Look out, destitute Virginians -- your unemployment woes are over!
The office of Virginia Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe issued a detailed, 495-word press release Thursday boasting about the creation of….12 jobs.
Twelve. Twelve jobs.
McAuliffe, who prides himself on job-creation platform -- despite having reneged on his promise to set up his green car manufacturing company in Southern Virginia, before the whole business turned out to be a total sham – lauded the expansion of Chrysalis Vineyards, a Loudoun County-based winery that’s adding a whopping dozen new jobs and a bakery to its burgeoning enterprise.
Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Chrysalis Vineyards will expand in Loudoun County, creating 12 new jobs and investing $478,000. The vineyard will add a creamery and bakery to its operation, providing visitors with the opportunity to purchase locally produced cheeses, breads, and wines on site. Chrysalis Vineyards will purchase 100 percent of its agricultural inputs from Virginia farmers.
“Governor McAuliffe approved a $24,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, which Loudoun will match with local funds,” McAuliffe’s office pointedly added.
In case you were wondering, there were 375,000-plus people living in Loudoun County as of 2015. So we're talking about less 0.0032 percent of the county's population, here.
Virginia's overall current unemployment rate is about 3.8 percent. But while the unemployment rate is substantially lower in Northern Virginia, where Loudoun County is located, the unemployment rate across rural areas in Southern Virginia can easily top 6 percent.
Of course, the (albeit overhyped) announcement of 12 new jobs is really great news for the 12 Virginians who’ll get to work at the vineyard’s new pastry shop, and best of luck to Chrysalis in its expansion. After all, everyone likes cheese, and it’s always good when a business buys local.
But it also just goes to show that when it comes to lauding his own job-creating aptitude, McAuliffe will pat himself on the back over just about anything.