See Green Energy Boondoggle in Bristol Virginia

Bristol Virginia to Raising Taxes Over Corporate Welfare

by Lewis Loflin

The Bristol Herald Courier is reporting large tax increases and layoffs Bristol. The 2016-17 budget was $4 million in the red. This is resulting in the loss of another 9 jobs along with property tax increases, etc. Quoting Mayor Archie Bunker, oh I meant Hubbard says, "...it's going to require property tax increases - it's a fact of life if you want the services."

Most controversial is firing of two courthouse security officers. Sheriff Weisenburg wants the $90,000 restored claiming 26,000 people passed through courthouse checkpoint. Mayor Archie shot back, "Paying two people to just do the checkpoint doesn't make any sense." The police did get additional State funding.

Just what are these services everyone wants? This is the same idiots that gave $25,000 to the owner of an ice cream shop as an incentive package and will spend another $300,000 for road work at The Falls. The City is awash in corporate welfare corruption including around $1 million for a downtown hotel project. This has led to the City credit ratings in free fall.

Poverty level of children in Bristol, VA., among worst in the state

One out of every three city children lives below the poverty level - a figure that ranks among the worst in Virginia, a new report shows. Nearly 34 percent of children in Bristol, VA., live in a household where the median income is below $22,000, according to a report released Monday by Voices for Virginia's Children. ... Buchanan and Lee counties also rank among the state's highest child poverty rates at 34.9 percent and 33.1 percent, respectively. Washington County, VA., had the region's lowest child poverty rate at 19.3 percent.

The city experienced a nearly 5 percent increase in its child poverty rate since 2007. Across the Mountain Empire, the average increase was about 2 percent, with Smyth County reporting the largest increase at 6.2 percent. Dickenson, Russell and Wise counties recorded modest declines between 2007 and 2010. (Note that during that time they suffered large population drops in particular among young families with children.)

Quoting Bristol school official:

"Sixty-two percent of our students are on free and reduced lunch. But when you talk about Bristol city schools, we're trying to provide a conduit to help them attain a better life through education and a better chance. We work on this every day - every single day."

Ref. David Mcgee January 17, 2012.

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