Jason Patterson Editor & PublisherSome observations while preparing for a long night of awaiting election results:
A penny saved may be a penny earned, but a penny made is two pennies lost.
At least that’s the case these days for the federal government as the cost to produce a penny in 2012 is more than twice its actual value. After the pennies are manufactured the taxpayers cover the difference.
That, my friends, is one of the many absurd examples of what’s wrong with our country today. Common sense is all too uncommon these days when it comes to government. I would love to believe that Tuesday’s elections will change everything for the better, but I’m skeptical – no matter the outcome.
But there’s no sense in picking on the federal government when we have so many problems of our own right here in Yazoo.
Business and job creation have been the hottest issues of this election cycle. That’s been the case on the national stage, and it’s true here as well.
Most of our local politicians list promoting business as one of their top priorities when they’re seeking your vote, but you would probably be surprised at how many of them have never set foot in many of our local businesses, even businesses in the areas they represent.
It was surprising to me at least, and it’s a common complaint I hear when I visit with many local business owners.
Don’t take my word for it. Go ask them.
No wonder so many decisions seem counterproductive as far as the local economy is concerned. It’s hard to represent local business if you have no idea what the needs and concerns of the owners are.
The Jones Saga
Continues
One thing I can say about Ward 3 Alderman Clifton Jones is that he definitely does things his own way.
Whether he’s voting against paying the bills, claiming to have an understanding of city finances that none of his peers comprehend or making controversial statements, Jones attracts plenty of attention. Unfortunately it’s usually for all the wrong reasons.
Jones seems like a pretty nice guy on a personal level, but for the most part he has been hard to get along with as an alderman. He’s done a lot of things during his tenure that I have considered strange, but suing his fellow board members over a Public Service Commission Appointment takes the cake.
If Jones had shown similar concern when the board hijacked Ward 2 Alderman Jack Varner’s school board appointment, I might be able to take his argument a little more seriously. But this is business as usual for Jones, and I can’t imagine that the citizens of Ward 3 will be in the mood to tolerate any more foolishness when his term is up.
Our Christmas
Parade Needs You
If you are a member of a church group, school or civic club, I urge you to consider participating in the Christmas Parade this year. The parade has declined some recently, and some people have been discouraged by the bad acts of a few.
We’ll never have anything good in this town if good people give up when things aren’t going their way. As one of the organizers of the parade this year, I can promise you that we’re making a good faith effort to eliminate the problems we’ve experienced in the past.
If you think that’s a worthwhile effort, we sure would like to have your support. The best way to do that is to either participate in the parade or come out and enjoy the festivities.
Don’t let yourself become one of those people who sits around complaining about what we don’t have while never lifting a finger to help us improve.
End of the Election
This paper will go to press before Tuesday’s elections are decided, but I am glad it’s finally over. On the national scale it seems sad to me that undecided voters are probably going to determine our next president. It troubles me to think that  that people who are so uninformed that they don’t know who they’re going to vote for until the final days could decide the outcome of the presidential election. No matter who you support, that just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.
On the local level I don’t think that I’ve ever seen such a spirited campaign for a local supervisor’s race. Looking at the numbers it’s likely that there will be a runoff for District 4 Supervisor. I’m usually pretty good at forecasting local elections, but I really don’t know how this one will turn out. Maybe someone will win it outright this week, but I doubt it.
The good news for Yazoo County is that a lot of very qualified candidates entered the race. Hopefully those who don’t win will continue making positive contributions to Yazoo County. You don’t have to be an elected official to make a significant difference.