Do you want status quo or bold reform?

Bold Reform. It’s time for a new direction. It’s time for a new way of doing things. I believe we have much bigger issues that require immediate reform in order to position the State and our Counties and cities for the 21st Century as we compete with other States and countries around the globe.

Priorities. Voters tell me that their top State priority is modernizing our government for today’s economy and the future. Voters tell me that they want good jobs and a healthy community. We have so many areas in government to improve on. Like the voters that I have spoken with, I know that we need a new approach to governmental operations for the future, not a government stuck in the past. The status quo is just playing around the edges. I see no logical reason that our State and local governments cannot be improved. As a community leader, I know that we must aspire to achieve simplicity, efficiency and accountability in government in order to position the State and local governments to excel in the future and not just cave into the status quo. There is no time to waste; we have to get working! We can invest in our priorities through the savings and resources from true reform, not more status quo.

Metro, Hybrid or Status Quo. The time is right to move forward to a more streamlined and efficient government at all levels, especially under the purview of the State Representative’s legislative authority to reform government at the State and local levels. The platform for my campaign is simple – simplify government by streamlining State and Local government operations to save cost and invest for the future.

Leadership. As your next State Representative I can introduce laws and cast votes for this new approach. This is the job of the State House and Senate. No one else can change the laws that can improve our local governments – I will. I will introduce legislation in the House to reform government by streamlining the levels of government. I will propose ways to modernize the government by simplifying the cooperative agreements between the State and its Counties and Cities – basically, reforming Metro Government laws that offer the benefits of: simplicity, efficiency and accountability. We can achieve this through a reformed metro government model, a new Hybrid model or come up with a new way.

Current Laws Fail. Tennessee law is stagnant. Tennessee's out-of-date State laws on Metro Government were originally passed all the way back in the 1970s. They require cities and counties to mutually agree to Metro Government which is often against their individual political self-serving interest. Oddly Metro Government has only passed in 3 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. A new approach is needed right now to economically survive with our limited resources and tax dollars.

Status Quo. I am not one of those who think that our system is fundamentally broken or that our system is infested with “good ole’ boys”, but I do believe my new reforms will renew our economy. I believe cooperation makes perfect sense to voters; however, politicians often have a hard time achieving true cooperative agreements due to territorial protectionism. I sympathize with those elected officials and current government employees who are reluctant to accept change. I understand that it is always easier to keep on doing things the same way we have always been doing things, however the world is changing and we are competing with our neighboring counties, States, and other countries across the world. My opponent, Kent Calfee, has been the status quo for over 20 years. It’s time for new leadership.

Change is Fundamental. It all happened right before our eyes, but as a reminder - our current form of local government has, in fact, changed over the past 30 years. At the county level, we have gone from a county judge with a quarterly court to a county mayor with a county commission. Across the State, at the city level, we have gone from city commissions to city councils. We have always modernized our local forms of government in an effort to make them simpler and more efficient and more accountable. It’s time that someone with a vision fought for new, better government for Loudon and Roane counties.

Focused Leadership. As a candidate I have researched what "one" piece of legislation that I could introduce to make a positive impact and I firmly believe this is it. Why? Because, I realized that the combination of our many current local governments into one that would produce a government that would be simpler, more efficient and more accountable than the multiple separate governments that currently exists. I will reform those out-of-date laws to ensure counties consider the benefits of streamlined government. A metropolitan government is simpler - one government instead of many, one Mayor instead of many, one representative legislative body instead of many, one law enforcement agency instead of many, one finance department instead of many, one codes department instead of many, one public works department instead of many. In Roane County, they have already combined several aspects of government resulting in one dispatch department instead of many, one school system instead of many and one 911 departments; therefore, streamlining the local government is a logical next step to respond to economic demands.

Improvement:

• Would this mean better coordinated economic development opportunities? I believe, yes. The efforts of the County and cities would be working towards one common goal – more prosperity for all of all the people.
• Would this mean fewer employees? I believe, yes — over time, by reducing the necessary number of employees could be a benefit of metropolitan government.
• Would this mean less government buildings? I believe, yes. We could solve the problem of the courthouse and City municipal building overcrowding through a metropolitan government.
• Would this mean better government accountability? I believe, yes. Metro government could include an internal audit department. The new metropolitan could send out itemized tax statements so that every taxpayer would see where their tax dollars are being spent.
• Would this mean better education for our children? I believe, yes. Streamlined government would allow us to reinvest for our future and retraining for our workers.

Vote. This is your vote, it is not their's. If someone tells you that they are against my platform for streamlined government, then ask them why and then question their motives.

Action. When you think of streamlined efficient government, think of Jack McNew. When you think of a government structured for the future, think of Jack McNew. When you think of our limited resources realigned to support the local economy, think of Jack McNew.

Now is the time for new. It's time for a new approach. I will be your vote for an efficient government with investments for the future.

Jack

Vote New. Vote Jack McNew.