Arggggg!!! How about that bunker money?

The TN GOP press release this afternoon starts with this:

As State Faces Massive Deficit, Gov. Bredesen Complains Republicans Stopped Him From Spending More

NASHVILLE – With Tennesseans facing a tough economy, the state budget facing a $600 million deficit, and a Democrat-controlled Congress itching to raise taxes, Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen has just given the best explanation for why Tennessee taxpayers need a Republican majority in the state legislature: to keep the Democrats from spending too much.

Bredesen, campaigning in West Tennessee for state Senate candidate Randy Camp, a former lobbyist and administration insider, said voters should chose Camp rather than Republican Dolores Gresham because Camp would let him spend more money.

Said Bredesen: "The Senate in particular has been very partisan. This hurts me in education areas. There were things that I wanted to do in education. The free community college idea, for example, that would have helped this district." (snip)

You spent the money available on what you considered important, Governor.

From my post of December 2007 see what the price for that party bunker would have purchased:

1834 public school students
or
304 public school teachers
or
the per capita income of 429 constituents

and from Books From birth
participation for 426,666 children...

I'll know he's serious about the state budget when he expresses buyer's remorse over that $17 million party bunker.