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Bristol Virginia Teaching Positions Eliminated While Raising Taxes

by Lewis Loflin

  
  

Back on April 21, 2015 the Bristol Herald Courier has reported that Bristol Virginia is a shortfall of $575,000 in school budget. The $25.7 million spending plan remains out of balance to quote the press but has to be finalized by July 1.

Yet the city of Bristol Virginia has been on a corporate welfare orgy since 2012 running up almost $100 million in debt to pay for retail development. As many as 10 teaching positions may be eliminated.

Washington County Virginia at the same time is reported to be facing a $301,000 funding gap in its school systems. This comes on the heels of approving $2-$3 million in corporate welfare for a retail development on Interstate 81 Exit 19.

The Washington County school board is requesting $28.8 million for 2016. Even after targeting a half-million dollars in cuts they are still short on funding. Much of these funding increases hinge on a 1.5% increase in pay for "certain positions." In other words like Sullivan County it's exploding administrative costs.

In other words Walmart workers are being taxed for pay hikes benefiting higher paid professionals.

On July 15, 2015 the Bristol Herald Courier is reporting a 25% wheel tax increase by the Washington County Board of Supervisors. Supposed to be netting $250,000 they claim some of it will be used to help emergency services, but didn't specify were most of it was really going.

Let's see that $3 million corporate welfare bill for government funded retail to compete against legitimate private sector retail would more than pay for the wheel tax increase and the school budget. In our community corporate welfare always comes first.

Bristol Virginia and Washington County the best political corruption your tax dollars can buy.




 


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