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.