Hillary: Incompetent or Criminal?

My View by Jim Yacavone

(October 28, 2016)

On July 5, 2016, the FBI interviewed Hillary Clinton about her use of a private email server while Secretary of State. Hillary either played dumb or was dumb during that interview. Among other things, Hillary claimed she could not recall: 

Hillary: Experience Does Not Equal Competence

My View by Jim Yacavone

(October 6, 2016)

Like Chatty Cathy dolls stuck in an endless loop, Hillary Clinton supporters constanttly assert that she has more “experience” than Trump. They must mean she’s been in government longer because she certainly does not have a record of competence or achievement. 

In her eight years as a senator she had only four bills that became law: the Kate Mullany National Historic Site Act, two bills naming post offices, and a bill designating part of U.S. Route 20 as the “Timothy J. Russert Highway.” Wow, what a record of legislative accomplishment. 

Trump’s Taxes are a False Issue

My View by Jim Yacavone

(September 30, 2016)

In the first debate Clinton suggested that Trump has not released his tax returns because they show he is not as charitable or wealthy as he claims or, perhaps, because he did not pay taxes. To the latter allegation Trump replied, “That makes me smart.”

Clinton supporters take this as a tacit admission that Trump’s returns will reveal he did not have any income tax liability for the years in question. They feign shock and dismay and act like this makes Trump a bad citizen and a traitor to the country. Not only is that monumental hogwash, but if the Clinton faithful actually believe the test of good citizenship is whether you pay income tax you don’t owe it demonstrates they truly are idiots. To paraphrase the Donald, that makes them not smart. 

Deplorable Me, Despicable Hillary

My View by Jim Yacavone

(September 16, 2016)

In the last Presidential election over 61 million people voted for the Republican candidate. The numbers in this election should be in that vicinity. Thus, we can reasonably expect that at least 50 to 60 million voters will support Trump in November. Hillary Clinton believes that half of these voters—some 25 to 30 million— are a “basket of deplorables” made up of “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic” people because they support Donald Trump and disagree with her policies. 

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

My View by Jim Yacavone

(September 8, 2016)

By now there should no question among rational people (which probably excludes hardcore Hillary supporters) that Hillary Clinton is an inveterate liar. Heck, she even lied about her name claiming that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the man who first climbed Mt. Everest. The problem is that she was born in 1947, and Sir Edmund climbed Everest in 1953. 

What is a Taxpayer's Fair Share?

My View by Jim Yacavone

(September 1, 2016)

Hillary Clinton has run a lot of ads promising to make the wealthy pay their “fair share.” President Obama and the Democrats use the phrase often. This got me to thinking—what is a fair share of federal income taxes? 

We Need Some New Olympic Events

My View by Jim Yacavone

(August 21, 2016)

             I watched a lot more of this year’s Olympics I have in a long, long time. You can do that when you’re retired. While I miss the good old Cold War days when Russia and East Germany were our primary rivals, these Olympics have been entertaining.

We don’t appreciate how talented the Olympic athletes are. I saw a suggestion recently that each Olympic event should include a contestant who is just an average schmoe so we have a baseline to measure the performance of the athletes. It’s not a bad idea. It has the added advantage of injecting a little humor into the Olympics. I’d like to see the average American male attempt the pole vault or shot putt. I’d pay good money to see Rosie O’Donnell on the uneven bars or the balance beam. 

Bringing More Transparency to County Government

My View by Jim Yacavone

(August 12, 2016)

The King is dead. Long live the King. Those are the traditional words uttered when an old king dies and a new king has been named to take his place. Here in Fannin County, the old king—Commission Chairman Bill Simonds—has not died but done the electoral equivalent by losing the election to a new king, Stan Helton. Helton takes office in January. 

The Role of a District Attorney

My View by Jim Yacavone

(July 29, 2016)

The recent arrest of Mark Thomason, the publisher of this paper, and his attorney, Russell Stookey, on charges of identity theft and making a false statement made me curious about the proper role of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system. 

The Little Piggies of Fannin County

My View by Jim Yacavone

(July 17, 2016)

Most of us are familiar with the game that mothers play with the toes of their infants. It starts out, “this little piggy went to the market” and ends “this little piggy went wee, wee, wee all the way home.” Based upon the amount of trash I see alongside our roads it appears that too many of those little piggies grew up and reside in Fannin County. 

Fannin County Residents Deserve a New Library

My View by Jim Yacavone

(July 2, 2016)

There’s a big debate at the county over how to divvy up the SPLOST funds if the SPLOST referendum passes on the November ballot. There are many competing interests within the county making a case to get a share of the money. I was going to work in an analogy to pigs trying to feed at a small trough but I don’t want to offend any of the involved parties. 

