Opposing OMB's move to split the Tri-Cities

Southwest Virginians including Lenowisco Planning District and Congressman Rick Boucher are joining the chorus in opposition to the incredible decision by the federal Office of Management Budget to split the Tri-Cities TN/VA area into three separate metropolitan statistical areas, which has the effect, among other things, of separating Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee, as reported here in the Kingsport paper.

The OMB's justification is that the numbers of commuters between Bristol Virginia and the Tennessee counties was not high enough, as reported here. But what was wrong with the old rules?