A couple
of posts ago I talked about the upcoming primary election in Fannin county. The
election was held a couple of weeks ago, and I’m happy to report that the
candidates for the two positions I cared about the most won. Stan Helton beat
the incumbent, Bill Simonds, in the race for chairman of the county commission,
and Dane Kirby, the incumbent sheriff, beat his challengers.
Because the Democrats in Fannin County did not field a candidate for county commission chairman, Helton will be unopposed in the general election.
Even though Kirby has a Democrat challenger in the general election it’s all but certain that he will be re-elected. Running as a Democrat is an uphill battle in Fannin County. You might as well run as a member of the Communist Party. In fact, I suspect that the Communist Party and the Democrat Party are synonymous in the minds of many Fannin voters. You don’t see a lot of Obama or Hillary stickers on cars around here, and when you do you assume the owner is a misguided visitor from Atlanta or Florida. So unless Kirby molests an underage girl, is caught using a transgender bathroom or announces that he does not believe in God or the Second Amendment, he’s a shoe-in for the general election.
I did some research before I moved here for good and discovered that Fannin County is strongly conservative and Republican. (Romney received 80 percent of the vote in the last Presidential election.) Thus, I was surprised to find there is a small but vocal Democrat Party in Fannin County. I assumed there were a few closet liberals but I did not expect to find people openly admitting and even flaunting their affiliation with the Democrat Party much less openly consorting with others of like persuasion. The real shocker was seeing the Democrat Party float in the annual Fourth of July Parade.
I’m no fan of Democrats, liberals and progressives. I’m convinced they’re leading the country to ruin and damnation. However, even though I do not ascribe to their political beliefs, I have to admit to a certain grudging admiration for anyone who has the gumption to be openly and vocally Democratic in Fannin County. I imagine being an avowed Democrat and Obama supporter in Fannin County is like being the beer distributor at a MADD meeting or a NAMBLA supporter at a Southern Baptist convention.
In most circles in Fannin County if a person were to proudly proclaim that he or she is a Democrat and an Obama supporter the room would suddenly go quiet and everyone would stare at the person like he or she had just announced having a deadly infectious disease. Most Fannin residents would be torn between offering condolences or running like hell to get out of the room.
I find it interesting that I have started to pay attention to local politics. That certainly wasn’t the case when I lived in Pinellas County. Most of the time I didn’t know who was running or what the candidates stood for. Maybe it was because I was busy working so much. It also may have something to do with the fact that there are about 600,000 registered voters in Pinellas or the fact that elected county officials in Pinellas County seemed so remote and unapproachable.
But now that I’m retired and live in a small rural county I feel different about local elections. Obviously, I have more time to pay attention to local issues. Another aspect is that because the candidates with a chance of getting elected are all Republicans the races are not about big differences in political philosophies. That means the focus is on determining which Republican candidate is the most competent and qualified for a particular office.
The truth is that it’s hard not to take an interest in local elections when you live in a county with less than 25,000 inhabitants and only about 15,000 registered voters. The issues and the candidates are more immediate and relevant. Before the election I had the chance to meet and interact with Helton, Simonds, Kirby and his chief rival. I found I was more motivated to take an interest in the election because I had met met and talked to the names on the ballot.
Moreover, I have the feeling, perhaps foolish and idealistic, that my vote actually counts here and that I can genuinely influence my local government. It’s somewhat refreshing actually. Maybe that’s the way a democracy is supposed to work.
I have been asked several times whether I have political aspirations, and my answer is always the same: No way, Jose. I do not have the temperament and skills to be a politician. Besides, as a newcomer and with a last name like Yacavone I don’t think I'd have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected even if I did have political aspirations. All successful Fannin candidates have roots in Fannin County going back many generations.
That being said, I have a great interest in the way the county is being run and in assuring that it has open, honest and transparent processes and procedures. I’d willing and eager to do what I can to make sure the county does things in a way that does not expose it to liability. I’d like to see that it follows best practices for local government. Given my background and experience as an attorney, I think I have a lot to contribute to the discussion.
