Infrastructure and transportation systems. These are the two main concerns Congressman Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said needed to be addressed if West Tennessee is to overcome the job loss in the region.

Wamp recently made a stop in Dyersburg to campaign to a crowd at Lupo’s about why he should be Tennessee’s next governor. The gubernatorial candidate has represented Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, in East Tennessee, since 1995. He sits on the United States House Committee on Appropriations and is the lead Republican on the Subcommittee on Military Construc-tion and Veterans Affairs. He announced his intention of running for the office of governor of Tennessee in January of this year and will be running against other Republican hopefuls in the Tennessee Republican primary in 2010. Gov. Phil Bredesen will not be able to run for governor due to term limits.

“Right now, West Tennessee needs more attention from the governor than any part of our state and I say that in every part of the state,” said Wamp. “We need a production agenda for agriculture, economic development and manufacturing. We need to use the mega site. We need to educate the rurals. We need to connect everybody with broadband and set the agenda in motion for rural West Tennessee for new growth and economic development. We’ve got abundant land, low taxes, right to work. We’ve got a lot of advantages but we need an agenda to create a rural West Tennessee economy.”

Wamp expressed that many vital aspects of the state would improve if he were to become governor.

“I have this agenda for the future of our state to make it an even better state. I think that’s where a campaign becomes really important, because the campaign should be about the future of our state to make it an even better place,” said Wamp. “From the overall health of our citizens, which I guarantee you will improve if I’m governor; to the education system, which I guarantee you will improve if I’m governor; to economic development and job creation under my production agenda for the future of our state. I know we’re going to grow the economy if I’m governor. I’ve got a strong 15-year record in Congress, so people know and can look at my record and say this is where he’s coming from. This is what kind of votes he has taken and this is the position that he’s taken. But, I think every now and then you ought to take a step of faith and say ‘how can I best help the state?’ and I believe I can lead this state to even better things.”

Wamp added that 15 years ago he established the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor in East Tennessee to grow the manufacturing sector. The Corridor is promoted as one of the top 10 technology hot spots in America and originally targeted energy and transportation companies to come to the region, landing two major companies. He added that the creation of jobs is one thing that sets him apart from the other Republican candidates.

“That is one piece of this campaign that my record and my history so dwarfs the other candidates it’s not even close,” said Wamp. “I have actually been hands-on involved in the creation of tens of thousands of jobs in the region that I have served, and I want to do that in Middle and West Tennessee.”

Wamp added that Tennessee has the ability to grow the defense sector in other parts of our state, particularly in the 65-24 corridor from Huntsville, Ala. to Fort Campbell, Ky.

“I’ve launched the vision and set the pace and the future of our state,” said Wamp. “And then frankly the experience I have in the private sector and the public sector totally transcends the other candidates. They’re all good people and they’ve all got certain skill sets. But I have the combined knowledge of the world, the national picture and our state and the private sector, which will be much better suited to lead our state forward than others who might be at local government. Maybe they’ve been in state government, but I actually understand what’s been going on in our country and how Tennessee needs to lead our country to a more responsible governance.”

One debated topic in the state is education reform. Wamp said the first step to correcting the problem of education is for children to have basic reading proficiency.

“Our children are not reading well enough by the time they get to the third grade,” said Wamp. “In third grade you start reading for content instead of learning to read. Not enough of our students are proficient readers. I don’t think we should test in kindergarten, because tests create a bureaucracy and they cost money. We ought to benchmark, meaning check every child to see if they are reading proficiently and if they’re not, stop.” He also said the same would go for basic math skills.

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Robin Flenniken
The Daily Times (Maryville, TN)

It was a cold January evening as I watched my only son board the plane to join an elite group of men and women serving in the United States Navy. In those moments, and many thereafter, I have felt a strong sense of what it means to defend freedom.

However, I was recently invited to bring 1st Sgt. David Perry of Maryville and Sgt. Brad Walker to the first event in country music singer John Rich’s new house in Nashville, a reception for gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp.

Many of you know David “Gunny” Perry, as he gave 24 years of his life to the U.S. Marines. You may not know Brad, who is from White Pine and is a member of U. S. Marines Delta Company.

