Gov. Bredesen Starts Budget Talks With State Departments - News...

There's bound to be some tough decisions during the week as Gov. Phil Bredesen began yearly budget hearings Monday.

[Jughead]

The States cut, but Obama/Pelosi/Reid keep right on spending. Great!

[Homemom]

As a former state employee, I can say that there are definitely some areas of waste that can and should be cut. One example would be having 8 employees in an office, 5 of whom do nothing but gripe and complain all the time and take 10 times longer than anyone else to do anything, and 3 who do all the work. Another example would be interpreters for illegal aliens who make almost twice the salary as other employees, and they are contract workers, and paid by the state through the county that they work in. Another would be 6 people sitting at the front desk of the driver's license center and then when someone goes in to renew their license, they have to go to a computer and type in their own information. The list goes on...

[Unemployed and MAD]

This tells me that State Government was too big to begin with! If he would have used his head to begin with, we would not be where we are now!

Now they want to cut more jobs to pay for that underground party room that none of the "regular people" will ever see.

Wonder if we can live there after he cuts our jobs and we lose our homes...

Thanks Phil and the leadership of TN...for nothing!

[Jughead]

Unemployed and MAD wrote:

This tells me that State Government was too big to begin with! If he would have used his head to begin with, we would not be where we are now!
Now they want to cut more jobs to pay for that underground party room that none of the "regular people" will ever see.
Wonder if we can live there after he cuts our jobs and we lose our homes...
Thanks Phil and the leadership of TN...for nothing!

Bredeson has done a great job, at least from a fiscal standpoint.

[NASHVILLE TN]

i agree with unemployed and mad, That underground party room cost like 600,000 dollars didn't it? His wife wanted it let them pay for it they have the money.

[Jughead]

NASHVILLE TN wrote:

i agree with unemployed and mad, That underground party room cost like 600,000 dollars didn't it? His wife wanted it let them pay for it they have the money.

The underground banquet hall was funded by PRIVATE donations. It was sorely needed and will be used for generations to court business.

You Bredeson haters are dimwits--he's done more conservative acts than any nimrod Republican. Remember Don Sundquist? At least Bredeson reigned in TennCare, not withstanding constant litigation by dopey Gordon Bonneyman.

[MRS CORTNER]

I DNT THNK ALL THE FELONS SHOULD BE RELEASED FROM JAIL I THNK A LESSER SENTENCE AND COMPLETE SENTENCE THEN BE RELEASED. NO 1 SHOULD BE RELEAST FOR A CRIME THAT IS SERIOUS.

[logic]

I can understand needing to cut cost but 4,000 felons? Really? How about cut some of the programs that they offer at the Dept. of Corrections instead of letting 4,000 felons out early.

[Jughead]

MRS CORTNER wrote:

I DNT THNK ALL THE FELONS SHOULD BE RELEASED FROM JAIL I THNK A LESSER SENTENCE AND COMPLETE SENTENCE THEN BE RELEASED. NO 1 SHOULD BE RELEAST FOR A CRIME THAT IS SERIOUS.

You need to go to jail for stupidity and poor grammar.

[Jon Potter]

I would fire the corrections dept. head for such a foolish solution.

Next, I would close every damn facility built with bricks and mortar and put these criminals outdoors in tents like Sheriff Joe does.

Next, these felons and all arrested would be working on the roads mowing grass, picking up trash, and; they would be much healthier by getting fresh air.

[Shannon Agee]

Here's a thought Governor Bredesen... Why don't instead of releasing inmates early, why don't you start with the ones that are over their red date (release eligiblety date) because the parole board seen fit to put these non violent offenders off past their red date. There are thousands of inmates that are sitting in prison that should have been out years ago. In other words they are sitting in prison for nothing. They are just waiting until their next parole hearing to see if the parole board will cut them loose this time. How about instead of scare tactics using the threat of releasing 4000 inmates early, how about releasing the ones that have done the amount of time required by law and the state.

[areyoukidding]

Shannon Agee wrote:

Here's a thought Governor Bredesen... Why don't instead of releasing inmates early, why don't you start with the ones that are over their red date (release eligiblety date) because the parole board seen fit to put these non violent offenders off past their red date. There are thousands of inmates that are sitting in prison that should have been out years ago. In other words they are sitting in prison for nothing. They are just waiting until their next parole hearing to see if the parole board will cut them loose this time. How about instead of scare tactics using the threat of releasing 4000 inmates early, how about releasing the ones that have done the amount of time required by law and the state.

The state of Tennessee receives approx.$100.00 per inmate per day from the Federal governemnt? The longer they hold them, the more they get. It's a big incentive to keep them where they are while having laws written so as to have more law breakers to populate the prisons. Consider the state's largest owner of private prisons, CCA, how much do you think this prison corporation receives from the Federal and state governments? CCA is also listed on the stock exchange. They have investors who desire large returns for their investments. No prisoners, no money.

[beck]

If we would take one day and kill everyone on death row, I think it would free up some space!

[Jughead]

beck wrote:

If we would take one day and kill everyone on death row, I think it would free up some space!

That makes too much sense.

You need to go to John Kerry Nuance Training and admit that issues like these are far above your understanding. Only Kerry and Ted Kennedy have the education and sophistication to address the death penalty intelligently.

Not.