[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2886]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN CHATTANOOGA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take this moment to 
bring your attention to some exciting developments from my hometown of 
Chattanooga, Tennessee. For those of you who haven't heard, Chattanooga 
has undergone incredible transformation over the past several years; 
and, now, the story of our progress is making news across the globe.
  A few decades ago, Chattanooga's economy was dwindling. Legacy 
companies were closing. Local manufacturers were folding in the face of 
global competition. We were even said to have the dirtiest air in 
America.
  Today, Chattanooga is a place that has attracted more than $4 billion 
in new investment during the recent recession. It is a place that has 
the fastest residential Internet service in the United States, and 
Chattanooga is a place that one national publication called the region 
with ``the greatest economic growth potential'' in America.
  In August, the buzz about Chattanooga brought an economic and social 
development think tank to our city for a firsthand look. The group--
called the Intelligent Community Forum--studies 21st-century growth 
within the global community. It looks at cities that are leveraging 
21st-century infrastructure to create jobs and foster innovation. After 
spending a few days in Chattanooga, the Intelligent Community Forum 
confirmed something we have known for a long while: big things are 
happening in our community.
  What the Intelligent Community Forum saw during its trip to 
Chattanooga, and has learned about us since, recently led them to name 
our community as one of the seven smartest cities in the world. We are 
now running for the number one spot.
  The awards for top designation go to cities that are using 
information and communications technology to move every sector of their 
community ahead. These cities are leaders, and to be counted among them 
means you are growing in ways the rest of the world is not.
  The Intelligent Community Forum is saying Chattanooga is a place to 
watch. What they see in our community is what I want to talk to you 
about today.
  The same Chattanooga that once lagged behind the rest of the Nation 
is moving ahead. We're receiving praise from all sides for generating 
growth in an adverse economy and for maintaining an outstanding quality 
of life in the process. Chattanooga now offers the fastest residential 
Internet service in the United States and is one of only a handful of 
cities in the world that runs at 1,000 megabits per second. And the 
Electric Power Board, our city's local electric utility, has installed 
a fiber-optic network that uses smart meters to process real-time 
information and adjust transmissions according to the needs of 
individual homes. All 170,000 homes in EPB's service area benefit from 
this technology.
  But Chattanooga's strides in broadband and digital inclusion are just 
part of the picture. Chattanooga was one of the first cities to come 
out of the recession, thanks in part to a strong business community. 
Coordinated efforts between nonprofit organizations are driving small-
company formation. The Chattanooga-area chamber of commerce runs one of 
America's largest business incubators, with 60 companies employing more 
than 500 people under one roof.
  These are just a few examples of the way Chattanooga is setting 
itself apart from the rest of the world. Every leap we make ahead 
underscores the forces that are fueling our progress: vision and 
collaboration. These are exactly the qualities the Intelligent 
Community Forum looks at in a number one city.
  I would like to congratulate Chattanooga for the recognition it is 
earning, and I hope you will join me in supporting our quest to become 
the Most Intelligent Community for 2011. Great things are happening in 
Chattanooga right now; and, Mr. Speaker, a lot more are expected to 
come.

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