By Lewis Loflin
In 2016, Southwest Virginia allocated $157,424.50 in tourism grants, favoring visitor campaigns while Abingdon’s wealth—fueled by affluent retirees—drove up property taxes, doubling my own with scant benefits for workers. The $17 million Artesen Center, a failed tourism venture, collapsed under a flawed study I warned against, counting gas station sales as impact. Nearby, Bristol lost two trailer courts, and zoning laws block new ones, pushing out the poor, as a Damascus realtor noted: “the poor are being pushed out.” I’ve critiqued this in Plant Nursery Grants and BVU Corruption. In 2025, these inequities demand action in the Tri-Cities.
Similar missteps in Scott County and Energy Center highlight systemic flaws.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation funded:
Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Uniquely Bristol Marketing Initiative: $50,000
Virginia Highlands Festival’s Paint the Town: $9,424.50
Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Public Relations and Native Advertising Campaign: $25,000
Birthplace of Country Music’s Unbroken Circle Marketing Initiative: $50,000
The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming - New Audiences: $25,000
Per the Bristol Herald Courier (March 7, 2016), these grants aimed to boost tourism but lacked job or revenue metrics. Concentrated in Abingdon—Washington County’s retiree hub—they overlooked Bristol’s struggles, echoing Washington County’s skewed priorities.
Like the $30,000 boutique grant in Washington County, these favored image over workers.
The $17 million Artesen Center, planned as a 25,000-square-foot crafts hub at Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) in Abingdon, promised 100,000 visitors yearly. Backed by Virginia Tobacco Commission grants, it stalled by 2013 over costs and weak demand, never opening (Bristol Herald Courier, Nov. 29, 2012). I warned of its doom, exposing a paid study—claimed independent—that inflated impacts by counting gas station sales. This shoddy methodology, lacking rigor, misled funders. By 2016, VHCC pivoted to renovations, leaving the site dormant, akin to The Falls.
Abingdon’s affluence, driven by retiree move-ins, has spiked property values (47% rise by 2025), doubling taxes for residents like me with no clear gains for workers (Abingdon-VA.gov, April 2025). Studies, like a 2018 Virginia Tech report, warn such growth raises infrastructure costs while offering low-wage jobs, not stability. In Bristol, two trailer courts vanished, and zoning laws block replacements, shrinking affordable housing. A Damascus realtor’s words—“the poor are being pushed out”—capture the squeeze, worsened by grants favoring tourism over homes, as seen in Job Losses.
The 2016 grantees, mostly non-profits, thrived on public funds, prompting oversight questions. Former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s 2013 audit flagged the Virginia Tobacco Commission for potentially violating Virginia’s constitution by funding non-profits, citing past abuses (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Aug. 6, 2013). With $1 billion spent since 1999, often to connected groups, reforms faltered. My unanswered requests for their IRS filings reflect opacity, mirroring TICR’s accountability gaps.
Cuccinelli’s 2013 reform push sparked GOP resistance, tied to his Tea Party stance, aiding Terry McAuliffe’s 2013 win, who backed tourism grants ($1 million in 2016) (Washington Post, Nov. 6, 2013). Both parties enabled funding, but Abingdon’s grant focus ignored Bristol’s 33.9% child poverty, per Tax Increases. Workers bore the cost, as retiree-driven growth raised living expenses without quality jobs.
In 2025, Abingdon’s proposed $0.23/$100 tax rate cushions its wealth, while Bristol grapples with debt (Abingdon-VA.gov). Hard Rock Casino (2024) lifts taxes, but poverty (15-20%) persists. The Tobacco Commission, nearly depleted, faces closure talks, yet non-profits like Enhance Abingdon Foundation seek grants (Abingdon-VA.gov). The Artesen study’s failure and housing losses warn of unchecked growth, lessons for Meth Epidemic’s call for equity.
The region can refocus:
| Action | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Transparent grants | Builds trust |
| Affordable housing | Supports workers |
| Job training | Drives stability |
| Valid studies | Ensures impact |
Per Job Losses, worker-centric policies are vital.
The $157,000 grants, Artesen’s collapse, and wealth-driven pressures like lost trailer courts show misplaced priorities. In 2025, Southwest Virginia must prioritize housing and jobs to support, not displace, its working class.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.
