Lt. Governor Ramsey lies about 16 Elizabethton trout hatchery emails to TNGA Senate

[doeriver]

E-mails on fish hatchery don't back Ramsey claim
Count shows pros, cons even
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100613/NEWS0201/6130342
BY ERIK SCHELZIG • ASSOCIATED PRESS • JUNE 13, 2010



TNGA Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey (l), TNGA House Speaker Kent Williams (r)

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey told reporters toward the end of the legislative session that e-mails from constituents supported Republican senators' opposition to a fish hatchery project in northeast Tennessee.

An Associated Press records request filed the day after the legislature adjourned Thursday shows that GOP senators received just 16 e-mails about the $16 million fish hatchery, and that they were evenly split on the project.

Ramsey's spokesman did not respond to a message seeking comment.

An impasse in budget negotiations ended only after independent House Speaker Kent Williams of Elizabethton agreed to drop his demand for funding the fish hatchery in Carter County.

Ramsey, who lives in neighboring Sullivan County, last year voted for the design of the hatchery. This year he called the project "purely pork barrel spending."

Ramsey, who is running for governor this year, said at a news conference on May 25 that the issue was one "that our members are getting e-mails on, that say please don't fund a fish hatchery when you're cutting mental health."

The e-mails favoring the project were mostly sent to Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, whose district includes Carter County.

(...)

Ramsey said his opposition to the hatchery had nothing to do with lingering anger at Williams for thwarting the GOP's nominee for House speaker last year.

Even if Ramsey disavowed any revenge motive, some of the e-mails showed a different view.

"Even if I were in favor of it, I see no reason to reward that Scalawag, Kent Williams," wrote Vance Hughes of Decatur in an e-mail to Sen. Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland.

Five Republican senators said they received no correspondence on the hatchery, while Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville said she may have received some e-mails but had deleted them. Seven more Republicans, including Ramsey, did not respond to the records request made to the entire caucus.

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