State Senate candidate to address Towns Democrats

At their monthly meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13, Towns County Democrats will hear from Dave Cooper of Rabun County.

Cooper is the Democratic nominee for Georgia State Senate District 50 in the Nov. 3 general election.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Towns County Senior Center, 954 North Main Street in Hiawassee. 

The group also will hear a report about the recently held Democratic Party of Georgia state convention in Savanah. Tammy Bates of Hiawassee, the county party's vice chair, represented Towns Democrats at the convention.

Towns Democrats to hear about "Roadless Rule" proposed repeal

MountainTrue's Callie Moore will focus on the proposed cancellation of the "Roadless Rule" when Towns County Democrats meet Thursday, June 11, for their monthly meeting at the Towns County Senior Center, 954 North Main Street in Hiawassee.

The meeting will begin with the Democrats' biennial caucus at 5:30 p.m. to elect six members to the 12-member Towns County Democratic Committee. Anyone who is registered to vote and identifies as a Democrat is invited to participate as a candidate or voter in the caucus if they meet the residency, registration, and affirmation requirements of the state party bylaws.

Ms. Moore's program will begin at 6 p.m.

Callie Moore

A U.S. Forest Service proposal would remove protections from Inventoried Roadless Areas nationwide, opening these lands to road building, commercial logging, mining, and other development. In north Georgia, Inventoried Roadless Areas are located exclusively within the Chatttahoochee-Oconee National Forest, totaling up to approximately 64,800 acres of ecologically sensitive ecosystems, iconic hiking routes, and native trout habitats. Tray Mountain Roadless Area is the largest contiguous tract that would be affected, spanning roughly 36,300 acres in Towns, Rabun, Habersham, and White counties.

In western North Carolina, affected areas include South Mills River, the Black Mountains, and Tusquitee Bald. That includes more than 150,000 acres in Pisgah and Nantahala national forests alone. 

The Forest Service adopted the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2001 to protect nearly 59 million acres nationwide of national forest lands from road building, logging, and industrial development. The rule safeguards clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, and back-country recreation opportunities.

In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to cancel the Rule. If finalized, the rollback would affect nearly one-third of all national forest lands in the United States. This potential repeal threatens up to 88% of Georgia's roadless areas, which could open them up to new road construction, commercial logging, mining, and other developments.

Ms. Moore served as director of the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition for 17 years until the organization merged in 2019 with MountainTrue, where she is southwestern regional director.  She has a master's degree in water resources from Indiana University and is a graduate of West Carolina University's Environmental Health Program.

Ms. Moore previously worked with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a river basin planner for the Division of Water Quality, during which time she worked extensively in several regional river basins, including Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, and Savannah. Other prior work experience includes water quality monitoring, sediment/erosion control compliance inspections, and environmental education for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Valley Authority. 

Family Connections Coordinator Addresses Towns Democrats

 Karen Nicholson of Towns County Family Connection was guest speaker at the Nov. 13, 2025, meeting of the Towns County Democrats along with Angela Hunnicut. 

As youth coordinator, Nicholson facilitates the Family Connection mentor program.  The program connects members of the Towns County community with local students who could benefit from a caring advisory relationship.

The commitment of being a mentor requires one hour each week from late August until early May.  The ages of students - who participate with their parents' permission - range from kindergarten to high school.

All volunteers must pass a background check, including fingerprinting for which Family Connection pays.

Towns Countians interested in serving as mentors should contact Nicholson at (706) 896-4131, extension 1235, or knicholson@townscountyschools.org.

District ranger to address Towns County Democrats

Dr. Steverson Moffat will be the guest speaker when Towns County Democrats hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Dr. Steverson Moffat

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Towns County Civic Center, 67 Lakeview Circle, Hiawassee.  

Moffat will present an overview of the role of the Forest Service and will discuss the impact review of President Trump's executive order regarding additional timbering in the national forests as it relates to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. 

Moffat holds a bachelor of science degree in natural resources and forestry from the University of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., and a master of science degree in forest landscape ecosystems from Clemson University.  He received his doctorate in U.S. forest policy from North Carolina State University in 1999.

