Bolling: Jobs are No. 1

Lieutenant governor addresses chamber dinner

 Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling said Tuesday that he and Gov. Bob McDonnell both think creating jobs is the most pressing issue facing Southside and all of Virginia.

State officials remain committed to helping Henry County and Martinsville attract new jobs, he said during a visit to Chatmoss Country Club.

The area has seen job announcements in recent months, Bolling noted. An example he cited is Faneuil Inc.’s new call center in Martinsville, which plans to hire at least 250 people during the next three years.

Still, “there is a lot of work left to be done,” said Bolling, whom McDonnell has named as the state’s chief jobs creation officer.

“If we keep working hard ... there is no reason why we can’t get this (local) economy moving again,” Bolling said. But “we’re going to have to be patient ... and persistent” in working to help companies expand or locate here.

He made his remarks during the annual meeting and leadership recognition dinner of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG), an affiliate organization.

Bolling said he thinks the economy is improving, but there still are “economic uncertainties” and challenges, such as a decline in the real estate market.

Although there are challenges statewide, he said he knows that in Henry County and Martinsville, the economy has been “as tough ... as it gets.”

Momentum toward an improved economy must continue with assistance by the state, Bolling said.

In recent years, he said, Virginia had “fallen farther and farther behind our competitors” — including North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia — in terms of economic development incentives the state offers.

But that is changing on a statewide level, Bolling said, as “Republicans and Democrats alike have stepped up to the plate” to foster job creation efforts.

As an example, he said that this year an extra $57 million was allocated by the General Assembly for economic development and job creation programs that have proven useful.

He mentioned various strategies of the Governor’s Commission on Economic Development and Job Creation during the coming months to attract jobs and boost economic development in Virginia.

The strategies include establishing a fund to help emerging technology firms, such as those developing new forms of energy, as well as promoting tourism and finding ways to help small businesses prosper, Bolling said. He noted that small businesses create at least 70 percent of new jobs in the state and are “the backbone of our economy.”

He also said the state wants to reduce the tax burden on businesses.

Bolling noted an effort under way to establish a regional marketing effort in Southside. He said the state is willing to commit $200,000 if localities in the region are willing to contribute the same amount combined.

He said he is hopeful the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission also will contribute $200,000.

The region then could work together to attract businesses.

Bolling said state officials and local economic developers and lawmakers are “a good team” that is working together to help the area get jobs.

“I’m confident that we’re making the right choices and smart decisions” that will pay off as the state’s economy improves, Bolling said.

Bolling said he and/or McDonnell are making regular visits to Southside to assist in the region’s economic development.

“I’m beginning to feel like southern Virginia is my second home,” he said.