I have not seen the first snow plow or vehicle on any county road yet. Either the county or state does a pretty good job of keeping the main roads clear but the county is pitiful when it comes to clearing side roads. Where is our increased tax money going? Maybe a "waltzing around" newspaper question and answer maybe will be forthcoming NGN, after the tradional "spin" of course.

I talked to one of my accounts in Hartford, CT. this morn. This is a city of about 400,000 people and a county of about 2 million. As of this morn ALL the main roads were clear and 90% of all secondary and subdivision roads are clear. Union is minute when it comes to size, but the present government evidently doesn't give a rats posterior about the citizens, who do pay taxes, to show some sign of concern and services.

Just another reason why the Sole Commissioner, type goverment is worthless, inefficient and unable to provide needed county services.

I'm considering leaving for the same reason. The health care in Towns County is subpar also. Having worked in the field for 22 years, I think I have a leg to stand on. I won't go into details but, what I've seen has really concerned me.

"Educate and inform the whole mass of people. They are the only sure reliance of the preservation of our freedom."
-- Thomas Jefferson

First off, where in the Sam Hill do you get off comparing snow mitigation between a town in Georgia which sees less than 3 inches of snow a year on average with a city in Yankee-land that averages 45 inches of snow a year and gets 116 inches in peak years?

We do not have the same weather issues or expectations that they have in Yankee land. If you want professional snow response going forward, kindly move to someplace that gets snowfall in an amount to warrant it. (Hint - it's Yankee-land).

Second, the sole commissioner form of government is the MOST efficient type of government because it doesn't have the built-in conflict, discussion, and negotiating that multi-member bodies of government have. For my prime example, I present to you the wasteland representative government that we call the Senate and the House of Representatives. Having a sole person as head of government removes checks and balances that may be needed if the wrong person gets elected. Thank your lucky stars that we have not seen that type of person elected to the office yet.

Lastly, this is not a metropolitan area. Our community and our county do not have the population to sustain the services you got accustomed to when you were living "someplace else". It does have more services than it had three years ago. And even more services than it had 10 years ago. And astoundingly more services than it had 25 years ago. And it is practically a different place than I remember it being 30 years ago.

You may scoff, but there was a time when West Palm Beach, Florida or Hartford, Connecticut also did not have the wide array of services that they are capable of providing today. They built up to it over time and paid for it with taxes from the substantial population that lived/lives and worked/works there. We're building up to services ourselves but on an entirely different timeline. I suggest rather than bitchin' and moanin' about the lack of services you expect our community to provide that you put that energy and effort into making your desires to move a reality so you can be unhappy someplace else.

Lecture over.

Having resided in a FL town with a population of 20,000...just about the size of Union county, I can tell you that poor government services, waste, inefficiency and buck-passing AND high taxes are a way of life in that town. I get my money's worth here....AND when there is a problem, I know who to contact directly and am not passed around from dept to dept AND more importantly, I get my issues answered.

As far as medical care is concerned, the ER here is certainly better than the ER's in large hospitals where I've lived before. I won't bore this forum with details....just suffice to say that the quality of patient care for true emergencies is better here than my family and I have experienced at metropolitan hospitals.

Finally, give me private garbage service any day over county run services. At least with private service if I don't like the job one guy does, I can call someone else and have done just that.

Geez...some of you guys need to chill out and quit your neverending complaining. All this negativism reminds me of retirees in FL who don't have enough to do except be overly critical of everything and everybody.

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Fawn,it isn't negatism ,but personal opinions,Not everyone thinks the same.As for complaining about present conditions or lack of them is just as important as necessity being the mother of inventions.IF you think this local emergency poom is good or professional,the one you described in Florida must be the worst of all.I don't think the local population can entice the better doctors to come here,but I will say the doctors are nice people.One of the biggest problems on the litter scene is caused by uncovered garbage trucksand the county doesn't have the courage to enforce the laws they establish.the situation with the tax commissioners office is beyoud belief.If you are happy her I am happy for you,but I expect more are am leaving to have it.WRJ

William R.Jenkins

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I'm considering leaving for the same reason. The health care in Towns County is sub-par also. Having worked in the field for 22 years, I think I have a leg to stand on. I won't go into details but, what I've seen has really concerned me.

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Whether the streets get plowed is immaterial to me since we don't get that much snow anyway. We have a private co. for trash pickup.

And, I rather like the sole commissioner idea as opposed to a committee that can't agree on anything. At least I know who to call when I have an issue.

I'm just looking to the future and the time when I may need more care.

AS I understand it, there cannot be any more rose colored glasses at Wal Mart or Dollar General because the natives have bought them up.

To put one reply in perspective--If the sole commissioner type goverment is so great and efficient, then why is Union only one of the 9(soon to be eight) counties in Georgia (159) that has the sole commissioner type government. So I guess the premise is that Union knows more than 150 other counties. The sole commissioner type is like a feudal landlord of the 1600's, I am the lord of this kingdom and make all the decisions, citizens be damned. It is time to get out of the dark ages.

Now, I would have hoped in this enlightened era that the native populace would have gotten by the arcane phrase,"if you don't like it here leave". Maybe the Chamber of Commerce can use that on their letterhead.