After a short stint with The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina in the late 1980s, Moffat served from 1999 to 2010 as a policy analyst for the U.S. Forest Service's Southern Research Station in New Orleans.  From 2010 to 2022 he led the Environmental Law Compliance Team for Nantahala National Forest.  He was named district ranger for the Blue Ridge Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in May 2022.

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.

Towns Democrats to host “Democrats 101” author at June meeting

     J.M. “Jim” Purvis, author of “Democrats 101: A Primer for Us,” will be the guest speaker when Towns County Democrats hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, June 13, at the Democrats’ county headquarters, 2494 Highway 76 West in Hiawassee.

Jim Purvis

     Purvis is an author, educator, former journalist, and military veteran.  He describes himself as an American who cares deeply about his country and its future.  Purvis’ family roots are in small-town Indiana.  He was born in Ohio and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.  He has also spent years abroad in France, Sweden, and various parts of South America.  He speaks fluent Spanish, a dash of French, and cooks with a dash of both.

     “Democrats 101” happened because of Purvis’ concern over the vast changes under way in the United States, the challenges, and the role he says the Democratic Party needs — and must — play.  This concern has been shared by the wide variety of Democrats — from every wing, status, and philosophy — who helped him with writing the book and then with the campaign to return the party to its core values. The ultimate goal, according to Purvis, is “A just society, as long as it takes.”

     Purvis will also be the featured speaker at the Rabun County Democrats’ Big Blue BBQ on Saturday, June 15, in Clayton.

     Towns County Democrats will meet Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the local party headquarters. The office serves as a resource for voters seeking information about the upcoming general election in November.  Office hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 

Towns Democrats to hear from Hiawassee mayor

Hiawassee Mayor Liz Ordiales will address the Towns County Democrats at their monthly meeting on Thursday, May 11.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Towns County Civic Center, 67 Lakeview Circle in Hiawassee.

Ordiales has been mayor of Hiawassee since the spring of 2017 when she moved from the Hiawassee City Council, where she had served for three years, into the position of mayor pro tem to complete an unexpired term. She was elected outright to the position in November 2018 and re-elected without opposition in November 2022.

With a professional background in sales and management with AT&T, during her time in office Mayor Ordiales has stressed downtown development, business expansion, and technology enhancement for the city. The mayor will provide an update on downtown redevelopment plans and other current programs when she speaks to the Democrats on Thursday.

Ordiales has lived in Towns County for more than 20 years and has been active in the Towns County Fire Corps, Meals on Wheels, and Habitat for Humanity, and her church.

Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 at the Civic Center.

Vernon Dixon to speak on clean energy at TC Democrats’ meeting

 Dr. Vernon Dixon of Citizens’ Climate Lobby will be the guest speaker when Towns County Democrats hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, March 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the county Civic Center in Hiawassee.

Dr. Dixon will speak about clean energy in its present state of development and how it can benefit people individually and as a nation and world.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is an international non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization whose aim is to educate people about clean energy and climate change and to promote legislation that can help convert rapidly to clean energy while growing the economy at the same time. With 542 active local chapters in the United States, Citizens’ Climate Lobby includes a local chapter comprising Hiawassee, and Blairsville, Georgia, and Hayesville, Murphy, and Andrews, North Carolina. The organization trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with elected officials, the media, and their local community. 

Dr. Dixon, 77, was raised in the small southwest Georgia town of Quitman. He is a medical doctor and a board-certified adult psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist trained at the Medical College of Georgia and University of Florida Medical Center. He practiced what he calls his unique brand of Christian psychiatry in Albany and Blairsville until his retirement in 2014.

Married to Mary Joyce for almost 54 years and the father of three sons, Dr. Dixon attends St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Blairsville. A cancer survivor, Dr. Dixon said his foundational Christian faith led him to his passion for creation care as the best way to care for people. 

Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the county Civic Center, 67 Lakeview Circle. Also at Thursday’s meeting, the group will continue its discussion of potential local projects. 

Commissioner Bradshaw gives update to Towns County Democrats

     Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw provided an update on several county projects when he met with Towns County Democrats on Thursday, Feb. 10.

