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. 

I’m skeptical that a newcomer is under any genuine threat for criticizing the ways things have always been done. Maybe in the old days but not now. This isn’t the Mafia we’re dealing with. I don’t think anyone is going to wake up with a severed horse’s head beside them in bed. A possum or squirrel maybe, but not a horse’s head.

It doesn’t surprise me that some of the people in positions of authority in this county prefer things just the way they are and are unreceptive to new ideas. Any time there is an influx of new blood to an area it is inevitable that there will be a few entrenched old-timers who are cool to new-fangled notions. That’s too bad because some newcomers may have ideas and suggestions worth considering.

It’s for darn sure that the first pioneers who settled this area were not afraid of change when they decided to move to Northwest Georgia to seek new opportunities. Once here, they welcomed new ideas and innovation. They built schools to educate their children and roads to enhance commerce. They sought out better ways to grow crops, earn a living, market their products and improve their standard of living. They looked to the future and not to the past.

The good old boys who are suspicious of newcomers and their ideas should consider why newcomers move here. Most new folks come to this area to get away from the hassles of urban life—the traffic, the crowding, the rudeness, the crime, the high taxes and the pressure. They come here because they like the casual pace of life, the friendliness of the people, the small town atmosphere and all the other things that make Fannin County great. The last thing they want to do is to turn this area into the place they came from.

That doesn’t mean that all the newcomers’ ideas are good ones—just because they do it differently elsewhere doesn’t mean it’s a better way—but it does mean that most of the newcomers are motivated to preserve and improve the community rather than ruin it. Recalcitrant good old boys should be less suspicious of the newcomers’ motives and more receptive to their ideas and suggestions.

Surprise, surprise. Some of the ideas the newcomers bring to the table actually may be good ones that could help local government to run more efficiently or more responsively. Their ideas could help to improve the quality of life or protect the things that make Fannin County so attractive. Many retired newcomers held responsible jobs in government and private industry before they came. They should be viewed as a treasure trove of talent, expertise and experience that can be harnessed for the good of the county.

Finally, elected officials need to understand that the newcomers represent a powerful political force. As their numbers grow, their votes will matter, and you can bet they will want to live under local governments that are well run and well-managed. After all, it’s their tax dollars at work also.

Change, like it or not, is inevitable. The smart person is the one who manages change rather than runs away from it.

That’s my view; what’s yours?