Democrat and Republican lawmakers in Nashville have been bickering over nailing down a state budget, accusing each other of stubbornness, bad faith and so forth.
At the center of the tussle is a desire by some to build a $16.1 million fish hatchery in Carter County, home of Republican-turned-independent House Speaker Kent Williams. Speaker Williams says the facility would increase tourism in the area.
Republicans say the hatchery is a waste of money in a time of obvious economic crisis for the state. But Democrats say Republicans are really just taking revenge on Rep. Williams. Last year, he and the Democrat House minority joined forces to elect him speaker, denying the Republican majority the opportunity to pick whom they wanted for that position.
Whose view of the fish hatchery is correct?
Well, that’s not really the important issue.
The cold, hard fact is, Tennessee, like many other states, is in a time of great economic hardship. As “nice” as a new fish hatchery might be — and even if it might increase tourism and create a few jobs — the state has no business using $16.1 million on such a project at a time like this. There are just too many worthy but underfunded things the state could legitimately be doing instead of lavishing those funds on a project that will really be only for the benefit of one tiny corner of Tennessee.
Out of concern for the state as a whole, Speaker Williams himself ought to ask to have the fish hatchery request withdrawn so the budgeting process can be completed.