Interesting tidbit from this morning’s Bacon’s Rebellion, which if it isn’t on your short list of Virginia new media outlets to read, it ought to be.
As Northern Virginia goes, so goes Virginia. The wealthy Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., account for 45% of the state’s economic output. If NoVa is in a slump, as it has been the past few years, a peppy performance in Richmond, Hampton Roads or elsewhere won’t do much to counteract it.
What’s more, the deep and enduring connection with the federal government means that the transition from government contracting to business contracting is going to be a transition of sorts — a transition we are seeing play out in real time.
When contrasted against the rest of the “Golden Crescent” along the I-95/I-64 corridor, it really brings into perspective the size of the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas in terms of economic impact.
Those who struggle along as regional centers — Charlottesville, Roanoke (pictured), and Bristol? Is it any small wonder why Virginia’s campaign dollars focus in Northern Virginia while the far corners of the state languish for similar attention?
Read it all.