Congressman Boucher's 2009 Funding Allocations for Southwest Virginia

In 2009, Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA) secured significant federal funding for Southwest Virginia, spotlighting Bristol with a $900,000 transportation project that stands out for its ambition—and its shortcomings:

Bristol Multi-modal Transportation Terminal and Trolley System: $900,000 to pave a city lot, build a passenger waiting area, and purchase three trolleys (18-43 passengers) for downtown Bristol, Virginia. Aimed at eco-friendly transit and economic vitality, it complemented existing Tennessee-side infrastructure.

By 2019, the trolley system had ceased, leaving no trace of economic gain. Nearby, Bristol’s $6 million renovated Train Station sits underutilized, and the $10-12 million Birthplace of Country Music Museum, unsupported by its namesakes, burdens taxpayers. Boucher also redirected $18.4 million in highway funds—yielding no pothole repairs or sustainable jobs. See Virginia Politicians and Highway Funding.

2009 Funding Highlights

Education and Social Programs:

• $476,244 to People Inc.: For 42 dropouts to earn GEDs and construction training ($11,300 each). People Inc. excels at aid distribution—I’ve benefited personally—but duplicates free GED and vocational options (e.g., Neff Campus). A two-year degree costs $3,000-$4,000; this could have aided 150+ motivated students.
• Boucher’s Take: “This assists 42 young adults with GEDs and career training.”

Healthcare and Veterans:

• Bristol VA Clinic: A successful outpatient facility for veterans—a rare win. See Boucher Supports Earmarks.
• $445,685 to Bland County Clinic: For equipment, vaguely specified.
• $344,955 to Clinch River Health: For electronic records in Dungannon—potential contractor perk.

Infrastructure and Tourism:

• $280,000 for High Knob Tower: Rebuilding a fire tower (total cost $550,000), claiming 5,000 visitors yearly—unsubstantiated.
• $7.4 Million for Fairwood Horse Camp: Replacing failed camps in Grayson County, touting tourism with no proven return.
• $1.3 Million for Virginia Highlands Airport: Runway extension, costing locals $250,000 annually to subsidize private aviation.

Energy and Research:

• $2 Million for Wise Energy Center: With $5 million from the Tobacco Commission, this clean coal facility remains underused—repeating a methanol flop that cost millions to clean up.
• $4.55 Million for Abingdon Lab: SWVHEC’s clean energy lab, atop $8 million prior funding, neighbors the $17 million Artisan Center.

Miscellaneous:

• $500,000 for Second Harvest: Building renovation, not food aid.
• $550,000 for Colleges: Energy training ($400,000) and a phone system ($150,000)—no job creation.
• $33,330 for Covington: Police cars, unrelated to recovery.

2025 Assessment

Boucher’s 2010 defeat ended his earmark era, but his $40+ million 2009 allocations left scant legacy. Bristol’s poverty rate holds at 25% (2023 Census), Tri-Cities employment is down 5% since 2009 (ETSU, 2024), and projects like the trolley, tower, and energy centers languish. The VA clinic endures; little else does. Citizens Against Government Waste once flagged Boucher as a top earmarker—his spending prioritized headlines over substance.

Wellmont Wellness Center Transition

In 2009, the Bristol Family YMCA assumed the Wellmont Wellness Center for $1/year after Wellmont’s withdrawal. Per the Bristol Herald Courier (January 23), it closed briefly in March, reopening under YMCA management. Members gained broader access but faced staff layoffs (150+ Wellmont jobs lost) and a shift to a family-centric model—disrupting its adult focus amid undisclosed plans.

Regional Job Trends: 2009-2014

General Shale Brick: Laid off 75 in Johnson City (generalshale.com).
King Pharmaceuticals: Cut 72 in Bristol, TN; later dissolved (kingpharm.com).
Tri-Cities (ETSU, Q3 2014): Employment dropped 1.7% to 218,244, labor force shrank 2.4%, unemployment fell to 7.1%—reflecting market weakness, not recovery. Ref: etsu.edu/hipples.

See History, Causes of Poverty in Southwest Virginia and Lenowisco Broadband Study.

• No US Job Creation 1999-2009
• Government War on American Labor Good for Commerce
• Emory & Henry Launches 9,000 Watt Station Paid for by Tax Dollars
• Boucher: $4 Million for Green Construction Training Program
• Federal Loan Helps Build New, Welfare Town Homes in Wytheville
• Boucher Misuses $2.5 Million for Country Music Museum
• Congressman Boucher, DIRECTV, and Virtual Jobs
• Congressman Boucher Brings Home the Bacon in 2009
• Congressman Boucher's Failed Call Center Legacy
• Lenowisco Broadband Study Warned Against Call Centers (PDF)
• Congressman Boucher Defeated in 2010
• Bristol Virginia Utilities Update for 2009, 2019
• Bristol Virginia Utilities Goes Independent
• Wise Virginia Call Center Won’t Hire 500 New Workers
• Tobacco Commission Sykes Fiasco Reveals Government Waste
• Local Leaders Complain to Senator Kaine - Ignore Workers
• Predominant Face of American Poor Is White
• Proof Limiting Mass Immigration Helps the Working Poor
• Born Again Jobs and a Shrinking Tri-Cities Labor Force
• Prime Choice Foods Files for Bankruptcy in Bristol
• What 70 New Jobs at Columbus McKinnon?
• Another 100 Jobs Lost in Bristol Virginia with College Closure
• Bristol Metals Fires 290 Workers
• 240 Phony Jobs and Corporate Welfare for Heritage Glass
• Bristol Raising Property Taxes to Pay for Corporate Welfare
• Caterpillar Plant Closure Costs Pulaski County 240 Jobs
• Arch Coal Fires Another 213 Workers - It’s the Tip of the Iceberg
• High Cost of the Non-Profits Industry

Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment: Thanks to Grok, an AI by xAI, for formatting assistance. The analysis and updates reflect my views, grounded in public data and observation. —Lewis Loflin

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