mostly because he has no competition. While he is the son of a former governor, he holds no office of his own and will also have to battle the GOP-tilt of the statewide electorate.

So, if things hold, the fall match-up pits two “businessmen,” who will both posit their respective experience in “business” qualifies them to be chief executive in these tough economic times; after all, a majority of those polled rank the economy as the most important issue facing the state.

Phil Likes Mike

Our current governor, Phil Bredesen, who also came to the office promising to put his experience to work, has endorsed fellow Democrat McWherter, noting that because he’s a “businessman,” he understands what it takes to create jobs.

Okay, Phil, your background was in healthcare – is that fixed here in Tennessee? Or are the problems of the global economy too much for one “businessman” to wrangle during a downturn like we’ve been having?

And besides, McWherter didn’t create the business he operates. I’m usually not impressed by a child who takes over an operation started by parents or grandparents unless it goes through some incredible growth because of the child’s efforts (see Ted Turner). Same issue with Haslam. His father created Pilot Oil, and it’s still a family-run business (as opposed to a Bill-run business).

While I have voted for people who operate businesses before, I really don’t think that running any part of a government lends itself to accepted management practices. Hiring, firing, meeting payrolls, putting new practices in place – all things that go through endless committees – councils, commissions, legislatures, Congress. And that doesn’t even look at constituents, lobbyists and all the stuff that office holders deal with.

I’m pretty sure that selling gas or beer doesn’t necessarily make someone the best leader in troubled times.

On the fence?

And as long as we’re talking about the candidates – what’s the fascination with illegal immigration? I don’t think the concern is losing jobs to illegals – it’s having enough jobs in the first place! I also don’t know why it’s so important for gubernatorial candidates to make the point so strongly that they’ll “say ‘no’ to Obama.” If he’s the guy with his hand on the federal aid spigot, they might want to think (at least think) about saying ‘yes’ sometime.

Bulls-eyeing womp rats

Who's Looking Out for Us?

I have to say, it doesn’t look like the Tennessee gubernatorial race is creating a lot of heat around this part of the state yet. As long as District Attorney General Bill Gibbons was in the race, I think there was hope of some local interest. It was too bad Gibbons dropped out of the race, although I don’t know that it was a complete surprise. He didn’t do that well when he ran for Memphis mayor in ’87, so why would he be able to raise the kind of money he’d need to mount a statewide campaign?

Since Gibbons and State Senator Jim Kyle dropping out, there’s no one from this corner of the state left in the race, and that could have some impact on how much attention we pay to it around here. That means the people left in the race are going to have to toss some cash to the local TV stations to introduce themselves to the voting public and gain some of that precious name recognition that’s so important in politics.

I suppose Mike McWherter, son of former Governor Ned McWherter, sort of counts as a candidate from West Tennessee, but I don’t think he’s nearly as well-known as his dad. Ned Ray seemed like a real force of nature.  I’ve met a few governors in my day (including Mr. Clinton of Arkansas), and Gov. McWherter seemed, well, gubernatorial.

Who's Got the Edge?

I think the Republican candidates may have the edge this time around. The three major Republicans poll in front of the younger McWherter. All of them are running TV spots in Memphis, which has got to make the stations happy (the only thing nearly as good as car dealer money to TV folks is political money). The mayor of Knoxville, Bill Haslam, has the advantage of family money, or at least he promotes himself as a part of building the Pilot gas station business. His spots tout how he’s built up Knoxville’s rainy day fund while making painful budget cuts. Of course, if you have enough money to put it in the bank, do you have to make “painful” cuts?

State Senator Ron Ramsey‘s spots take an anti-Washington tone. It seems that Tennessee’s major money troubles aren’t necessarily the fault of the national government. As the leading legislator of the majority party, don’t you think it would be better to have a list of accomplishments on fixing our own problems, instead of threatening to kick all those elitists out of the state with his fancy boots?

My favorite GOP candidate is 3rd District Congressman Zach Wamp, for obvious reasons. Here’s a guy who actually signed the Contract with America when he was first elected to the House. Wait, here’s a better indication of the kind of guy Zach is. When he was elected in 1994, he promised to only serve six terms in the House and to never take money from political action committees (you have to know where this is going). He’s currently in his eighth term (says that promise was a “mistake”). And he has accepted PAC money.

Gotta Do It!

According to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, there are 15 other candidates for governor on November’s ballot. Take the time to listen to any or all of them to hear whether any of them have anything specific to say on fixing Tennessee’s problems… or whether their focus is knocking the other guys or pandering to the angry electorate by running against the majority in Washington. Guys remember this – we aren’t all Tea Partiers!