As it is obvious that some posters are still relatively young and have no serious health problems( and am I am thankful for that). As you get to the 4th quarter of your life you tend to look at things more objectively.When you have a condition that is life or death, you have best make arrangements to go to Gainesville or Piedmont. Had it not been for a member of a local cardiologist group my wife probably would not be here. He just happened to be at the local hospital one night(not my wife's doctor) and heard the talk and commotion. He looked at my wife and said bluntly I am taking over and flew my wife to Piedmont. 22 days later I brought her home. Local hospital had no clue what was wrong. I have had 3 other bad ER experiences with the local hospital. Fawn. if this hospital is better than the one's you had in Florida then you must have been going to some armpit ER's.

No, you cannot compare a large city snow removal with Union. The only difference is a smaller scale operation. Still no snow removal equipment or gravel trucks on our road. So, I guess we do not matter because we are all "outsiders". I am like a football coach, I do not care what has happened in the past or how it was done, just what have you done lately!

Take of your rose colored glasses, look at things objectively, make your lone feudal official take responsibility for the citizens well being. Let us just surmise, do you think the county used any preferencial treatment as to who's road got cleared first? If you say no, you still have your glasses on.

Shucks, a practicing Curmudgeon!!!

Since the title of this topic is "snow plowing and clearing", I'll confine my comments to that specific area. If someone wants to discuss the sole commish issue or health care, he/she can start the topic.

I now think the county decided to put the gravel down in anticipation of winter weather because it has come in handy for the last two snowfalls - it's concentrated on the downhill curves.

I hated it at the time because I had just gotten a new car and didn't want the paint dinged up by flying gravel. But I loved it when it snowed.

A certain county employee lives here and he MUST be able to get around for his job. I've wondered if his presence had anything to do with it. Not that I care. In his case it's justified.

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This post got slightly of track!!

AS I understand it, there cannot be any more rose colored glasses at Wal Mart or Dollar General because the natives have bought them up.

To put one reply in perspective--If the sole commissioner type goverment is so great and efficient, then why is Union only one of the 9(soon to be eight) counties in Georgia (159) that has the sole commissioner type government. So I guess the premise is that Union knows more than 150 other counties. The sole commissioner type is like a feudal landlord of the 1600's, I am the lord of this kingdom and make all the decisions, citizens be damned. It is time to get out of the dark ages.

Now, I would have hoped in this enlightened era that the native populace would have gotten by the arcane phrase,"if you don't like it here leave". Maybe the Chamber of Commerce can use that on their letterhead.

As it is obvious that some posters are still relatively young and have no serious health problems( and am I am thankful for that). As you get to the 4th quarter of your life you tend to look at things more objectively.When you have a condition that is life or death, you have best make arrangements to go to Gainesville or Piedmont. Had it not been for a member of a local cardiologist group my wife probably would not be here. He just happened to be at the local hospital one night(not my wife's doctor) and heard the talk and commotion. He looked at my wife and said bluntly I am taking over and flew my wife to Piedmont. 22 days later I brought her home. Local hospital had no clue what was wrong. I have had 3 other bad ER experiences with the local hospital. Fawn. if this hospital is better than the one's you had in Florida then you must have been going to some armpit ER's.

No, you cannot compare a large city snow removal with Union. The only difference is a smaller scale operation. Still no snow removal equipment or gravel trucks on our road. So, I guess we do not matter because we are all "outsiders". I am like a football coach, I do not care what has happened in the past or how it was done, just what have you done lately!

Take of your rose colored glasses, look at things objectively, make your lone feudal official take responsibility for the citizens well being. Let us just surmise, do you think the county used any preferencial treatment as to who's road got cleared first? If you say no, you still have your glasses on.

Shucks, a practicing Curmudgeon!!!

PS I am not a negative person, just a realist.

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"Educate and inform the whole mass of people. They are the only sure reliance of the preservation of our freedom."
-- Thomas Jefferson

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Well, I agree to a point with those that are ready to move. The health care service is not top notch. However, it has very good healthcare services for a small and very remote community. It is kind of not fair to judge it by the standards of big city, or even small communities that are close to big cities.

I grew up 10 miles from one of the premier hospitals in the world. Noble prize winning types just wandering the halls. Heck, the famous Dr. Bernie Siegel did my surgery when I needed a simple operation as a kid. I would be out of here in a heartbeat if I were elderly or had serious health issues. When that is something you need, then it is on you to have made a better choice on a place to live that meets your needs. I feel lucky to have what we have around here in this respect. I do pray I never have a serious emergency here though. It is a risk I assume living here though.

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Edited by - Wildflower on 12/30/2010 2:23:10 PM

Our neighbor, Clay County, NC, became a county in 1861 when it was separated from Cherokee County, NC. Their first industry was tanning deer hides which they sold for 12.5 cents a pound. The local people used the hides to make shoes because there was no place to buy footwear.

(Reference - "North Carolina's Mountains Insiders' Guide")

I know a lady who was born the same year I was (1958) and grew up in Clay County. Her family had an out house during her childhood - something unheard of for most people in my generation.

I don't think most newcomers get how isolated this whole area was for so long. I've only been around here for 10 years and have seen many changes and more services available! A lot of the businesses didn't even take credit cards then, and now most of them do.

BTW, what year was 515 built here? I know it hasn't been there too long. Coosa, how did you find this place back then?

Blairsville, Georgia - home in the North GA Mountains

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