When I was first introduced to Brad all I really noticed was he was a very quiet, mild-mannered young man who stood very tall — about 6 feet 5 inches. But there is so much more about Brad you do not notice until he begins to walk. When he walks it is with effort because in November 2007 he was involved in an IED explosion where both of his legs were lost. As you can imagine, he has worked hard to walk, but he has managed to keep a great attitude and continues to be proud to be called a Marine.

As we drove up Love Circle to Rich’s house, you could sense this was not going to be an ordinary evening as there were many country music stars in attendance. The red carpet was rolled out from the gate to the entrance of the house for guests. What I did not know was the big star of the night would be Brad.

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By Kevin Halpern
Cannon Courier

Zach Wamp wants to get the federal government off the backs of Tennesseans, and is giving up the elected position he already holds to try and put himself in position to do so.

The U.S. Congressman, who has represented Tennessee’s 3rd District for the past 15 years, has decided not to seek reelection to Congress so that he can instead run to become the state’s next governor.

Wamp came to Woodbury for the first time Saturday to tell local residents about his vision for the future of Tennessee, his stance on key issues facing the state and country, and to listen to their concerns.

To say that Wamp, a Republican, is upset with what has been taking place in Washington both during the last few years of GOP leadership and since the start of the current administration, would be an understatement.

“I would not say I am frustrated,” Wamp said. “I would call it more a deep anger.”

The source of Wamp’s angst, he said, is his belief that the Obama Administration and Democratic-controlled Congress is leading America in the wrong direction.

“The (federal) government is out of whack. It is exerting way too much oversight over the states. The 10th Amendment says that everything that is not clearly defined in the Constitution as the responsibility of the federal government belongs to the states and the people.”

Wamp said states have the ability to chart their own course, to make their own laws, to push the federal government back out.

“That is not happening near enough,” he added. “I will not just be a strong governor on this 10th Amendment issue. Whether it’s guns, or abortion, or whatever the issues are, our states have autonomy. We just are not claiming that, and it’s a bad trend that this federal government is a nanny state, everybody gets treated the same, especially with the regime that is in Washington now.

“I will not just be a strong governor on this (state’s rights), I will be a leader among governors, because I know we need to do this for the sake of history and posterity. The states need to buck up and kick back against this federal government so that we can guarantee the people of our state their liberty and their freedom and their future.”

Wamp said that regardless of what happens in California or New Jersey or some other state, if they want to be reckless and irresponsible and not have a balanced budget, don’t force Tennessee to do the same. “Don’t cause us to pay their bills. Don’t come down here with executive orders and tell us what we have to do.”

Wamp acknowledged that he was taking a risk by leaving Congress and throwing his hat into the governor’s race.

“I’m laying it all on the line. I’ve had a good run in Congress, but I’m one of these people that believes that if you love something, be able to let it go,” Wamp said.

“I want to lead this state, even during these difficult times, to even better days. I have the same motive in my heart that Abraham Lincoln had. He was motivated always to using his brief moment in time known as his life to the maximum benefit of the world around him. He wasn’t motivated by power or money or any of the things that sometimes motivate people in public life. He was motivated by impact, and that is truly what I am trying to do, to use this brief moment in time known as my life to help our state become even better.”

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Amanda Odom
WDEF-Chattanooga

Troops in the 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion prepare to leave Chattanooga this weekend.

They’re heading for a year’s long deployment in Iraq.

But today they heard some encouraging words from Congressman Zach Wamp.

WDEF News 12’s Mandy Odom reports in continuing coverage.

Congressman Zach Wamp made a special stop Friday to talk to troops from the 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion.

He wanted to thank and encourage them before they leave for training and deployment to Iraq.
Congressman Wamp says, “These ratios of one to one deployments, meaning one year in one year out. This is not sustainable, not in a volunteer force. We’ve got to get back to a more acceptable rotation.”

The congressman wants troops to be on a 1 to 3 ratio.

For Wamp this is also personal with a nephew in Iraq.

Congressman Wamp says, “Do better by these families. The suicide rate is unacceptable. The break up of the family is hard on these troops and their families… The sacrifices that they make.”

This is Private First Class Dustin Edwards first deployment. He said it was interesting to hear what Congressman Wamp had to say.

PFC Edwards says, “He had a lot of good things to say. He had a lot of good points. Encouraging. Let’s us know that there’s people out there that actually do support our troops.”

Watch the video.

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