Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester applauds Gov. Phil Bredesen for using federal stimulus dollars to create much-needed jobs in Lauderdale County where the unemployment rate is nearly 19 percent, the highest in the state.

“Gov. Bredesen’s unique plan to use that money to create jobs in Lauderdale County underscores his commitment to put Tennesseans back to work and help communities through these hard times,” Forrester said. “Our state is facing a tough road ahead as revenues shrink and demand for services continues to rise.

“I’m confident, though, we will get through this downturn, especially when we use common sense and determination to do what is right for our citizens, our communities and our state.”

Lauderdale County’s 18.9 percent unemployment has remained at that level for the past three months, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Forrester pointed out that Gov. Bredesen used a similar approach earlier this year with some of the state’s federal stimulus money to create jobs in Perry County, which reported an unemployment rate exceeding 27 percent after its biggest plant, an auto parts manufacturer, closed and moved its jobs to Mexico. The latest data show Perry County with a 16.9 percent jobless rate.

“Most of West Tennessee is facing double-digit unemployment,” Forrester said. “Partisan political games have to stop if we are going to move this region and our state forward.”

State officials have aggressively pursued economic development efforts to create more jobs in Tennessee. They, in fact, are currently developing a 1,500-acre industrial park in Haywood County to boost West Tennessee’s economy.

The state also has been awarded a $62.5 million federal stimulus grant to build a solar-power demonstration farm on 20 acres next to the Haywood County “megasite” project and develop a solar-power research institute at the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus.

The electricity generated by the solar farm, which is expected to lure other manufacturers interested in developing clean energy to the Haywood megasite, will flow into the TVA’s power grid. Some Republican lawmakers tried to stop the megasite project by removing money from the budget to purchase the land.

“It’s obvious more has to be done to get Tennesseans back to work,” Forrester said. “To do that, though, requires leaders from both sides of the political aisle to work together. This next year is going to be tough as the governor and the state Legislature try to come up with a balanced budget.

“Sacrifices are going to have to be made across the board. We cannot afford the grandstanding and finger-pointing that took place in the Legislature during its last session. We are all in this together, so I would hope we could all get along and find real solutions to the problems facing us,” he added.