How can we fix the WV economy? (Charleston, Huntington: college, organic)
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Try to attract retirees. As a place you can live on Social Security, that's a good sell. Of course you need more hospitals and medical facilities but remember: almost all are insured! I'm sure there are plenty who moved away years ago who can be persuaded to return. And surely some refugees from high COL areas. Oh yes, you'd have to invest in shuffleboard courts!
Not a bad idea. The eastern panhandle could pull DC/Baltimore retirees. Thanks to the strong competition between Valley Health and WVU Medicine, we already have the medical facilities in place with more being built as we speak.
Housing opportunities are plentiful, as well.
A lot of DC folks have a strong appreciation for outdoor rec. and the scenery the eastern panhandle provides. Just go the parking lots in Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown and Hollywood Casino; DC/VA/MD tags dominate.
I will say the state tourism office is doing an excellent job of marketing WV in DC. Many Metro and MARC stations have large print ads across the walls. I've seen billboards there as well.
The best thing Wheeling has going for it is a well built downtown. It probably has one of biggest downtowns for a city of ~27,000. Market district and the Victorian row nearby are easily my favorite part to hang around when I have standby days in the field. I have probably dropped $200 on Center Cup Coffee and Later Alligator last year.
That downtown wasn't built for 27,000 people. It was built for 68,000 people living inside the city limits, and another 200,000 people living in towns all around there immediately adjacent to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area in a thriving industrial area of steel, glass, chemicals, tobacco, transportation, coal, entertainment, and agriculture. The old money that predominated there is still evident in arguably the world's best municipal park system, and what remains of amazing architectural treasures. Open borders brutalized the Upper Ohio Valley, exposing the once prosperous middle class to cheap labor competition.
That downtown wasn't built for 27,000 people. It was built for 68,000 people living inside the city limits, and another 200,000 people living in towns all around there immediately adjacent to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area in a thriving industrial area of steel, glass, chemicals, tobacco, transportation, coal, entertainment, and agriculture. The old money that predominated there is still evident in arguably the world's best municipal park system, and what remains of amazing architectural treasures. Open borders brutalized the Upper Ohio Valley, exposing the once prosperous middle class to cheap labor competition.
All of which I know. I have studied the city history fairly well. I even visited the glass museum and was astonish how such a prolific industry fell on its face due to outsourcing and the overall decline in manufacturing.
It would really nice to see the city prosper again. The river setting is beautiful and there are good bones.
I see reading was an optional course in your education. I said nothing about GDP. This is about effective governance. I will stop there since lengthy text seems to confuse you.
I get it now. You think that there’s no correlation between infrastructure, education, planning, funding entitlements etc. and a state’s GDP. Virginia exceeds by nearly every metric. I guess we just lucked out, has nothing to do with years of stewardship from Richmond, which you say is one of the worst state capitols in the USA (again, although the city’s GDP is greater than the entire state of WV).
Besides the fact that it is an impossibility, everyone in the state would have to vote on and they would never pass such a stupid move.
You do understand what you are comparing, right? West Virginia has many issues, but state governance, as much as we complain about it and the layers of corruption here, it is LIGHT YEARS ahead of what Virginia does. Virginia hides a lot of ineptitude under the fat federal dollars that pour in both ends - NOVA and Norfolk. Richmond is one of the worst run capitals in the country and the entire state is run much worse than is West Virginia. If ever the two states re-united you had better hope your lucky stars align and let the capital stay in Charleston and put everyone in Richmond on the unemployment line.
I usually agree with you Caden but not so sure on this one unless you have some data I am missing...Virginia is run much better than West Virginia. A lot of federal dollars do pour into the state but the same can be said for many others in America. Fairfax County alone is home to nine fortune 500 companies and they can add another one with Arconic moving from Pittsburgh/ NY later this year. Amazon is bringing in 25,000 jobs to Arlington as part of the HQ2 East Coast split between DC area and NYC. The state is consistently rated as one of the top states for business in the country. To be fair, it was as you described up until about the 70s when almost every person was employed by the federal government.
Richmond is also underrated and in my opinion an up and coming area- The city itself has posted very strong population growth over the last 8- 10 years, is attracting a large number of young people into the core and has seen an explosion of new restaurants and businesses. It's been a huge turnaround from the cesspool of crime it was in the late 80s/early 90s. The Richmond area also has a fairly strong and growing corporate presence for an region of just over a million people. For now greater Richmond is performing much better economically than Hampton Roads (that could change with another big defense build up with Trump similar to Reagan in the 80s).
