Buzz Trexler

Governor Phil Bredesen told Tennessee Press Association members Thursday night that some of the conversations he had outside of the dining hall before dinner carried the tone of people talking to a dying man. He assured the publishers, editors and others who were listening that, while he has less than a year left in office, he’s not dead yet.

He then went on to prove his point by announcing that enrollment in the state’s health program for uninsured children, CoverKids, will be reopened next month. Budget restraints forced the state to close enrollment in November, but Bredesen wants to spend an additional $13 million during the upcoming budget year, pulling in another $41.5 million in federal funds. The budget year begins July 1, but the governor says four months is far too long to wait. “When it comes to our children, that’s simply not good enough,” he said, adding that he has “every confidence” lawmakers will agree.

“Providing children health coverage needs to remain a priority for us,” Bredesen said. “And though we are in a tough budget year, that is still no excuse not to move forward on key priorities.”

The state’s medicaid program, TennCare, provides medical coverage for the poorest children in our midst. CoverKids targets families who make too much money to qualify for TennCare. They either can not afford private health insurance, or their employers do not offer insurance.

Some folks call these the “working poor,” but the working poor are probably more common among us than many know: The CoverKids benchmark is household income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. According to the eligibility chart, a family of four earning about $55,000 a year or less can qualify for the program with no monthly premiums. A “buy-in” is available for children in households with higher incomes.

Again showing he still has political breath, Bredesen stepped out further, saying he is a proponent of universal health care, calling it “long overdue.”

Whatever side of the political aisle you sit on, you have to admire a governor who refuses to be a lame duck when it comes to caring to some of the most vulnerable among us.

Gubernatorial candidate Jim Kyle responded to a question during Tennessee Press Association’s Gubernatorial Candidate Forum today by saying the phrase “transparency in government means many different things to many different people.”

That was obviously the case, if the seven candidates’ answers are any indication.

To Mike McWherter, who harkened back to the time when his father Ned McWherter had an “open-door” policy as governor, it was, “I will do everything in my power to develop a budget openly.”

To Zach Wamp and Bill Gibbons, it meant the door was open to lob some campaign disclosure bombs in Bill Haslam’s direction, each calling upon the Knoxville mayor who is also part owner of Pilot Oil to disclose his income tax returns. Wamp shot this in Haslam’s direction: “If you’re for transparency, where is this money coming from?”

To Ron Ramsey, it seemed to be mostly about streaming state legislature sessions over the Internet.

Bill Haslam got a little closer to the question when he said some on the panel confused public government records with individual records.

But it was Kim McMillan and Jim Kyle who appeared to get the closest to what was on many minds when it came to that question.

McMillan, who said her record speaks for itself when it comes to open government, talked of having sponsored legislation to open records, while consistently voting against closing records.

Kyle’s answer, in part: “Open records are under constant attack. There’s always a group wanting to close the records of government. I would suggest to you that citizens are protected when the records of the government are open.”

Some people just get it.

The first question asked by moderator Tom Griscom of the seven gubernatorial candidates at the forum this morning was to share one thing that is not on their resume. Given that some politicians have difficulty narrowing a statement down to any one thing, here is some of what was said:

Bill Gibbons: I know what it’s like to struggle. I’ve been there.

Bill Haslam: I have loved being a mayor of Knoxville.

Jim Kyle: I’m a University of Memphis basketball fan.

Kim McMillan: I was adopted as an infant by two wonderful school teachers who raised me with the notion that you can do whatever you want to do, even if you are adopted.

Mike McWherter: I serve on the Jackson Energy Authority Board. … That has given me a really unique insight into how to bring energy to an area and how to improve energy in an area.

Ron Ramsey: The fact that I try to be a good husband and a good father.

Zach Wamp: I’m motivated by impact: Not money. Not power.

We’ve got seven gubernatorial candidates who are preparing to line up before state media gathered in Nashville during Tennessee Press Association’s Winter Convention and Press Institute. Notes from their provided bios:

• Bill Gibbons, Shelby County district attorney general, who has served in that post since November 1996. Gibbons, who served on the staff of former Gov. Lamar Alexander, has also served on Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission.
• Businessman and current Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. In his bio, Haslam notes that he worked “‘for a couple of years’ managing his family’s small chain of gas stations.” He has served as mayor since 2003.
• Jim Kyle, been the Democratic leader of the state Senate since 2005.
• Kim McMillan, first woman in Tennessee history elected Majority Leader of the state House.
• Mike McWherter, a small businessman from Jackson who worked on the 1986 gubernatorial campaign of his father, Ned McWherter.
• Ron Ramsey, Tennessee Lieutenant Governor and the first Republican Senate Speaker in 140 years.
• Zach Wamp, who has served 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press publisher and executive editor, looks like he’s having a lot of fun getting ready for this event. He promises some hardball questions and very little wiggle room for the candidates.

Looking forward to it.

According to Middle Tennessee State University’s presentation of “Public Opinion in Tennessee: 2009-2010″:

• The economy is the nation’s No. 1 problem.
• Majority report being personally hurt by the recession.
• Most believe health care reform is an important issue.
• Ambivalent about proposals in Congress. (Poll conducted prior to proposals being fully unveiled.)
• Less approval of President Obama in fall 2009 than in spring 2009.
• Confidence rating concerning Obama’s performance on economy, foreign policy, health reform, ethics mixed between spring and fall.
• More Tennesseans say Obama is doing enough to work with Republicans (although not a majority in fall 2009).
• More believe Obama is doing well with bipartisanship than say the same about Republicans.
• Most approve of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s job performance.
• Tennesseans are ambivalent about this year’s election.
• Tennesseans’ opinion on state legislature are mixed, as well as who should control (Republicans or Democrats) the General Assembly.
• Spending priorities: Education tops the list.
• Wine in groceries: 62 percent support.
• State income tax ban: Ambivalent, depending upon the framing of the question.
• Handgun carry in parks, restaurants, bars: For all three venues, most disapprove.
• Bottle deposit bill: 83 percent support
• Illegal immigration: Ambivalent on how to state should deal with this,  depending upon framing of the question.

Jason B. Reineke, associate director of MTSU Poll, reviewed the results today during Tennessee Press Association’s Winter Convention and Press Institute. You can find the details at mtsusurveygroup.org.

Reineke noted that MTSU has correctly predicted every major election since 2002, except Corker-Ford in 2006.