Hitting the campaign trail as the gubernatorial race heats up, Zach Wamp visited Cookeville for an exclusive interview with UCDailyNews/CookevilleTimes.com

In our continuing meet the candidates series, we asked Wamp questions about his agenda and strengths as a candidate.

The Chattanooga resident has been representing that area in Congress for the past 15 years.

Jobs and the "Production Agenda"

Asked about Tennessee's future for jobs, Wamp spoke about his "Production Agenda,"  stating that his priority is anything that we can "make, build or grow."   Wamp stated that he believes manufacturing plays a critical role our economic viability and success.  Referencing the Tennessee Technology Corridor and the Bloom energy technology, the acquisition of VW,

Wamp includes Tennessee farmers in the production agenda as "the original manufacturers" and sited the facts that Tennessee has the largest number of Farm Bureau members in the nation.   "Our growers were are first manufacturers and deserve more attention today."  said Wamp.  "We have 650,000 members of the Farm Bureau in Tennessee and in west Tennessee in particular we have an opportunity to grow agri-business, agri-tourism and agri-energy.  There is a big connection between these growers and biofuels, which is the direction that VW is going."

"We have right to work, high quality of life, low cost of living, no state income tax....all of the advantages that we used to lure VW here are reasons why we can grow manufacturing base, even during a recession.  More and more manufacturing is going to come south.   Our infrastructure is pretty strong.  We need to be centered in "growing, making or building" things becuase if we don't grow it, make it or build it you can service it or sell it. 

 That's a production agenda. 

There are 5-7 service jobs connected to every single production job.  That's why manufacturing is so important."

Wamp stated that he believes the right agenda could dramatically move the state forward in just a few years.  "We'll be able to go from  3rd in new energy production in the nation to 1st, we'll be able to to from 3rd in transportation produciton in the nation to 1st. Warren Buffet and VW have lived for this moment when others are retreating so they can advance.  We can create a more diverse and healthy economy, even in a national downturn, here in Tennessee." 

Education

"The one thing that we did not have where it needed to be for VW, was the workforce development -- the education.  We've got a ways to go on that."   Wamp believes that early reading is key to better education results and, ultimately workforce development.  "Give me a good early reader and I'll give you a good 5th grade social studies student and a good 9th grade science student and, most likely, a high school graduate and productive citizen.  But if the student is not reading by 3rd grade, how can a math teacher explain algebra in 8th grade."

Praising the work of Dr. Kathleen Airhart in early reading testing,  "What Kathleen Airhart does and what all of our school systems should do, is benchmark children as they're entering school to see if they're meeting basic reading and math skills.  If they're not, they need an hour a day of direct, special instruction."

Even though Putnam County is in the lowest half of BEP funding formula, the county performs in the top 10 in all of the important measurements in 3rd grade and 8th grade.  Airhart has been a trail blazer and I really admire her.  I want every county in Tennessee to be focused on what she's done here. 

That will dramatically help us in a short period of time.  There are a number of other innovations associated with education reform states.  But we're not an education reform state.  We're 43rd out of 50 states and we haven't moved for several years.  We're a status quo state in education. It's time for Tennessee, as great as we are, to do better in education and it starts with early childhood reading."

CookevilleTimes mentioned that, at the time of the interview, Dr. Airhart was engaged in what seems to be a continuing stream of meetings on cost reduction.   What of education funding?

"Right now we have to try to hold the line on K-12 funding and not reduce it.  And we have to be more flexible with how we let the school systems spend the money they have.  Dr. Airhart has actually shown me how some savings in pre-K, doing it more efficiently, could be applied to K-12 for efficiencies and savings.  

But right now, the law prohibits that.   The legislature and next governor need to take down the firewall and remove some of the barriers....so that innovative directors like Dr. Airhart can use the money best.  Because until the economy improves, we're going to have to continue to find ways to do more with less."   

Leadership

Wamp has stated that the size of Tennessee government is too big.  "It's no time for a status quo governor.  Leadership is about pulling people together to meet a need."  

Wamp described the legislative repurposing of the 7,000 acre defense land sitting idle in the Chattanooga area, which became the location for the new VW facility.   "This is the first republican legislature since reconstruction. I would argue that they need a leader with vision, who can pull them together around that vision and agenda to truly capitalize on our assets as a state with a real dynamic economy."  

Wamp stated that he wanted to see a small government with a big impact, one that could serve as a model for the nation.  "What's coming out of D.C. has discouraged people that we're going dramatically the wrong way.  People are angry about big government and big business.  What happened to our focus on small business and entrepreneurship and limited government?    I look at leadership as the ability to pull everyone together around an agenda and, one way or another, find a way to get it done." 

Health Care

"Tennessee is ranked 47th out of 50 states in health.  That has to change.  In health care we have to focus on prevention more.   Governor Bredesen has done a good job on managing TennCare, actually matching the benefit structure with the Medicare structures in surrounding states. 

That's reigned in the cost.   I'm a best practices guy.  I want to see us more engaged in personal responsibility.  You have to know by about the 4th grade that there's a dial in your life that has to be adjusted based on the way that God made you and learn what you need to do to be healthy."

Balancing the Budget After the Stimulous is Gone

"Three things need to be done.  We need to dramatically reform the way that the state does business.  Georgia has already done a lot of this.   We're a textbook case in the nation in terms of the inefficiencies in the way that we purchase and procure goods and services.  Second, we have to reduce the size of Tennessee government. 

This is not mean; no one wants to lay people off. But in the year 2000, 42,000 people worked for the state of Tennessee, and in the year 2009, 48,000 people work for the state of Tennessee.   For several years, the private sector has been shrinking.   Governor Bredeson has already started these reductions.  The third thing is that, through a dynamic production agenda, we can actually have more revenues coming into the state.  The door is open with transportation...."

"I love regional organizations of economic development.  The Highlands Initiative here is a great strategy and I'd like to leverage that in building our defense production along the 24 and 65 corridor.    We could potentially backfill the Saturn facility area with a defense  manufacturer if the private sector doesn't respond.  These are new revenue strategies that will keep the budget balanced." 

Cherokee Heritage and Tennessee "Magic"

Wamp spoke about his Cherokee lineage and its importance to him.  "I've always felt real akin to the Cherokee people and have done a lot of things with them and for them.  That's part of our tradition and heritage in Tennessee -- something people have a great interest in."  

Wamp said that he believed building on those areas of interest will build tourism in the state.  "The special places in Tennessee will draw people."   Wamp said that he believes Tennessee needs incentives to pull movie making to Tennessee, referencing his disappointment that the movie "Blind Side,"  a Memphis-based story, was not shot in Tennessee. 

"If you look at the music and film industry, plus the heritage and natural resources....that's really the magic of Tennessee." 

More information about Wamp is available on his website.