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Stuart Crine, Commissioner Ann Pope, Van and Rep. Curt Weldon tour the new Fire Services and Codes Academy.

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U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon Impressed by 4th District

I spent the day Thursday promoting Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District to one of my colleagues in Congress, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon.  Chairman Weldon holds a number leadership positions in Congress that give him key roles in several significant projects I am focusing on for the Fourth District.  I was very pleased to have him down to see some of the great things happening in Tennessee.

Chairman Weldon and I began our day with a stop we were both very interested in making -- a tour of the new State Fire Services and Codes Enforcement Academy in Unionville. 

Local fire departments mean a lot for our communities – most importantly, they save lives.  A good department can also save homeowners a lot of money on insurance.  Once completed, the academy will make an significant contribution to the effectiveness of our local fire departments.

In his nome state of Pennsylvania, Chairman Weldon has served as a volunteer firefighter.  In Congress, he and I have worked together on firefighting issues through the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, which was founded by Chairman Weldon to assist firefighters and enhance fire safety.  I was very pleased to have the opportunity to show him some of the innovative things we are doing in Tennessee to make our communities safer from fires.

After the tour, we joined approximately thirty fire chiefs and firefighters from around the state for a luncheon. 

A special thanks goes to our hosts, Commissioner Anne Pope, Academy Director John Mogan and Assistant Commissioner Stuart Crine for their hospitality and assistance during our visit to the academy. 

Thursday afternoon, we received a briefing and tour at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC).  As Chairman of the Military and Research Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, Chairman Weldon is a key figure in overseeing the development and testing of key military systems, weapons programs and technologies such as the ones worked on at AEDC.

AEDC is one of our nation’s foremost testing facilities, and I know Chairman Weldon was very impressed by what he saw.  AEDC already plays a vital role in our defense, and showing leaders like Curt Weldon what AEDC can do will only help us increase that role.

Last week in the telegram, I wrote about a special field hearing of the Education and Workforce Committee that will take place on Thursday, August 24 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Gibbs High School in Corryton. 

The hearing will focus on one of the biggest challenges facing school districts today, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I support the effort to channel more of our education dollars into IDEA.  Such an action will not only help the disabled children this act serves, but also allow for more flexibility to local schools in the use of their funds.

While the monetary issues surrounding IDEA often get most of the headlines, I have learned by meeting with teachers and parents that the real issue facing them regarding IDEA centers around questions of discipline.  We must try to find a solution that takes into account the needs of educators as well as the students they teach. 

Witnesses will include:

Please join us for this very interesting and informative afternoon.

Veterans hold an honored place in our country.  Their willingness to put their lives in danger to protect our liberty has always been valued by our country.  However, at times, the federal bureaucracy, the Congress and the President have not always given veterans the respect they are due. 

Vets often find it difficult to deal with the bureaucracy of the Veterans Affairs Department.  A number of times during my recent round of town hall meetings, veterans told me about problems they are having with the Veterans Administration.  Recently, the VA sent a letter to veterans demanding payment for past due accounts.  It went on to threaten action if not paid. 

Many veterans were shocked to get these letters because they had never received bills in the first place.  When my office looked into it, we discovered in many cases, these veteran’s secondary insurance carriers had never been billed by the VA. 

This is sloppy procedure by the VA and another example of the department not placing the needs of veterans first.  My office is looking into the matter, and we will get to the bottom of it.  Out of respect for their contributions and sacrifices, veterans deserve effective, efficient service. 

The federal bureaucracy is not alone in disregarding veterans.  Congress has not always done a good job keeping faith with our veterans either. 

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Van takes time out after the Giles County town hall to hear about special needs in the community.

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Russ Deadrick (First Asst. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern Division of Tennessee), Van, Quinton White (U.S. Attorney for Middle Tennessee) and Vince Morgano (DEA Asst. Special Agent in Charge) after the meth summit in White County.

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Methamphetamine Summits Bring Law Enforcement and Communities Together to Fight Drugs

Last Monday, I hosted the first in a series of "meth summits," a new effort I have begun to help law enforcement deal with the growing problem of the illegal drug known on the streets as meth.  These summits are designed to bring experts together to help local law enforcement agencies utilize resources to deal more effectively with this deadly drug.

The first of my "meth summits" was held in Giles County for the western third of the counties in the Fourth Congressional District.  Tuesday, I held another in White County for the central portion of the district.  Thanks to the help of Sheriffs Eddie Bass and Guy Goff, Quinton White, Russ Deadrick, Vince Morgano and many others, these initial summits were very successful. 

Meth is one of the most dangerous illegal drugs, and it is having a terrible impact on our young people and our communities right here in rural Tennessee.  The scourge of drugs used to be a problem more associated with big cities, but meth is relatively easy to make and meth labs are cropping up in our small towns and rural counties.  Small police and sheriff departments are struggling to equip themselves to handle it.

Stopping meth’s devastating consequences to our children and young adults is something that needs special attention.  These summits are bringing experts together to help local law enforcement crack down on the problem they are facing with methamphetamine. 

Fighting meth can put a tremendous strain on the already tight budgets of many law enforcement agencies.  Each time a meth lab is discovered, it costs an average of five to seven thousand dollars to conduct the clean-up.  Earlier this year, I fought in Congress to get an emergency appropriation of fifteen million dollars earmarked to help local law enforcement with the clean-up expense.  Now that the money is there, we will also be guiding departments on how to get the help they need from the federal government. 

Our next meth summit will be held on Monday, August 21st at 10:00 a.m. at the City Centre in Morristown.  Law enforcement from Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Grainger, Hamblen, Knox, Pickett, Scott and Union counties have all been invited to attend.  Anyone else who is interested in fighting this deadly problem is welcome to join us.

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Van meets with Mike Smathers, Executive Director of  Creative Compassion in Crossville.  Creative Compassion is a non-profit organization that develops and manages housing for low income families.  Last year, the median family income of families they assisted was $12,500.  Since 1993, the organization has provided housing for 126 families and helped 14 families become homeowners.