Duffield audience promised 'full economic development effort' by incoming Gov. McDonnell's administration

DUFFIELD - Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling pledged an aggressive economic development effort will happen in incoming Gov. Bob McDonnell’s administration as state and local officials cut the ribbon on the new $5.9 million Crooked Road Tech Center Tuesday.

Bolling, a Republican appointed by McDonnell as the Commonwealth’s “Chief Jobs Creation Officer,” said an “Opportunity Virginia” economic development program will be rolled out next week before McDonnell’s inauguration and include new tax incentives, regulatory changes and an effort to bring jobs to rural Virginia.

“We need to be spending more money, not less money, in the area of economic development,” Bolling told more than 25 business and government leaders at the ribbon cutting. “We’re going to be proposing a significant financial investment package in things like the economic development partnership and tourism council, the film office and expanding international recruitment...today, Virginia doesn’t even have an international marketing presence in the two most rapidly growing economies in the world: China and India.”

Bolling noted Virginia’s unemployment rate – about 6 percent compared to a national unemployment rate of more than 9 percent – is about double compared to three years ago.

He held up the newly-dedicated 39,000-square-foot technology center as a potential job creation machine.

See Wednesday's print edition of the Kingsport Times-News or its enhanced electronic editon for the complete report.