Press Release from Bill Haslam for Governor; July 12, 2010:
Five of Six Candidate-to-Candidate Questions Directed at Bill Haslam
NASHVILLE – The three desperate candidates in tonight’s debate ganged up on Republican gubernatorial candidate and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, acknowledging his frontrunner status.
Five of six questions posed by Haslam’s opponents were directed at the Knoxville mayor. Haslam responded with specific answers to a number of specific questions, demonstrating the experience, leadership and temperament necessary in the next governor.
* Fiscal Responsibility: “It’s not three or four big cuts; it’s 1,000 little cuts. One of the areas I would focus on is how the state purchases things – procurement reform – as a potential area to save millions.”
* Immigration: “The federal government has failed to secure our borders. I would cut off the source of jobs for illegal immigrants, and I think you would see illegal immigrants return home.”
* Innovation in Public Education: “Let me make four specific points: 1) More rigor and demand. Increase expectations; 2) Every great institution has a great leader, so I would focus on making sure great principals are leading each school; 3) Make sure every classroom has a great teacher; and 4) We have great data in Tennessee, and I’ll make sure we use it to intervene before students call behind.”
* The Regional Medical Center in Memphis: “The Med matters not just to Memphis, but to the entire state. If you have a doctor that went to UT Health Science Center, chances are that he or she trained at the Med.”
* Collective Bargaining for Public Employees: “To have Washington tell us that we need to recognize unions is just wrong.”
* Death Penalty: “If a jury of peers convicts someone with the death penalty, I support that.”
“Crissy and I are looking forward to getting back out on the trail, and meeting with Tennesseans where they live, work and play everyday and listening and learning about their concerns,” Haslam said.
Recent polls, Reagan economist Dr. Art Laffer dubbing Bill Haslam the Reagan candidate and endorsements from the state’s three largest newspapers reflect a candidate who has worked hard to listen and learn from Tennesseans and set out a Jobs4TN plan addressing those chief concerns.
Mayor Haslam is the two-term Republican Mayor of Knoxville, reelected in 2007 with 87 percent of the vote. A hardworking, conservative public servant, Haslam led Knoxville to become one of the top ten metropolitan areas for business and expansion, while reducing the city’s debt, tripling the rainy day fund, reducing the number of city employees to the lowest amount in 15 years and bringing property taxes to the lowest rate in 50 years. An executive leader with a proven record of success, he helped grow his family’s small business from 800 employees into one of Tennessee’s largest companies with 14,000 employees. For more information on Bill Haslam, please visit www.BillHaslam.com.
BELMONT/WSMV STATEWIDE DEBATE FACT SHEET UNTRUE AND MISLEADING CLAIMS MADE BY MIKE MCWHERTER, RON RAMSEY AND ZACH WAMP
CLAIM 1. Zach Wamp claimed Bill Haslam’s tenure as head of Saks Direct was a failure.
THE TRUTH 1. The aspect of the business Haslam was responsible for – the online division – was a resounding success. “Internet venture success for Pilot executive,” Knoxville News Sentinel, February 20, 2001.
CLAIM 2. Zach Wamp claimed he never said he wouldn’t go negative in this campaign.
THE TRUTH 2. Wamp was pressed repeatedly Thursday as to whether he might go negative on Haslam as voting nears. “I really believe I don’t need to do anything but what I’m doing,” Wamp said. “My momentum is really strong.” If that’s the case, Tennessee might actually go through a primary battle between three credible Republican candidates without any of the ugliness that can happen in a highly competitive race. “Wamp the optimist still at It,” Examiner.com, June 25, 2010.
CLAIM 3. Mike McWherter claimed that Tennessee suing the federal government over ObamaCare is no different than the federal government suing Arizona over their new immigration law.
THE TRUTH 3. A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that federal healthcare legislation passed earlier this year could cost Tennessee an additional $1.5 billion over five years. “Study estimates Tennessee would add nearly half million to TennCare,” Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, May 26, 2010.
CLAIM 4. Ron Ramsey claimed that Zach Wamp was one of seven people to vote for TARP.
THE TRUTH 4. Zach Wamp was one of 263 and the only Republican U.S. House Representative from Tennessee to vote for TARP. (HR 1424, Vote #681, October 3, 2008)
