Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-07-2019, 06:25 AM
 
Location: SW Virginia
2,189 posts, read 1,389,410 times
Reputation: 2016

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by spencer114 View Post
Personally I think throwing money and resources at rural Virginia is a loosing proposition.
I’d rather spend the money and energy relocating them to productive parts of the state (you know, where their children and grandchildren moved a long time ago). The rural economy (and coal economy) aren’t coming back. Busing in doctors and dentists and keeping rural hospitals open, even though they have few patients, won’t work long term. Broad band and technical training isn’t going to help a town 45 minutes away from the nearest interstate. There’s only so many tourists dollars to go around (a meaningful tourism economy isn’t likely because these places aren’t that accessible and mature tourism infrastructure exists along I81 and I64).

Not all small towns need to exist. We need to let the idea that they do go.
Being from SW Virginia and not Extreme SW Virginia (as many mistakenly assume), I have a hard time understanding the rural part of the state there. There are plenty of opportunities if they would just work at them. The Logging industry and Farming alone should be flourishing there. Along with specialized businesses that can take advantage of the Low Taxes and friendly Regulations. Many businesses only need a local post office to survive. Between governmental guidance and local determination, it should not be that big of a problem there. Now that the Coal industry has fallen, people need to diversify. I always said, if I have Land, I will find a way to make money with it. And I have.

Last edited by 16 Acres; 11-07-2019 at 06:34 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-07-2019, 06:32 AM
 
Location: SW Virginia
2,189 posts, read 1,389,410 times
Reputation: 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Dominionite View Post
I do not agree Virginia is "royal blue" at all. Realistically, it's more "light blue."
I agree. Democrats should not get too giddy about it. It could flip back before you know it.

Plus land wise it is still overwhelmingly Red. I know that doesn't drive politics, but there is something to say about it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 06:52 AM
 
2,255 posts, read 2,374,586 times
Reputation: 2716
Quote:
Originally Posted by 16 Acres View Post
Being from SW Virginia and not Extreme SW Virginia (as many mistakenly assume), I have a hard time understanding the rural part of the state there. There are plenty of opportunities if they would just work at them. The Logging industry and Farming alone should be flourishing there. Along with specialized businesses that can take advantage of the Low Taxes and friendly Regulations. Many businesses only need a local post office to survive. Between governmental guidance and local determination, it should not be that big of a problem there. Now that the Coal industry has fallen, people need to diversify. I always said, if I have Land, I will find a way to make money with it. And I have.
There was a really good piece in either the NYTimes or Washington Post about how there are still opportunities in rural areas, they may not be super plentiful but they’re still there but for a lot of people there were issues with passing drug tests, transportation, etc. it becomes a vicious cycle.

This is why dems have talked about putting more money into local community colleges so people could get the proper training and certifications but I think there are a lot folks who don’t really want to put in the extra work, good paying jobs with no post HS education don’t exist anymore. That’s just the way it is nowadays.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 06:57 AM
 
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,097 posts, read 16,918,205 times
Reputation: 15460
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOVA_guy View Post
There was a really good piece in either the NYTimes or Washington Post about how there are still opportunities in rural areas, they may not be super plentiful but they’re still there but for a lot of people there were issues with passing drug tests, transportation, etc. it becomes a vicious cycle.

This is why dems have talked about putting more money into local community colleges so people could get the proper training and certifications but I think there are a lot folks who don’t really want to put in the extra work, good paying jobs with no post HS education don’t exist anymore. That’s just the way it is nowadays.
I think the bolded part is the real key with younger people having this expectation of going out in the world and living life as they have always known it. Anyone older know you have to work to succeed and earn what you want, education can help but only if you invest in a marketable skill. Being flexible is a big factor too, sometimes you have to take a round about route to get where you want to be...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 07:47 AM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,896 posts, read 30,997,308 times
Reputation: 47247
Quote:
Originally Posted by 16 Acres View Post
Being from SW Virginia and not Extreme SW Virginia (as many mistakenly assume), I have a hard time understanding the rural part of the state there. There are plenty of opportunities if they would just work at them. The Logging industry and Farming alone should be flourishing there. Along with specialized businesses that can take advantage of the Low Taxes and friendly Regulations. Many businesses only need a local post office to survive. Between governmental guidance and local determination, it should not be that big of a problem there. Now that the Coal industry has fallen, people need to diversify. I always said, if I have Land, I will find a way to make money with it. And I have.
I used to work for Northrop Grumman in Lebanon, VA. The goal was to turn that site into a call center, data center, and software engineering office.

That part of the state has so many disadvantages that it's hard to even begin describing them all. Northrop and CGI, two federal contractors, opened offices there in 2007/2008. The reasoning was that the labor and overhead were cheap, along with lengthy property tax abatement.

What actually happened? Northrop couldn't find enough local software engineers to staff the openings. There weren't enough qualified locals. Pay was low by urban standards, so they couldn't attract people from other parts of the state. They might get a few H-1Bs fresh out of college, but they'd get a year or two of experience then leave. Ultimately, they couldn't find enough staff and closed the engineering office.

