[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 8 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E96-E97]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING HAMILTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAROLD COKER FOR HIS DEDICATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ZACH WAMP

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 6, 2002

  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, as a Hamilton County Commissioner, a small 
businessman and community activist, Harold Coker has spend decades 
working to improve the school system, promote economic development and 
enhance the quality of life for all that live in Hamilton County.
  Before being elected to the County Commission, Mr. Coker was a 
successful business owner and was elected President of the Antique 
Automobile Club of America. Because of his dedication to the industry, 
he was also elected president of the National Tire Dealers Association.
  In 1982, when Mr. Coker was elected to the Hamilton County 
Commission, he went to work for efficient and more effective government 
and attacked abuse of power and corruption in local politics. He served 
as county commission chairman in 1985-86, 1995 and 1998-99 and 
throughout his service he has saved the taxpayers millions of dollars.
  For over twenty years Commissioner Coker's goal has been to bring 
about progress and make Hamilton County a better place to live. Harold 
and his wife Lill became involved in making the streets of our 
community safe. They urged the use of seat belts and strongly advocated 
against driving under the influence

[[Page E97]]

of alcohol or drugs. Harold was successful in obtaining a federal grant 
of $500,000 to form the DUI task force.
  In 1986 he was named by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the 
National Highway Transportation Safety Advisory Committee. While 
serving on the NHTSA board, Harold was instrumental in getting the 
child safety restraint bill and seat belt law passed in the state 
legislature. Tennessee was the first state in the nation to pass the 
Child Safety restraint bill and the bill became a model for the rest of 
the nation. He should take great satisfaction in knowing that many 
lives have been saved across the country because of this legislation.
  In 1986, Commissioner Coker also began an effort to improve the image 
of Chattanooga by working to create a river port and a river walk to 
add to the city's growth, development and livability. He only hoped to 
live long enough to see this project fully realized. I am pleased to 
report that the project will be completed this year before he leaves 
office in August.
  Another one of Commissioner Coker's primary concerns during his 20 
years of public service has been economic development. He was 
instrumental in establishing industrial parks, enterprise zones, and 
citizen action groups that will benefit the area for generations to 
come.
  Harold believed that a good education directly contributed to his 
success as a business owner and he was inspired to increase funding for 
schools as a County Commissioner. He voted for increases in teacher pay 
and as a result starting teacher's salaries have more than doubled 
during his tenure on the County Commission.
  The Coker family was awarded the Great American Family Community 
Award in 1983; he received the Sertoma Service to Mankind Award in 
1985; he was named Volunteer of the Year for the Heart Association in 
1987; and he was the recipient of the Public Education Foundation Award 
in 2000.
  Commissioner Coker will leave office at the end of his final term in 
August of 2002. I would like to personally thank him for his tireless 
efforts to make a difference in the lives of the people who live in the 
Tennessee Valley. We will miss his leadership, but his vision and 
principled stands will serve as a legacy and a lesson for all who are 
fortunate to be called a ``public servant.''

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