Dalton RobertsAfter my election in 1978, six county executives from nearby counties came to ask me to serve as chairman of the Southeast Tennessee Development District. Planning districts mostly plan, and I was not interested in just planning for the sake of planning. I wanted to get some things accomplished.
I was impressed with the group and decided to give it a shot. They asked me to stay on each year for the next seven years, and we became an engine for progress in Southeast Tennessee. I am as proud of our work together as anything else that happened in my public service. A special bonus to me was the friendships we forged.
I told them my feelings, and they assured me they, too, wanted some action on projects in the district.
Our first test was when Gov. Ned McWherter said to me, “Dalton, the elected folks in Southeast Tennessee have asked for a new bridge as long as I remember but have never agreed on where to put it. If you can get them to agree on where to put it, I will build it.”
We rented a room at a state park, and when everyone was present, I said, “We are here to agree on the location of a new bridge, and we are not leaving this room until we reach an agreement. The floor may get bloody, but can we agree we will stay here until we agree?” Everyone agreed.