Virginia tobacco body under scrutiny (again) for suspiciously large gas project grant
Last edited Thu Dec 18, 2014, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)
Virginia tobacco body under scrutiny (again) for suspiciously large gas project grant
By Robert McCartney Columnist December 10 @McCartneyWP
A suspiciously large public grant from the controversial Virginia tobacco commission to a natural gas project in the southern part of the state should add to citizens misgivings over how business gets done in the Old Dominion.
The tobacco commission dished out $30 million for a gas pipeline even though its staff calculated that the project merited just $6.5 million based on the commissions own economic formulas.
Intriguingly, commission staff said the larger grant was made because of political pressure from the office of former governor Bob McDonnell, according to a draft report by the state inspector generals office recently made public by the Associated Press.
Neither the commissions acting head, Tim Pfohl, nor McDonnells lawyers denied that such lobbying might have occurred. ... Pfohl insisted, however, that the larger grant was made to ensure that a $1 billion power plant and $300 million pipeline would be built in tobacco country, which the commission is supposed to serve, rather than in a competing location.
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robertmccartney@washpost.com
That area of Virginia really has been decimated by the loss of both the furniture making industry and the textile industry. Franklin County and Patrick County were especially hard hit. It's not as if they're awash in money.
I am wearing today a Cross Creek turtleneck shirt. The company was located in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The shirt is old enough that it was made in the USA. I have no idea where they manufacture their clothes now.