“They are working for jobs.” Really? The labor force is imploding, disability roles explode as people turn to that for a living, and the region continues to rank in the bottom of the nation in most social demographics. Check with Dr. Steb Hipple at East Tennessee State University. Check the Sullivan County Jail; we even have our own TV show!

Republicans refused to defund the Obama amnesty; they support more replacement workers to further depress wages for the working poor. Where were you, Mr. Morgan Griffith?

Republicans have reduced public office to private fiefdoms. Economic development is a catch-phrase for corporate welfare, lucrative jobs and a bonanza for contractors, consultants, and friends — and zero accountability.

There’s the $150 million-plus looted for the Falls, the Pinnacle, etc. BVU uses ratepayer funds to underwrite millions for a stupid music program. An $8-an-hour call center moves across State Street, gets millions in incentives, and we call them new jobs.

Why is the Tobacco Commission even paying Dominion Energy $10 million? The $2 million being wasted to fund the so-called “Center of Excellence,” I predict, will produce nothing. Other than bailing out a nonprofit and the Abingdon Incubator, the program suffers from vague goals, no measurable standards, and zero public oversight.

The Phil Puckett scandal aside, when will the public shut this scandal-ridden agency down?

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