By Candice Ludlow
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-909251.mp3
Memphis, TN – The next governor faces a challenging task - creating good-paying jobs. In the past decade, Tennessee has shed more than 25 percent of its manufacturing jobs, and one out of ten people are out of work. WKNO and public radio stations across the state asked the top four contenders for governor what they would do to bring jobs to Tennessee.
Jackson Businessman Mike McWherter is the only Democrat in the race, and he favors tax incentives for companies that hire new employees.
"I don't think there's any question that we need a program for small business in this state, tax credits and tax breaks. We do it and we monitor it right now for big business that comes into this state, and we can do it for existing business as well," McWherter explains.
There are three Republicans running: Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Chattanooga Congressman Zach Wamp and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey. All three are cool toward the tax credits that McWherter wants because they say the state needs the money.
"It's almost impossible to give a tax credit in the state of Tennessee because our taxes are so low," Ramsey said. "Most jobs are created by small businesses and partnerships. We don't have a tax on those businesses here in the state of Tennessee. They pay some sales tax, but that's about all they do."
Tennessee's a Right to Work' state. That means a company that hires union workers can also hire non-union workers. In states without Right to Work, companies are either union or not, but they can't mix the two groups. Ramsey and Wamp believe that and our lack of income tax are the state's greatest assets for generating jobs.
"Being a small businessman, that I want out of government is absolutely nothing. Get out of my way and I'll create the jobs. So I think the atmosphere, number 1, is most important. A pro-growth, pro-business atmosphere. Keep us a right to work state. I've battled that for years against the unions here in the state of Tennessee," Ramsey said.
Wamp says creating jobs is also about choosing the right sector and betting on it aggressively. That's what he says happened in his district
"From Huntsville, Alabama to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, we targeted energy and transportation manufacturing. And frankly, all of the studies will show you that the strongest new manufacturing investment in growth in our state is Chattanooga, Cleveland in the heart of this technology corridor, literally halfway between Huntsville and Oak Ridge," Wamp said.
Haslam wants to bet the farm on a different sector.
"In Knoxville, we finally figured out that having UT and Oakridge National Lab 15 miles away from each other was a competitive advantage, something that not that many people had," Haslam explains. "In Memphis, you look at the combination of the bioscience area with the research capacity of having the UT Center for Health Science, University of Memphis, St. Jude Research Hospital and then you add to all that capacity, FedEx. Somewhere's going to become the new health care IT center of the country, and I think Middle Tennessee can be that the way Silicon Valley was several years ago."
On August 5th, Republicans will choose between Haslam, Ramsey and Wamp. Again, McWherter is the only Democrat running, and he will face the Republican nominee in November.