{source}[[span style=”float: right; border-left: 1px solid gray; border-bottom: 1px solid gray; margin: 0pt 0pt 5px 5px; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 5px;width:250px;”]][[h3]]Related Articles[[/h3]][[br /]]{loadposition related}[[/span]]{/source}
August 9, 2010; Source: American Chronicle | We almost always cringe when we read that a state has unexpectedly slashed promised support to a nonprofit. However, this time we said “hurrah” after lawmakers in West Virginia stopped the state from going forward with a $1 million grant for the Greenbrier Classic golf tournament.
According to the Charleston Daily Mail, the money would have supported promotion costs for the event, which is operated as a nonprofit activity, with the balance helping fund the $6 million in tournament prize money. “You can’t ask a poor person in West Virginia to fund a golf tournament through their tax dollars,” said Delegate Mitch Carmichael.”
Sign up for our free newsletter
Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.
The state had argued that the expenditure was in West Virginia’s best interest because Greenbrier is a major employer and according to a spokesperson, an “economic driver.” Similarly, House Finance Committee Chairman Tom Campbell said the tournament brings important exposure to the state. “What’s that worth is not just a good feeling, which I think came out of that, but it’s worth future investment in West Virginia, which means jobs,” Campbell said.
Saying West Virginians “are struggling under a tremendous burden now economically,” House Minority Leader Tim Armstead added that the state could not “justify a million dollar expenditure for the golf tournament under the current circumstance.”—Bruce Trachtenberg