The call center has held on with a skeleton crew of long-time locals who aren't willing to move. Again, most of the younger staff used Northrop and CGI as springboards to either transfer internally or move to an urban area.

People with job skills and options don't want to live in tiny, declining communities with just an Applebee's and Walmart for entertainment.

I'm not sure what can be done to gin up real progress in somewhere like Norton or Lebanon, but it's going to be a complicated solution with cooperation from government, corporations, and the local population.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NOVA_guy View Post
There was a really good piece in either the NYTimes or Washington Post about how there are still opportunities in rural areas, they may not be super plentiful but they’re still there but for a lot of people there were issues with passing drug tests, transportation, etc. it becomes a vicious cycle.

This is why dems have talked about putting more money into local community colleges so people could get the proper training and certifications but I think there are a lot folks who don’t really want to put in the extra work, good paying jobs with no post HS education don’t exist anymore. That’s just the way it is nowadays.
Let's say you get a BS in software engineering from UVA-Wise. Fine - you have a marketable degree. Where do you work locally?

I was at Subway yesterday and heard the guy at the counter saying he had an engineering associate's from one of the local community colleges in VA. He's a sandwich artist. Sure, engineering is in demand in vibrant areas, but here, there's not much demand for it. There are no jobs.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 07:53 AM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,896 posts, read 30,997,308 times
Reputation: 47247
Quote:
Originally Posted by Audie Murphy View Post
I would not be surprised if the first big thing they do after the power shift is to legalize marijuana.
Hopefully.

This could be a bonanza for places in southern, southwest, and western VA close to conservative states like TN, WV, and KY that would never allow it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 10:19 AM
 
Location: SW Virginia
2,189 posts, read 1,389,410 times
Reputation: 2016
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation View Post
Hopefully.

This could be a bonanza for places in southern, southwest, and western VA close to conservative states like TN, WV, and KY that would never allow it.
We'll fight that the best we can. As if we don't have enough car crashes here in Virginia. Between people on their Cell Phones and/or Texting along with Deer in the road, why in the world would we want to add more to the mix??

Of course now I'm going to hear from all sorts that it will not cause even one wreck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 10:54 AM
 
2,255 posts, read 2,374,586 times
Reputation: 2716
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serious Conversation View Post
I used to work for Northrop Grumman in Lebanon, VA. The goal was to turn that site into a call center, data center, and software engineering office.

That part of the state has so many disadvantages that it's hard to even begin describing them all. Northrop and CGI, two federal contractors, opened offices there in 2007/2008. The reasoning was that the labor and overhead were cheap, along with lengthy property tax abatement.

What actually happened? Northrop couldn't find enough local software engineers to staff the openings. There weren't enough qualified locals. Pay was low by urban standards, so they couldn't attract people from other parts of the state. They might get a few H-1Bs fresh out of college, but they'd get a year or two of experience then leave. Ultimately, they couldn't find enough staff and closed the engineering office.

The call center has held on with a skeleton crew of long-time locals who aren't willing to move. Again, most of the younger staff used Northrop and CGI as springboards to either transfer internally or move to an urban area.

People with job skills and options don't want to live in tiny, declining communities with just an Applebee's and Walmart for entertainment.

I'm not sure what can be done to gin up real progress in somewhere like Norton or Lebanon, but it's going to be a complicated solution with cooperation from government, corporations, and the local population.



Let's say you get a BS in software engineering from UVA-Wise. Fine - you have a marketable degree. Where do you work locally?

I was at Subway yesterday and heard the guy at the counter saying he had an engineering associate's from one of the local community colleges in VA. He's a sandwich artist. Sure, engineering is in demand in vibrant areas, but here, there's not much demand for it. There are no jobs.

True.

Honestly, some of this stuff runs so deep I don't even know if our politicians can truly fix it. You're talking globalism, trade and just the fundamental changes within our economy that have taken place in the last 10 years but are really the result of deals that were made well over 20 years ago... it runs so deep. And also how millennials, who now make up the largest share of the workforce, just aren't interested in living in rural areas, it's a lot... I don't know how you can begin to untangle it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Boston - Baltimore - Richmond
1,004 posts, read 894,103 times
Reputation: 1707
Quote:
Originally Posted by 16 Acres View Post
We'll fight that the best we can. As if we don't have enough car crashes here in Virginia. Between people on their Cell Phones and/or Texting along with Deer in the road, why in the world would we want to add more to the mix??

Of course, now I'm going to hear from all sorts that it will not cause even one wreck.
Even if it helps the economy in those areas? You'd block something that would help that area stay above water for accidents that might happen? Are potential accidents the only reason?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-07-2019, 11:40 AM
 
Location: NY-VT-MA border
146 posts, read 113,283 times
Reputation: 824
Enjoy higher taxes and more rights for a few but less for most.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:49 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top