     Prominent among them was upcoming renovations to the county courthouse in Hiawassee.  The renovations are being funded with proceeds from a 1% Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) approved by voters in 2020.  While the coronavirus pandemic and resulting supply-chain problems have delayed the project’s start, the interest accumulating on the $2.3 million now in the SPLOST account have been a silver lining in face of inflation, which has raised the courthouse project cost from $8 million to $9.5 million, Bradshaw said.

     “We’re gaining interest, not paying interest” on a bond that Bradshaw said he purposefully did not secure due to the pandemic’s uncertainty.  “The county is doing very well financially.  We have been very frugal since COVID hit,” he said.

     The courthouse renovations are expected to take 12 to 14 months to complete.  County offices will vacate the building and move into the old county recreation center, where improvements to the HVAC system will begin within the next two weeks, resulting in a bonus of better air conditioning for local pickleball players when they resume rainy-day matches there.       Bradshaw also reported that a new covered pavilion with restrooms and picnic tables will be built at the Towns County Pickleball Complex.  He did not give a timeline for that project.

     As the SPLOST is a six-year tax, Bradshaw said funds generated by it will be available to replenish the county’s “rainy-day” fund from which money may also be drawn to pay for the courthouse and other projects.   “We hope to have [the courthouse project] paid for in full, with no loans and no interest due, by opening day,” he said.

     In the meantime, Bradshaw said he will continue to improve county wages, which he noted have increased 50 cents per hour each year since he took office in 2017, and to upgrade all of the county’s equipment.

     As the county grows, Bradshaw said “We are trying to stay ahead of the growth that we know is coming.”  As a result, he said the county will be updating its ordinances and will take steps for stricter enforcement of its permitting process, particularly building permits, and enforcement of such measures as the Mountain Protection Act which limits the amount of soil, trees, and vegetation that can be removed from land above 2,200 feet in elevation.

     “We’re not going to let people move up here and scalp our mountains and decrease our property values,” he said, adding that doing so would damage the very things that attract newcomers and visitors to Towns County.

     Another update Bradshaw mentioned was a change at the county transfer station, i.e., the county dump, where residential and commercial garbage are now disposed of in separate and distinct areas.  Anything bagged is considered residential, he said.  The new system should result in a cleaner and faster experience, he said.

     In response to a question about the potential for crypto-mining facilities coming to Towns County, Bradshaw said the county is looking into a 120-day moratorium which could be considered at the next commissioner’s meeting.  The moratorium would be followed by an ordinance “that would make it so strict they would not want to come here,” he said. 

     “I still love coming to work every day,” Bradshaw concluded with obvious enthusiasm.

     Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the county civic center in Hiawassee.

     County Chair Charlotte Sleczkowski reminds voters that applications for absentee ballots for the May 24 primary will be available starting March 7 and the application period will close May 13.  She emphasized that the application period is shorter this election cycle than in previous years because of Georgia’s new voting law.

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Towns County Democrats hear from AG candidate Bailey

Trial attorney and former Fulton County prosecutor Charlie Bailey was guest speaker when the Towns County Democrats gathered April 8 at Mayor’s Park in Young Harris for their monthly meeting. His brief address to the group focused on values he said Georgians share: respect, fairness, protection of civil and voting rights, affordable health care, and safety.

Charlie Bailey

Bailey noted the lack of both a civil rights division and an organized crime division in the Georgia attorney general’s office, which he said he believes should serve as the people’s lawyer and advocate for the citizens of Georgia against such practices as predatory debt collection, corporate pollution, and pharmaceutical price-fixing. With a civil rights division, the AG office could focus on unfairness in housing and rogue police departments, he said, and an organized crime division could focus on more than just gangs and instead go after the leaders of crime syndicates. Bailey said he agrees with the nation’s FBI director that domestic terrorism is the greatest threat today to public safety.

Bailey speaking in YH

In coming months, Towns County Democrats will focus on the impact of the state election bill recently signed into law by the governor, said county Chair Charlotte Sleczkowski. She noted several areas of emphasis that the voting public will need to understand prior to 2022 statewide elections, including changes in identification requirements, out-of-precinct voting, early voting hours, absentee voting, ballot drop boxes, and others. 

Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month. Time and location of the May 13 meeting will be announced. 

U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock visits North Georgia

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks to North Georgia Democrats as he closes out his re-election campaign.  Warnock visited North Georgia Sunday, Dec. 4, greeting an enthusiastic audience of Georgia voters in Gainesville.  Picture by Charlotte Sleczkowski, Chair of Towns County Democrats.