What’s In a Name?

My View by Jim Yacavone

(June 19, 2016)

We have a problem in Fannin County—we don’t have a good, catchy nickname to call ourselves. Instead, we’re stuck with referring to ourselves by cumbersome phrases such as “Fannin County residents” or “citizens of Fannin County.” These phrases lack pizzazz. They make us sound like a census statistic rather than the wonderful people that we are. 

Welcome to Fannin County

My View by Jim Yacavone

(June 4, 2016)

If you are a newcomer to Fannin County you may have heard that the county is run by good old boys who are suspicious of new ideas and resistant to change. You also may have been warned that it’s not a good idea to rock the boat by criticizing the establishment. 

Bill Simonds and the EEOC

My View by Jim Yacavone

Bill Simonds may be the best argument for Fannin County changing to a county manager form of government. Having a county manager would help ensure there is a least one trained, professional government administrator involved in county decision-making. The latest revelations of the county’s recent age discrimination settlement is but one example that illustrates my point.

Bill Simonds's Unforced Errors

My View by Jim Yacavone

In sports they are called unforced errors. They are mistakes that are not caused by the other team or game conditions but rather by a player’s carelessness or inattentiveness. Coaches hate unforced errors, and if a player consistently makes them, the odds are that he or she is not going to be in the game too long.

Fannin County Commission Chairman Bill Simonds has made his share of unforced errors, and some of them have cost the taxpayers money. On occasion his administration of the county more closely resembles amateur hour at a local talent show than it does an efficiently administered local government. You get the impression that there are times when Simonds acts without thinking or consulting anyone.

A Letter to the Editor

(This is a letter to the editors of the three weekly newspapers in Fannin County addressing the county's failure to codify and publish its ordinances. It was emailed to the papers on April 3, 2016.)

Dear Editor,

In 2001 the Georgia legislature passed a law requiring all Georgia counties to prepare and publish a codification of their “ordinances and resolutions” by January 1, 2002 and thereafter to update their codes of ordinances every year. Fannin County has complied with this statute only once in 14 years. In 2007 the county published a code of ordinances but has neglected to update the code since then.  

Do You Really Know What HB 757 Says?

My View by Jim Yacavone

A giant controversy has erupted over The Free Exercise Protection Act (HB 757) recently passed by the Georgia legislature. The LGBT community is urging Governor Deal to veto the act, and a number of large organizations, including the NFL, have threatened consequences for the state if the bill is signed into law. Deal has until May 3 to sign or veto the bill.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation about what the bill says. I was told by one opponent that it would allow a baker to refuse to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. While there are bills in the legislature that may allow that, HB 757 is not one of them. 

Quit Your Whining, Democrats

My View by Jim Yacavone

You have probably read about the angry howls of protest from Senate Democrats over the Republicans’ vow not to vote on Obama’s Supreme Court nominee until after the Presidential election. On a quiet night you can even hear them here in Fannin County. Maybe those are coyotes—I’m not sure.

The Coming Storm of Development

My View by Jim Yacavone

There’s a storm com­ing to Fannin County. It will be over progress and development. It will cross the boundary between newcomers and old-timers and divide the county into two camps, and it has the potential to get mean, vicious and ugly.  

Gun Control in Lowell, Mass.

My View by Jim Yacavone

It was reported recently that persons applying for a license to carry (LTC) a concealed firearm in Lowell, Mass., have to write an essay to obtain the license. Conservative commentators are outraged claiming that the ordinance is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Curious, I obtained a copy of the law. 

Bias and Prejudice in Progressive Hollywood?

My View by Jim Yacavone

It seems the chickens are coming home to roost in that bastion of nauseating progressivism, Hollywood.

Take Your Snooty Nose Elsewhere

My View by Jim Yacavone

Fannin County is a rural area according to the U.S. Census, and that makes the residents of Fannin County a dwindling minority in this country. According to the 2010 Census, only 19.3 percent of the population in this country lives in rural areas.  

Syrian Refugee Column Draws Responses

My View by Jim Yacavone

Thanks to Nancy Zimmerman and Paul Klein for their letters to the editor in response to my column about Syrian refugees published a couple of weeks ago. My column questioned whether Obama’s plan to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees is wise in light of the San Bernardino massacre, reports that ISIS fighters have infiltrated the refugees and what we have learned about our government’s unreliable process for vetting the refugees.