Clintwood VA small town with big corruption (Richmond: apartments, luxury)

[billieg]

Clintwood Virginia is the most corrupt town I have ever lived in. The poor and elderly poor are mistreated by the police force, public housing apartments are allowed to get by with very poorly maintained living conditions. They allow the large grocery store, Food City, to charge higher prices than the other Food Cities, they will not allow any competition in the town. The town is ran like a police state environment. The police force harasses the poor population and let wealthier citizens go with a slap on the hand. And the list goes on...

[getatag]

Let me guess, you are poor or elderly, or both, you have had a recent entanglement with pollce (probably at Food City) and you live in an appt.

[VA Yankee]

So where are you moving to?

[gemstone1]

Grocery stores in small towns having the upper hand is nothing new, Food Lion is another example of this. Other than their specials, like the $.29 turkey, they are expensive in my area.
I refer to shopping there as a luxury tax....for the privilege of living in rural VA. However I do try to limit my "tax" to essentials, while I travel to larger communities for major shopping.
Unfortunately many seniors do not have that option, and find themselves paying inflated prices due to lack of competition.

[Serious Conversation]

Food City is notoriously high price and low quality. They're the only option in this part of the state, so they can basically charge whatever they want.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by billieg

they will not allow any competition in the town.

Please provide any evidence that it is the town (and not the lack of consumers) that does not allow competition.

[thatdurncat13]

I remember about a year or so ago I read something about a person putting signs all around town complaing about those very issues. It was on some news source. Not here.
Guess the signs aren't working.

[webster]

While it's not indicative of corruption, there is a lack of political competition in some respects in Dickenson County. The Sheriff won with over 95% of the vote; on the flip side, the Commissioner of Revenue won by just 2% (rounded) of the vote. Clerk of the Court by 3.5% (rounded). Less than 5,000 people voted, but the county population is a little over 15,000, not a bad turnout.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by webster

While it's not indicative of corruption, there is a lack of political competition in some respects in Dickenson County. The Sheriff won with over 95% of the vote; on the flip side, the Commissioner of Revenue won by just 2% (rounded) of the vote. Clerk of the Court by 3.5% (rounded). Less than 5,000 people voted, but the county population is a little over 15,000, not a bad turnout.

The problem is isolation and lack of new ideas and new blood running for office. Everything in those counties is basically a retread of decades ago.

[webster]

True, small pool to pull from for leadership and since 1980, the population has declined about 25% with systemic issues: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/di...countyvirginia

Richmond City is often berated as the poster child for disfunction, but Dickenson County is faring far worse in most areas. For a side by side comparison: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...inia/PST045222