Everyone needs a hobby or two when they retire. It appears that one of my hobbies is going to be trying to improve my local government.
Because the Democrats in Fannin County did not field a candidate for county commission chairman, Helton will be unopposed in the general election.
Even though Kirby has a Democrat challenger in the general election it’s all but certain that he will be re-elected. Running as a Democrat is an uphill battle in Fannin County. You might as well run as a member of the Communist Party. In fact, I suspect that the Communist Party and the Democrat Party are synonymous in the minds of many Fannin voters. You don’t see a lot of Obama or Hillary stickers on cars around here, and when you do you assume the owner is a misguided visitor from Atlanta or Florida. So unless Kirby molests an underage girl, is caught using a transgender bathroom or announces that he does not believe in God or the Second Amendment, he’s a shoe-in for the general election.
I did some research before I moved here for good and discovered that Fannin County is strongly conservative and Republican. (Romney received 80 percent of the vote in the last Presidential election.) Thus, I was surprised to find there is a small but vocal Democrat Party in Fannin County. I assumed there were a few closet liberals but I did not expect to find people openly admitting and even flaunting their affiliation with the Democrat Party much less openly consorting with others of like persuasion. The real shocker was seeing the Democrat Party float in the annual Fourth of July Parade.
I’m no fan of Democrats, liberals and progressives. I’m convinced they’re leading the country to ruin and damnation. However, even though I do not ascribe to their political beliefs, I have to admit to a certain grudging admiration for anyone who has the gumption to be openly and vocally Democratic in Fannin County. I imagine being an avowed Democrat and Obama supporter in Fannin County is like being the beer distributor at a MADD meeting or a NAMBLA supporter at a Southern Baptist convention.
In most circles in Fannin County if a person were to proudly proclaim that he or she is a Democrat and an Obama supporter the room would suddenly go quiet and everyone would stare at the person like he or she had just announced having a deadly infectious disease. Most Fannin residents would be torn between offering condolences or running like hell to get out of the room.
I find it interesting that I have started to pay attention to local politics. That certainly wasn’t the case when I lived in Pinellas County. Most of the time I didn’t know who was running or what the candidates stood for. Maybe it was because I was busy working so much. It also may have something to do with the fact that there are about 600,000 registered voters in Pinellas or the fact that elected county officials in Pinellas County seemed so remote and unapproachable.
But now that I’m retired and live in a small rural county I feel different about local elections. Obviously, I have more time to pay attention to local issues. Another aspect is that because the candidates with a chance of getting elected are all Republicans the races are not about big differences in political philosophies. That means the focus is on determining which Republican candidate is the most competent and qualified for a particular office.
The truth is that it’s hard not to take an interest in local elections when you live in a county with less than 25,000 inhabitants and only about 15,000 registered voters. The issues and the candidates are more immediate and relevant. Before the election I had the chance to meet and interact with Helton, Simonds, Kirby and his chief rival. I found I was more motivated to take an interest in the election because I had met met and talked to the names on the ballot.
Moreover, I have the feeling, perhaps foolish and idealistic, that my vote actually counts here and that I can genuinely influence my local government. It’s somewhat refreshing actually. Maybe that’s the way a democracy is supposed to work.
I have been asked several times whether I have political aspirations, and my answer is always the same: No way, Jose. I do not have the temperament and skills to be a politician. Besides, as a newcomer and with a last name like Yacavone I don’t think I'd have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected even if I did have political aspirations. All successful Fannin candidates have roots in Fannin County going back many generations.
That being said, I have a great interest in the way the county is being run and in assuring that it has open, honest and transparent processes and procedures. I’d willing and eager to do what I can to make sure the county does things in a way that does not expose it to liability. I’d like to see that it follows best practices for local government. Given my background and experience as an attorney, I think I have a lot to contribute to the discussion.
Everyone needs a hobby or two when they retire. It appears that one of my hobbies is going to be trying to improve my local government.
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