NEWPORT-A crowd estimated at 100 people gathered at Mountain Crest Inn Friday morning for the Cocke County Partnership's inaugural Legislative Breakfast.

"We're very pleased you are here," said Partnership President Don Hurst. "With this being our first one, we thought we'd only have 30 to 40 people here. But, we were scrambling this morning to have 100 seats. We plan to have another one next March."

The Pigeon River, the North Carolina Rockslide on Interstate 40, and health care issues dominated most of the comments and questions presented during Friday's session.

Speakers included U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, Lana Moore of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander's Office, Bridget Baird of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker's Office, State Sen. Steve Southerland, State Rep. Eddie Yokley, Cocke County Finance Director Anne Williams (speaking on behalf of County Mayor Iliff McMahan Jr.) and Newport City Administrator Scott Collins (speaking on behalf of Mayor Connie Ball.

U.S. Rep. Phil Roe

Roe was first to address the crowd and expressed thanks to his senate colleagues and state and local officials for their efforts.

In particular, Roe thanked everyone who came out for the January public meeting concerning the Blue Ridge Paper Mill draft permit for discharging effluent into the Pigeon River.

"We're trying to get a meeting with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in my office," said Roe. "The river cleanup is a major economic issue for the region.

"Another big issue is we want trucks going through Cocke County again. They're saying it will be four to six weeks before the interstate is opened. We're trying to get them to open one lane in each direction."

Although health care is the focus of much debate in Washington, Roe said the biggest issue facing the country is jobs. "It's number one, number two, and number three," he said.

Roe said the U.S. ended the decade with the same number of private sector jobs as it started with. He said government needs to work hard to help in promoting jobs.

He said a recent poll reflected only 5 percent of the people want the current health care bill passed "as is" and 52 percent of the people want government to focus on the job issue.

Lana Moore

In presenting an update for Sen. Alexander, Moore reinforced Roe's comments concerning the Pigeon River cleanup and the rockslide.

"I hope the public meeting here was very eye-opening to the folks across the state line," said Moore.

She then focused on health care, which she said has now taken center stage in Washington. Moore went on to praise Alexander for his remarks with President Obama in last week's health care summit, and said Alexander is committed to make the people's voice heard on health care and other issues.

Bridget Baird

US Sen. Corker's field representative Baird said she, too, attended the meeting on the Pigeon River and added that Sen. Corker is working for cleanup of the river and is aware of the rockslide's impact on the region.

Baird said Corker, who serves on the Senate Banking Committee, has taken some heat recently for trying to mediate discussions to improve the credit situation and improve consumer protection.

She said Corker is not for a bailout but is working to assist on financial reform in a bipartisan manner.

Steve Southerland

"Don't ever give up" was the theme used in Southerland's presentation.

He cited the $500,000 grant for water lines to Point Pleasant and the efforts by himself, Yokley and local groups to get the water testing sites moved on the Pigeon River.

"Eddie (Yokley) and I went up on the river and we got legislation to have the testing site changed," he said.

Southerland said he contacted the EPA to get involved on the Pigeon River prior the January meeting and assured the crowd that he and Yokely will "continue to work together for Cocke County."

Eddie Yokley

Yokely opened his remarks by saying Gay Webb and local environmental groups should be applauded for their efforts on the Pigeon River cleanup.

Yokley then turned his attention to the state budget. He said the state is facing hard times, with revenues not expected to return to 2008 levels until 2013.

"It's not going to occur real fast," he said. "We have to react in a responsible manner."

On the positive side, Yokley cited the education package.

"It's about jobs," he said. "We can't let our children fall through the cracks. The new concept is to teach children from birth to age 20. It's not a party thing, it's a people thing."

In addressing health care, Yokely said he does not favor the bill in Washington, D.C., but added, "We do need to do things on health care.

"There are some people who are just left out there on their own."

Scott Collins

Representing Newport Mayor Connie Ball, City Administrator Scott Collins said the city would have a "special summer."

"After 12 years, our river walk will become a reality," said Collins. "It was initiated in the mid 1990s. This mayor and council have pushed it through and we should break ground this summer."

Other positive items cited by Collins included the old mill site being ready to be developed, the efforts to obtain a grant for improvements to the Tanner Building, a grant from the USDA for a solid waste transfer station, a $500,000 grant to help improve homes of low-income families, new sidewalks near Newport Grammar School and the city is preparing to launch a new Web site.

Anne Williams

Speaking for Cocke County Mayor Iliff McMahan Jr., who was in Washington on Friday, Williams started her presentation by discussing the Pigeon River.

"It has been an issue of longstanding importance," she said. "The EPA has issued a formal objection to the permit. That's good news and it rarely happens. It means the voice of Cocke County was heard."

Williams praised the Cocke County Waterways Advisory Council, Clean Water Expected for East Tennessee and Clean Water of North Carolina, along with state and federal officials for their support.

Williams said McMahan has sent a letter to Gov. Phil Bredesen requesting the EPA take over the permit.

Williams next explained about the Interstate 40 rockslide's impact on county revenues and said the county "had to take quick and drastic measures.

"We take out job seriously in handling your tax dollars," she said.

She also praised state and federal representative for their support on the matter.