Ablogination

The myopic world of Republican politics is indeed an anomaly. One is hard pressed to find words to describe it, at least, words that don’t offend the readership in general…

It’s no secret what a disgrace Phil Roe has become as a Congressional Representative. He has accomplished nothing in his years in office and not only has he failed to accomplish, he has actually spent all of his time bitching and whining about Obama and exactly none of it providing for the First District of Tennessee.

Phil Roe has decided that his job is to complain. Period. Not bring jobs to our area, not provide for our opportunity and progress, but to bitch. That’s what he does….that’s all he does.

One of Roe’s primary complaints has been about the Stimulus package passed by President Obama and the Democratic Congressional body.
But as Phil Roe complains about the stimulus, genuinely productive people take a hands on approach and actually get things done as we saw in Morristown and the help their High School received from the stimulus package that Phil Roe so vehemently opposed and continues to oppose.

Now we find that yet another community has felt the benefit of the Tennessee end of the Federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Carter County’s Siam Bridge has been fully replaced and is opened to the public, two months early… which saves money for other projects.

From The Johnson City Press:

New Siam bridge among state’s first stimulus projects completed
By John Thompson
Elizabethton Bureau Chief
jthompson@johnsoncitypress.com

ELIZABETHTON — It was a day of celebrations on many levels Tuesday morning in the Siam community as a new $1.55 million bridge across the Watauga River was officially opened.

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely came to celebrate the completion of one of the first projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the state. Because it was finished ahead of schedule, it is also one of the first federal stimulus projects to be completed in the state.

“We are pleased to see this new bridge opened and completed two months ahead of the scheduled Aug. 31 completion date,” Nicely said. “The new two-lane structure better serves the many visitors to the Siam community in Carter County and will improve access to the nearby Watauga Lake.”

For Speaker of the House Kent Williams, the new bridge is a fulfillment of a campaign promise to bring more state spending to Carter County and Upper East Tennessee, which he has often said has been neglected for 100 years.

The old one-lane steel bridge that was replaced was a symbol of that neglect. It had been declared structurally deficient and had dangerous approaches. “The curvy entrance to the old steel bridge was a safety hazard to the hundreds of people who crossed it almost every day,” Williams said.

For Carter County Mayor Johnny Holder, the bridge represents the completion of more than a decade of effort to get a new one at the site after a three members of a family lost their lives when their van failed to negotiate the 90-degree turn at the approach to the old bridge.

“Thi s is a dream come true,” Holder said. It was made even sweeter by the fact the federal stimulus money was used to construct it, removing the need for $306,620 in county matching funds which have been returned to the county treasury.

For prime contractor Charles Blaylock, the bridge project “allowed us to keep from laying off a crew and we were able to hire local people whose wages stayed in the community.”

(Ron Campbell / Johnson City Press)

You see, Phil Roe? This is progress. This is the kind of thing that makes America great. People building and improving and creating.
NOT PEOPLE STANDING AROUND WHINING LIKE LITTLE GIRLS.

Jobs created, jobs saved. Shows just how short-sighted and ineffective Phil Roe really is as a congressman. Even though he’s done everything he can to prevent building bridges and repairing Tennessee schools, we got it done in spite of his regressive efforts.

VOTE MIKE CLARK, PROGRESSIVE FOR US CONGRESS TN-1