Towns County census response expected to be high

Towns County’s response rate to the 2020 Census could exceed 95 percent, Towns County Democrats heard Thursday night.  

Pat Malone, chairman of the Governor’s Complete Count Committee for Towns and Union Counties said he bases that estimation on Towns’ 88 percent response in 2010, the highest response rate among Georgia’s 159 counties.  He also said the county’s current population of approximately 12,000 is expected to be higher as a result of the decennial count.

The constitutionally required Census starts in earnest on April 1.  Malone stated its purpose is to create an historical record of the nation’s population and form the basis for apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the state legislatures, along with the allocation of federal funds.  The first U.S. Census occurred in 1790.

The 2010 Census resulted in an additional seat for Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives:  the 9th Congressional District which includes Towns and 19 other north Georgia counties.  Census officials anticipate the 2020 count will result in 10 states losing one House seat and seven states gaining seats, including as many as three for Florida and two for Texas.

Based on its population in 2016, Malone said Georgia gets back some $2,000 per person in federal funds and another $1.4 billion through rural assistance programs. Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (food stamps), Medicare Part B, and highway planning and construction are just some of the 82 federal programs whose funds are distributed to states based on their population, he said.

The Census will be conducted online for the first time this year.  For those without access to a computer or Internet service, paper and telephone versions are available, according to Malone. Additionally, all Towns County public libraries will have dedicated Census computers available.

He said residents will be asked how many people live at the residence and whether the residence is owned or rented.  Individuals will be asked to provide their name, gender, age, date of birth, race, whether they live at the residence or somewhere else, and their relationship to the head of the household.

Towns Countians should begin receiving in the mail on March 12 a postcard reminder about the upcoming Census which will include the website address. Reminder letters will be mailed between March 26 and April 3.  Those who have not completed the online process between April 8 and 26 will be mailed a paper form to complete, with a final reminder arriving between April 20 and 27.

Malone said Census enumerators will make personal visits to households who have not responded by the end of May, with enumerators going out “six different times, six different days of the week, and six different times of the day.”  He estimated some 180 people are needed to serve as enumerators for Towns County, and applications are still being taken at 2020census.gov/jobs.  Enumerators are paid $17 an hour and mileage, he said.  Training will be conducted in mid-March.

Census material will be available in 17 different languages with 40 additional language translators available if needed.  Students living on campus and those living in assisted living or nursing homes or other group settings will be reported by the facilities’ administrators.  Enumerators will seek out homeless citizens as well.

Also at Thursday’s monthly meeting, Towns Democrats selected David Plunkett of Young Harris to fill a party vacancy on the bipartisan county Board of Elections and Registration.  He would replace Jim Powell of Hiawassee whose term has expired.

Democrats also heard from David Cooper of Rabun County, a candidate for Georgia State House District 8 which includes Towns, Union, Rabun and White counties.

Along with Towns County Republicans, Towns Democrats are presently assisting with training for the annual Top of Georgia Student Public Speaking Contest which is scheduled for March 10 at 6 p.m. at the county Civic Center in Hiawassee.  The public is invited and admission is free.

Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of each month at the civic center.  A pot-luck meal at 6 p.m. is followed by the meeting at 6:30.  For more information about local Democratic activities, visit www.townsdemocrats.com or contact them at townscountydemocrats@gmail.com. 

North Georgia Democrats Hear from Candidates

Senate hopeful Jon Ossoff addresses Towns and Union County Democrats at Meeks Park, Blairsville

Democrats from across seven north Georgia counties gathered Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, at Meeks Parks in Blairsville to hear candidates for federal offices, share a meal, listen to local musicians, and learn how they can help the planet.

Hosted by the Towns and Union counties Democratic committees, Blue Fest featured U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff of Atlanta and Dan Wilson of Rabun County, prospective candidate for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

TerryLynn Marshall and Jon Ossoff

Ossoff, who is seeking to replace incumbent Sen. David Perdue, is running an anti-corruption campaign in his effort to claim the party’s nomination in the March 24 Georgia primary.  Ossoff set campaign fundraising records in the 2017 special election to fill Georgia’s 6th congressional district House seat.  He has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation.

