The World According to Oatney

State of the State

Last night's State of the State Address was (as I said on Facebook) a real yawner. I can't disagree with Governor Phil Bredesen when he said that members of the General Assembly should always remember that when they become concerned about a favorite government program or pet project, they should remember the hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans who are having to make far more difficult personal choices because of the economic situation that our State and the Union find themselves in.

The Governor talked a great deal about what he wanted to do. His health care remarks sounded suspiciously like a plug to be nominated Health and Human Services Secretary, especially when clearing the way for more people to be placed on TennCare. Bredesen addressed health care longer than any other subject, and unlike the other matters that he talked about, he actually gave a few specifics. Hence, it is difficult to believe that Bredesen does not believe that he is under consideration for a federal cabinet post.

Governor Bredesen also dicussed collaborating with the Trustees of the University of Tennessee System and the State's university presidents to help make college more affordable, but presented no ideas as to how to accomplish that goal. If the Governor is appointed to the federal government, he will simply leave the methodology of dealing with the crises with which we are confronted to his successor.

Labels: Tennessee politics

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 12:50 PM