Bredesen: Tennessee place to be for youth

Greg Sibbett performs TCPD office work in this June 2011 photo

Greg Sibbett performs TCPD office work in this June 2011 photo

Local Democratic party chairman Paul Davis, right, brought his grandsons for a picture with Gov. Phil Bredesen at the Civic Center. Davis is holding Tylan Smith, 3, while Bredesen is holding Parker Davis Smith, 1 month.

?I?m so optimistic about our future. There?s not a better place to be for a 25-year-old,? said Bredesen during a Wednesday night public meeting at McMinnville Civic Center. ?We?re doing everything we can to give these kids a great place to live and I think the years ahead will be wonderful.?

The event was touted as a way for local residents to meet the governor and around 200 were in attendance.

When asked about his most impressive accomplishment over the past year, Bredesen said it was unquestionably the Cover Tennessee health insurance plan. Cover Tennessee provides basic health coverage so working Tennesseans can have affordable and quality insurance. It?s aimed at people who work for small businesses that do not offer insurance to their employees.

?When it comes to health care, Cover Tennessee gives us a strong foundation,? said Bredesen. ?It?s looking ahead to 2010 and 2020, but everything with it is not right. We need to spend the next two to four years with it to find out what works and what doesn?t so this doesn?t become another TennCare.?

The primary goal of Cover Tennessee is to make sure premiums remain affordable, around $150 per month depending on age, tobacco use and obesity. Affordability is key because a survey of uninsured Tennesseans revealed 80 percent did not have health insurance because it?s too expensive.

Also key to the governor?s speech was the need for greater personal responsibility, something he says is becoming a growing problem.

?Parents have to take responsibility for teaching children that they are the captains of their own ship,? said Bredesen. ?I?d like to find ways to bring the concept of personal responsibility into more phases of government.?

Bredesen described himself as having ?a knack? for recruiting jobs to Tennessee and closed by saying he is not taking the upcoming election in November lightly. Republican challenger Jim Bryson doesn?t appear in position to beat Bredesen, but the governor said he can?t afford to ease off the throttle.

?I am running this as a serious race,? said Bredesen. ?I?ve seen so many companies that the day they sit back, put their feet up on the desk and light up a cigar is the day they get into trouble.?

Bredesen?s stop in McMinnville was the second day of a four-day tour where he will visit 16 cities.