Wilson spoke of finding common ground between Democrats and Republicans as the means of ending today’s current political polarization, which he said is harming the country. An ordained United Methodist Church minister, Wilson is expected to make an announcement about his candidacy for the House seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Doug Collins once Gov. Brian Kemp appoints the person who will serve out the remainder of Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Isakson is resigning from the Senate effective Dec. 31.  Collins is counted among the front-runners for the appointment.

Local Democrats also heard from a spokesman for Matt Lieberman of Atlanta, who was the first Georgia Democrat to make public his intention to run for Isakson’s seat.

Blue Fest drew Democrats from Towns, Union, Fannin, Rabun, Hall, Dawson, and White counties to Meeks Park.  In addition to the candidates, they heard music by guitarist and singer Nelson Thomas, who is also chair of the Union County Democratic Committee, and keyboardist Mike Davis. Towns County Democratic Committee Chair Charlotte Sleczkowski also welcomed June Krise, 9th District Democratic chair, who emphasized ongoing voter-registration efforts throughout the state and who encouraged Democrats to identify candidates for state legislative seats and county positions.

Betty Holland, chair of the Dawson County Democratic Committee and founder of the North Georgia Conservation Coalition, presented measures Georgians can take to reduce their plastic footprint and to reduce energy costs and thereby lower carbon emissions which are contributing to global climate change.

Towns County Democrats meet the second Thursday of the month at the Towns County Civic Center in Hiawassee.  A pot-luck meal begins at 6 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6:30.

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Towns County Democrats Hear Bradshaw's Goals, Accomplishments

Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw told county Democrats last week that one of the biggest challenges facing him as commissioner is managing the county’s expected growth.

“We are going to expand, and we need to be involved with that growth because we want it to be controlled growth,” Bradshaw told the Aug. 8 monthly Democratic Party gathering at the Towns County Civic Center in Hiawassee.  He cited an increase in tourism tax dollars from $37 million to $41 million in the past three years as evidence of a growing local economy.  “The only way we are going to grow the economy here is more population, but we also have to consider how much do we want to grow and how,” he added.

Bradshaw responded to questions and spoke to the Democrats for almost an hour about accomplishments during his first three years in office as well as future goals.  Clearly enthusiastic about his time in office, Bradshaw told the Democrats “I love doing this job.  I work every day for the people, and I don’t know how they vote and I don’t care.  My job is to be the very best commissioner I can be for Towns County.  My job is to protect our mountaintops, to keep the county clean, and to keep our water clean.”

County Democratic Party Chairwoman Charlotte Sleczkowski said she appreciated Bradshaw taking the time to share his vision for the county with the group. “We want to work alongside Commissioner Bradshaw as he strives to make Towns County a great place to live and work,” she said.  “Our mutual goals for the county have no political distinction.”

A challenge related to growth is providing a skilled labor force to supply the needs of businesses, beyond the restaurant and service industry,  that want to locate here, he said.  Additional traffic comes with growth, and Bradshaw stated he will be meeting with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the state transportation director later this month regarding installing a left-turn lane on U.S. 76 West near Papa’s Pizza.

Among the accomplishments of his first term Bradshaw listed:

• Remodeling the old county recreation center gym with new lighting, roofing, painting, and flooring, making it pickleball friendly.
• Building a new fire station on Highway 66 in Young Harris and the addition of a helicopter landing pad there to provide a second site for medical evacuations.  He also noted the fire station will contribute to lower home insurance rates for people in that part of the county.
• Replacing county road equipment, particularly old dump trucks with high repair bills.
• Adding a recycling station for electronics (cell phones, TVs, printers, computers, etc.) at the county dump.
• Maintaining the $3.1 million financial reserve which he inherited from the previous commissioner.  Any funding above that amount will be used to improve the county, Bradshaw said.
• The county’s 2018 audit report also showed general revenue increases of more than $600,000 as a result of efficiency changes Bradshaw said he has instituted without any increase in taxes since 2007.
• Instituting a veterans’ program that formally recognizes any veteran who has grown up in Towns County, graduated from the county high school, or who has moved into the county.  The program is carried out in cooperation with the local VFW chapter and includes a suicide hotline.

