Governor Don Sunquist (I'm not making this up. That's really his name.) said today that Tennessee taxpayers will be funding the laying of fiber optic cables along Tennessee highways. The purpose, he said, was so that motorists could be warned about traffic jams ahead so that they could stop in the middle of the Interstate and check their maps for an alternate route. He failed to mention that the same fiber optics could be used to monitor your speed, your air pollution equipment, your identity, and your location so that you could be stopped and forced to pay all those old speeding tickets, and maybe a few new ones. He didn't mention a name for this new system but I think it could be called "Big Brother." Governor Sunkist...er, make that Sunquist...has been having a terrible time with the Tennessee General Assembly. I think all those special secessions are for the purpose of raising taxes to pay for Big Brother and some other stuff. Somebody even said the "I" word, but members of the legislative body insist that if they pass an income tax they will have a better chance of being lynched than they would have getting re-elected.
In the meantime, Governor Sunquist (No, really, that's his name. Look it up.)is continuing to do what ever it was that got him labeled as the worst governor in the nation. To be honest, I think that's a little harsh. There must be at least a dozen governors that are worse than he is. He has managed to keep the sales tax below 9% in most areas of the state and that wasn't easy. What? Yes, that's what I said. Sales taxes vary from place to place in Tennessee. It's called a local option sales tax. The way it works, is if your county wants more cash for, let's say education, you have to send more money to Nashville and they will send part of it back. It makes more sense than fighting traffic jams with fiber optics.
Howard