Congressman Zach Wamp stopped in Middle Tennessee yesterday on his second statewide tour since announcing his candidacy for governor earlier this month.
About 30 people gathered in a Bellevue Shoney’s last night to visit with the Chattanooga area Republican. They peppered him with questions, most of which concerned controlling government spending.
Wamp says the solution is better management.
“We need to create those efficiencies to then redirect those priorities. And that’s where the governor, the chief executive would have a principle role.”
Wamp says economic development is a major part of his platform. He says while the government should be spending less, he’s willing to support some targeted incentive programs, like the one that brought the Volkswagen plant to Chattanooga.
“But it has to be driven locally. If you’re asking me, if from a top down government can go out and fix all these problems or create wealth, I don’t believe that for a second.”
The state offered Volkswagen an incentive package worth nearly $600 million. Wamp is not the only candidate on the Republican side in the 2010 governor’s race. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons have also announced they’re running.
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