American Forum

By Shelby Tabeling

For Tennessee to be a first-class place to live and do business, we must ensure our current and future workforce is educated, our bridges and roads are safe, our rivers and parks are clean, our communities are protected, and our fellow Tennesseans have access to affordable housing and health care.

We collect revenue for valuable public structures we all enjoy and that provide quality of life for each Tennessean — structures like higher education, toll-free roads, fire and police protection, thousands of acres of state parks, and affordable care and assistance when our families face unexpected circumstances.

But times are tough for Tennessee. As the General Assembly enters the 2010 legislative session, Governor Phil Bredesen has warned that in the 2010-11 fiscal year, the state could face a gap of more than $1 billion between the money that’s available from taxes and what’s needed to meet the state’s essential obligations.

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