I do agree with you that West Virginia needs to completely clean house on the leadership front- and bring in people who can spell the word 'jobs'- The state has a lot of potential, it just seems like it is always squandered by self serving politicians who are way more focused on random legislation such as restricting abortion, etc. That and a largely apathetic rural populace who loves to accept things as they are and not seek improvement.
Besides the fact that it is an impossibility, everyone in the state would have to vote on and they would never pass such a stupid move.
You do understand what you are comparing, right? West Virginia has many issues, but state governance, as much as we complain about it and the layers of corruption here, it is LIGHT YEARS ahead of what Virginia does. Virginia hides a lot of ineptitude under the fat federal dollars that pour in both ends - NOVA and Norfolk. Richmond is one of the worst run capitals in the country and the entire state is run much worse than is West Virginia. If ever the two states re-united you had better hope your lucky stars align and let the capital stay in Charleston and put everyone in Richmond on the unemployment line.
Virginia just attracted Amazon while West Virginia is struggling just to survive. Virginia has been wildly successful and West Virginia is a failed state. WV has beautiful scenery, but the experiment of West Virginia statehood has been an abject failure. Time to admit reality.
Virginia just attracted Amazon while West Virginia is struggling just to survive. Virginia has been wildly successful and West Virginia is a failed state. WV has beautiful scenery, but the experiment of West Virginia statehood has been an abject failure. Time to admit reality.
Will you take us back? Please, we promise not to fuss this time.
I usually agree with you Caden but not so sure on this one unless you have some data I am missing...Virginia is run much better than West Virginia. A lot of federal dollars do pour into the state but the same can be said for many others in America. Fairfax County alone is home to nine fortune 500 companies and they can add another one with Arconic moving from Pittsburgh/ NY later this year. Amazon is bringing in 25,000 jobs to Arlington as part of the HQ2 East Coast split between DC area and NYC. The state is consistently rated as one of the top states for business in the country. To be fair, it was as you described up until about the 70s when almost every person was employed by the federal government.
Richmond is also underrated and in my opinion an up and coming area- The city itself has posted very strong population growth over the last 8- 10 years, is attracting a large number of young people into the core and has seen an explosion of new restaurants and businesses. It's been a huge turnaround from the cesspool of crime it was in the late 80s/early 90s. The Richmond area also has a fairly strong and growing corporate presence for an region of just over a million people. For now greater Richmond is performing much better economically than Hampton Roads (that could change with another big defense build up with Trump similar to Reagan in the 80s).
I do agree with you that West Virginia needs to completely clean house on the leadership front- and bring in people who can spell the word 'jobs'- The state has a lot of potential, it just seems like it is always squandered by self serving politicians who are way more focused on random legislation such as restricting abortion, etc. That and a largely apathetic rural populace who loves to accept things as they are and not seek improvement.
I am not sure if you realize it, but you are reinforcing my assertion, but you are drawing a diametric conclusion.
When a ton of money is pouring - and Virginia gets that for proximity to the Federal seat and the many, many federal facilities from Norfolk to Newport News to NOVA - you do not have to be good at handling money. Also, with all that 'free' money floating around, there is more than one pair of hands stuffing their wallets with ill-gotten gains. If Virginia was not corruptly and ineptly operated it would be against human nature with all of the resources poured on them by an accident of geography - not wisdom or ability.
Amazon moving is not a one-sided effect. Amazon demands the be paid off - bribed, in other words - to drop one of the locations in a region. That bribe is not a one time payment either, it will never end but most of the future extortion will be less front-page and more back room. Washington (the federal government) is supremely corrupt - it is the nature of bureaucracy. Richmond has been front and center in the class room, as has every city up to its ledger in federal facilities. They mimic the example before them.
Being rated one of the best is not based any more on reality or fairness than the US News college rankings. Cherry picking data to present a simple picture to sell a point. West Virginia, more or less runs on what West Virginia produces, Virginia gets handed most of what it depends upon to make ends meet.
Virginia just attracted Amazon while West Virginia is struggling just to survive. Virginia has been wildly successful and West Virginia is a failed state. WV has beautiful scenery, but the experiment of West Virginia statehood has been an abject failure. Time to admit reality.
Amazon expected billions in bribes to move into an area. I'm just as happy we did not do that.
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