 Bradshaw cited as a primary goal reclaiming for the county the 1 percent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) which expires for county schools in 2020.  “We want to get it for the county to remodel the courthouse.  It’s time,” he said.  Another fire station near the Emergency Management Services building is another goal he listed. 

He also plans to renegotiate the county medical airlift contract, which he emphasized covers every fulltime homeowner in Towns County, with the county covering the fee.  Bradshaw said the current contract has a cap on the price so the county doesn’t pay more if the airlift service flies out more people than in the previous year.  He wants the new contract also to provide a lower cost if the service flies out fewer people than in the previous year.

Towns County Democrats will meet again on Sept. 20 at the county Civic Center.  A potluck dinner will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 6:30. 

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Towns, Union Democrats Hear from 9th District Chairman Josh McCall

Ninth District Democratic Party Chairman Josh McCall told Towns and Union County Democrats on Thursday, March 14, 2019, to have hope for better things ahead and keep fighting for their neighbors.

McCall, who was the Democratic candidate for Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District in 2018, cited the 55,000-plus Democratic votes cast in the 2018 race which far exceeded the 37,000 cast in 2014 as a sign the party is making progress in the Ninth District, which includes 17 counties in northeast Georgia.  The 55,000 votes were in stark contrast to 2016, when there was no Democratic candidate to challenge the incumbent U.S. representative.

McCall urged local Democrats to continue fighting for their neighbors’ Medicare and Social Security which are under attack in the proposed fiscal year 2020 federal budget submitted to Congress by President Trump last week.  He also noted that the family leave act introduced by Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Mike Lee (R-UT) would be paid for by transferring funds from the family member’s Social Security account.

McCall cautioned the group not to place too much hope in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and upcoming report, saying “The system is designed to be very kind and forgiving to billionaires.”  The U.S. House of Representatives voted 420-0 last week to make Mueller’s report public, he noted.

Regarding the 2020 presidential race, McCall noted that Russian bot activity (phony social media accounts) in 2016 focused mostly on candidates Trump and Clinton but is now infiltrating the political left in an effort to create bitter divisions among the Democratic presidential candidates and their supporters.  With such existential moral threats to the nation as immigrant children being detained in cages, McCall said Democrats cannot allow divisions to be sewn “or the next four-year presidential term will be even worse.”  He added that Democratic people of faith, such as himself, should start speaking out from within their churches on such issues.

Ninth District Democratic county leaders will hold a district-wide meeting on March 23 in Dahlonega.  McCall said he is developing plans for a district educational event on Medicaid eligibility as well as community-service events to aid the oppressed and marginalized residents of the district who were never covered by Roosevelt’s New Deal.  He urged the local Democrats to “canvass not for a candidate but for a cause” in the Ninth District’s three regions: the foothills near South Carolina, the Georgia mountains, and the suburbs closer to Atlanta.

He characterized the proposed Green New Deal as a way of redirecting energy investments into employment in emerging energy sources such as solar, wind, and other models that work without pollution-producing coal and oil, which he stated “is not operating in a free market.” “Don’t be afraid of using the term ‘climate change,’” McCall told the group.  As evidence of climate change’s impact, and the impact of tariffs, more farmers declared bankruptcy in 2018 than in the period since 2007, he said.

In closing, McCall noted the U.S. House is investigating Georgia’s voting issues, including the disenfranchisement of more than 800,000 voters prior to the 2018 election.  He said H.R. 1, which would “expand Americans' access to the ballot box” (including making Election Day a federal holiday), “reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants,” will not get a vote in the U.S. Senate where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has called it a Democratic power grab. The bill passed the U.S. House 234-193 on a strict party-line vote.

McCall advocated for ending the filibuster in the U.S. Senate which he said would stop the need for a super-majority of 60 votes to advance legislation and confirmations, and allow for a simple majority of 51 votes, and for statehood for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Towns County Democrats meet on the second Thursday of each month.  Their next meeting will be at 6 p.m. on April 11 in the Towns County Civic Center in Hiawassee.  In May, Towns and Union Democrats will hold another joint meeting at Unity Church in Blairsville at 6 p.m. to hear from Sarah Riggs Amico, the Democratic candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2018.