Tony Shipley Blatantly Deceitful
East Tennessee Lawmaker Claims Credit For Someone Else's Work KINGSPORT - Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester and state House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner called out state Rep. Tony Shipley today for trying to take credit for a road-improvement project along a dangerous stretch of highway in Sullivan County. Shipley conducted a press conference this morning at a local business along Memorial Boulevard to claim credit for work that first began on the road in 2004. Former state Rep. Nathan Vaughn pushed for the road-improvement project soon after being elected to the General Assembly in November 2002. "Trying to take credit for the work that Rep. Nathan Vaughn did on that road-improvement project is pitiful and deceitful," Forrester said. "Everyone in Sullivan County knows that Rep. Nathan Vaughn did all the heavy lifting for that project. "Mr. Shipley should be honest with his constituents and give credit where credit is due." According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the state spent $2 million for project planning and environmental work on State Route 126 (Memorial Boulevard) between 2004 and 2008. The state during that period also added new highway striping, guardrails, reflectors and center-line rumble strips, and redesigned the intersection at Carolina Pottery. TDOT officials have said that planned long-term improvements along Memorial Boulevard, which include reconstruction of a length of the highway, have been estimated at $90 million. Shipley defeated Vaughn by 322 votes in a controversial November 2008 election that included inflammatory campaign literature being distributed against the three-term incumbent. "Mr. Shipley wasn't even in the state Legislature when Nathan (Rep. Vaughn) convinced the state to start making improvements up there," said Turner, who attended this morning's press conference. "In fact, the complete project is going to cost another $90 million. "Calling a press conference to take credit for someone else's work is low down. He shouldn't be calling for a press conference until he gets that $90 million. Sullivan County residents and motorists need to thank Nathan Vaughn for getting the state to fix a dangerous road," he added. ### |