Fighting for the governor’s office: Three Democrats debate issues in McMinnville
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Fellow Democrat Charles Smith also supports altering Tennessee’s tax structure. Smith says, “We don’t need to keep patching something that’s broken” and supports “a complete overhaul of both spending and taxes.”
Democratic front-runner Phil Bredesen took a different stance. Bredesen says Tennesseans are “tired” of hearing about the state’s financial problems and maintains, “It’s time for us to put that in the past and move on. We’ve been thrashing around with an income tax for the last 3-1/2 years and we need to put that behind us.”
The three candidates for governor were in McMinnville Monday for what turned out to be a lively debate in front of about 150 people at Warren County Administrative Offices. Each candidate was allowed an opening seven-minute speech which was followed by questions from Standard reporters, the audience, and then the candidates got to question each other.
They fielded questions about the area’s growing meth problem, about the state’s education system and about bringing new industry to Tennessee. But the overwhelming topic was the state’s financial situation after last week’s decision by the Legislature to raise the sales tax 1 cent to generate an estimated $933 million.
Bredesen said now, with added revenue, it’s up to state leaders to manage their money better than they have the last eight years.
“There are going to be good years and slow years,” said Bredesen. “I think a lot of the problems we had this year were self-inflicted. We don’t need to always go back to the public for another round of tax increases.”
Nichols was passionate about the need for tax reform. He said its “unconscionable” to expect people to pay close to 10 cents on the dollar in sales tax for a loaf of bread or gallon of milk.
“As Democrats, we have failed the state by taking advantage of its poorest people,” said Nichols. “There have been candidates running for governor who have said they would repeal a state income tax if it was passed. I am here to say I intend to repeal this unconscionable sales tax if I am elected.”
Smith, who is from Sparta and is a former editor of the Sparta Expositor and Nashville Banner, is best known for his over two decades of work in the education system. He was the state education commissioner and was also chancellor of the Board of Regents. He says it’s this type of experience which distinguishes him from the other candidates.
“I have first-hand experience of being a CEO of a major state agency for 25 years,” said Smith. “I know all about balancing big budgets at bad times. I’ve also had the experience of taking the darts and arrows that come with living in a glass house. The first time you get an irate phone call, it can be a bit unnerving. But after you’ve gotten about 200 of them, you tend to get used to it.”
The candidates said it was their second formal debate and indicated they had a third scheduled last night in Knoxville. All three said if they should win the Democratic nomination they would return to Warren County to debate the winner of the Republican nomination, most likely either Jim Henry or Van Hilleary. Hilleary has already declined to come to McMinnville for a debate once.