Ninth Stage

The June 14th edition of The Gallatin Newspaper (no website) reports that Mayor Jo Ann Graves is heading to China with Governor Bredesen on a “Trade Mission” at a cost to taxpayers of up to $10,000.

Gallatin Mayor Jo Ann Graves will be among those accompanying Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen on an economic development trip to China in October.

Graves will be part of a group that will include government officials, higher education officials and health care representatives.

Gallatin Economic Development Agency Director Clay Walker said the group will include stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Nice vacation, but why does the Mayor of a relatively small town like Gallatin need to go to China?

“The mission will focus on three primary categories,” Walker said, “health care, business investment and exports and cultural and educational exchanges.”

Business investment, OK. Exports, maybe. Cultural/educational exchanges, whatever. But health care? For who and at what distance, we are talking about China here. And besides, why does a politician have to make the trip on behalf of “business?”

“Contacts made on this mission could lead to Gallatin’s attracting our number one industry target — corporate headquarters,” Walker said.

Oh boy, corporate headquarters, you know we missed out on that bid for Boeing’s headquarters but corporate headquarters is what Gallatin’s known for. That’ll help the locals for sure.

“In addition to meeting with corporate leaders in China, this trade mission represents a golden opportunity to strengthen Gallatin’s relationships with the Governor and his staff, the ECD, and the other Tennessee business and development leaders,” Walker added.

In other words, it’ll help the political careers of Clay Walker and Jo Ann Graves.

The Gallatin EDA will allocate up to $5000 to help pay for the trip, according to walker.

At the meeting, the committee also voted to spend up to $5000 to help fund the trip.

(I’m not sure if this is an editing mistake or if the total amount could be $10,000 for the trip but that’s what I’m going with.) Gallatin has a population between 25,000 and 30,000, to put that $10,000 price tag in perspective, proportionally it’s as if The President of the United States made a trip to China costing 120 Million dollars. And at least a U.S. President might have a reason to travel to another country.

The likelihood that other than a small, and very select, minority of Gallatin residents seeing any return on their “investment” in this trip is zero. If the pols want to polish their resumes* résumés, let them do it on their own dime.

“This will be a big plus for the City of Gallatin,” Councilman Craig Hayes said.

Waste of the taxpayer’s money you mean.

*UPDATE: Uncle spanks.