Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey Addresses North Georgia Democrats

 

North Georgia Democrats Here About Plans for Winning Georgia Elections in 2026 

State Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey spoke to the Quad County Coalition Sunday, June 22, at Meeks Park in Blairsville about changes coming in the way the State Party supports candidates.  Among the changes he announced are better access to databases of supporters, a new issues research program to help focus candidates on Democratic strengths and Republican vulnerabilities as they campaign, and a statewide effort to elect Democrats by challenging Republicans in marginal races.  The Coalition of Democrats in Gilmer, Fannin, Union, and Towns counties also heard from 9th District U.S. Congressional candidate Nick Alex and State Senate District 51 candidate Gary St. Lawrence.  

North Georgia Democrats Show Support for Sen. Jon Ossoff

 

North Georgia Democrats Let Sen. Jon Ossoff Know He is Welcome Here

Democrats from Gilmer, Fannin, Union, and Towns counties put out the welcome mat for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff to come visit Northeast Georgia.  The Senator will be running for reelection in 2026 and North Georgia is ready to help him win another 6-year term.  Gathering for the second Quad County Coalition, local Democrats heard from candidates for state and federal offices June 22, at Meeks Park.  Also State Party Chair Charlie Bailey addressed the crowd assuring them the State Party is working to see that candidates are supported in Georgia's rural counties.

Towns County Democrats March in No Kings Demonstration

 

Towns County Democrats marched Saturday, June 14, in Hayesville, NC, at the "No Kings" demonstration to show their support for democracy and the rule of law in the United States.  An estimated 640 Georgia and North Carolina citizens joined the march. No Kings marches around the country are estimated to have attracted over 10 million people protesting the lawless actions of the Trump administration.  Pictured, from left, are Charlotte Sleczkowski, Suzanne Carter, Meredith Legg-Grady and Sven Legg-Grady, Elaine Roberts and Tammy Bates.

David Best to address Towns County Democrats

David Best

Local environmentalist David Best of MountainTrue will address the Towns County Democrats at their monthly meeting on Thursday, June 12.   The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Towns County Senior Center.

Best describes himself as "an amateur environmentalist  — not a trained specialist — who cares deeply about the natural world around us and the need to preserve it."  Given the current situation concerning the Lake Chatuge dam, Best will focus his presentation on the Tennessee Valley Authority's plans to draw down Lake Chatuge for spillway repairs.

A resident of Towns County for more than 10 years and a Towns County vacationer for more than 20, Best sits on the advisory council for the western district of MountainTrue.  MountainTrue's western region, headquartered in Murphy, NC, serves communities in the Hiwassee, Nottely, Little Tennessee, and Savannah river watersheds, including Towns and Union counties. Best also sits on the board of the Towns County Civic Association and is a master gardener. 

As an environmental activist, Best for more than 50 years has been a member and participant in several environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, and the National Resources Defense Council.

Trump Injects False Hope into Economic Chaos He Caused

May 12, 2025 (Not Published) 

Dear Editor,

The Trump administration continues to inject false hope into the stock market with announcements of "deals" to end the disruptive trade war it initiated with China. Time and again, these so-called agreements serve only to benefit market insiders while American consumers lose.

On Sunday, May 11, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new deal with China—details forthcoming. As expected, the stock market reacted positively. However, by Monday, it became clear that this “deal” was nothing more than another 90-day pause on higher tariffs imposed since March, along with a reinstatement of the 30 percent so-called “Fentanyl Tariff” Trump had introduced earlier in the year.

This pattern is all too familiar. Consider the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement of 2020 he negotiated. At the time, Trump touted it as a “sea change in international trade,” promising that China would purchase an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods. That promise never materialized.

Upon securing reelection in 2024, Trump wasted no time in launching yet another trade war—this time with the world at large and, once again, China. The fallout has been severe. Retirees have seen their savings eroded due to erratic market swings, businesses struggle with inventory and profit forecasts due to market uncertainty, and economists warn of looming stagflation and recession. Meanwhile, the weakening U.S. dollar has led other nations to seek alternatives, jeopardizing its longstanding status as the global currency of trade.

Trump has a well-documented history of grand proclamations that fail to deliver—factories that never get built, investments that evaporate, and trade agreements that do little to address economic imbalances. His legacy is one of broken promises and financial turmoil.

Americans must recognize the reality: Trump is not a skilled dealmaker, but rather a failed real estate salesman whose reckless business practices have left investors empty-handed time and time again. Unfortunately, as President, the consequences of his actions now extend beyond private financiers to retirees and business owners who are paying the price, while insiders profit from stock market volatility fueled by empty rhetoric.

It’s time for Americans to demand real, substantive leadership instead of illusionary deals designed to prop up the financial elite.

Sincerely,

Jim Powell

Towns County Democrats to Hear from Rabun Counterparts

        Towns County Democrats will welcome Nick Alex and Dee Dailey from Rabun County when they meet Thursday, May 8, at 5:30 p.m.  The Democrats’ monthly meeting will be held at the Towns County Senior Center in Hiawassee.

Nick Alex

        Nick Alex, who lives in Clayton and is a 30-year Georgia resident, was raised in the heart of Washington, D.C., where he was surrounded by public service, with both parents holding senior roles in the Federal Government.  After a distinguished career as a banking executive, leading global payments divisions at Bank of America and Truist Bank, Nick recently retired. He and his wife, Debbi, are parents of two daughters and grandparents of four grandsons.

        NIck will speak to the Towns Democrats about the demographics, concerns, and aspirations of the electorate in the 12 counties of the Ninth Congressional District, including Towns and Rabun counties.

        Together, Towns and Rabun have close to 25,000 registered voters.

        Dee Dailey is a long-time Clayton resident and past candidate for county and state office.  She is active with Rabun County Democrats and has served as a party leader on several levels.

        Towns County Democrats join with Raburn Democrats annually for the Blue Barbecue, to be held in Clayton on Oct. 11 this year.

Re: Rep. Clyde's Column

 Published in the Towns County Herald on May 7, 2025

Dear Editor,

I read with some interest Andrew Clyde’s latest column (Towns County Herald, April 4, 2025, p. 4) purporting to speak for Democrats regarding the extrajudicial deportation of Abrego Garcia and defending the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with court orders that he return Garcia to the United States for an appropriate deportation hearing.  Perhaps it is too much to expect Clyde to understand the difference between law and lawlessness.

Having been trained in the law, I understand allegation is not proof, a distinction Clyde and the President have trouble comprehending.  I am perfectly willing to entertain Clyde’s allegation of gang membership, but I am not willing to surrender the fundamental right of individuals to be confronted with their accusers and given an opportunity to answer the allegations.  This is a human right contemplated in the Declaration’s phrase “inalienable rights,” enshrined in the Constitution’s 5^th and 6^th amendments and embellished in the 14^th amendment.  It is not a right reserved to citizens only.

If the allegations after a proper hearing bear out, then yes without reservation I say deport the man.  But we as a people who believe in the rule of law must at least make some effort to follow the law, not expedite convictions on a basis of mere allegations.

As to whether the movement to return Garcia to the United States is a Democratic initiative, I think that deserves examination.  With the exception of the district court judge who directed the administration to facilitate Garcia’s return, the majority of judges either protecting Garcia from deportation or confirming the district court’s order were either appointed under Trump or by his Republican predecessors.  It is a Trump administration official who stated Garcia’s deportation was an error in violation of court orders.  Also, Pam Bondi can shift blame to El Salvador’s president all she wants but her boss in the Oval Office Tuesday night said he could bring Garcia back.  But he won’t.

And there is the problem.  Trump is happy to trample on the courts and the law if it suits his whims.  No Democrat I know of is saying Garcia is a nice guy.  No Democrat I know of is defending him as a person.  But unlike Trump and apparently his sycophants like Clyde in Congress, we as Americans – real Americans who love country and Constitution – expect our leaders to act within the law.  It is the law, not Democrats, that demands his return.  And it is the law that will deport him based on evidence, not unproven allegations.

Clyde should quit casting aspersions and start doing his job by holding Trump accountable under the law for his illegal and cruel deportations policies.

David W. Plunkett