Category: Activism

shine a light on Democrat accomplishments

1/6/2023

by Kathryn Charles

The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have made historic progress with The American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS & Science Act, the PACT Act, the Safer Communities Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and other legislation. In the last two years, Democrats have:

Reduced the unemployment rate from 6.4% to a record low of 3.5%.
Created 10 million jobs, with more Americans working today than at any point in U.S. history.
Guided the largest increase in manufacturing jobs in 70 years.
Implemented a historic vaccination program that has gotten 220 million Americans fully vaccinated against COVID conveniently and for free, resulting in a 90 percent reduction in daily COVID deaths since Biden took office.
Passed the largest investment in history to combat the dangers of climate change.
Passed the most substantial gun-safety legislation in more than two decades.

In addition to the $18 million appropriated for the revitalization of our North Wilkesboro Speedway, our commissioners have reported that Wilkes County has or will put to use American Rescue Plan Act Funding of:

$1,000,000 on Sheriff’s Department and EMS vehicles;
$600,000 for construction of the burn building at the Fire Training Ground;
$3,100,000 for construction of Emergency Services Center on Call Street;
$288,933 for the vaccine Incentive Program;
$7,988,299 for Rural Community Wastewater Infrastructure Extension Project;
$571,194 for a picnic area and bath house Lowe’s Park at Rivers Edge.

Despite these Democratic investments in America, Republicans are desperate to regain power. Yet, they offer no real plan for healthcare, the economy, the safety of our children and teachers in schools or improving the lives of Americans.
Republicans have openly stated that they plan to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block, sunsetting those programs after 5 years. That would be devastating for over 2 million North Carolinians who depend on Medicare, and for over 64 million of us who depend on Social Security. Republicans also are planning a total nationwide abortion ban, without exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. And because they have no real plan to help the middle class, they are attacking our right to vote, thus attacking Democracy itself.
Democrats have proposed measures to bolster Social Security and responsibly reduce the deficit without touching Medicare or Social Security, by making billionaires pay their fair share in taxes, while also lowering costs for working families. So, please keep in mind the best interests of your family and your community when you vote this year.

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The Right way to think about what's going on

11/17/2021

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by Andrew Tobias on the blog "Money and Other Subjects."

Enough with the gloom and doom!

The stock market is at record highs. Unemployment is near record lows. Anyone who wants a job can get one. Wages are rising.

Taxes are about to go up on the wealthy — whose talent, hard work, good luck, and inheritance we should celebrate — to help pay for massive, long overdue investments to revitalize our infrastructure, including the electric grid and more-widely-available broadband, and to lower health care costs and the cost of raising kids.
And to confront the climate crisis.
And to get the economic pendulum, so long swinging toward the uber-wealthy, swinging back somewhat.

These are fantastic things.

We’ve ended our endless war in Afghanistan and evacuated 124,000 of those most at risk.

We’ve rejoined the Paris Accord and the community of nations, reestablished the dignity of the Presidency, reimposed ethical norms, restored the independence of the Justice Department, cut child poverty in half, vaccinated the majority of the country.

We’ve staved off autocracy, at least for now.

All sorts of terrible things are possible down the road — but it’s also possible the surprise will be on the upside. Especially if we keep our heads down and keep at it.

After a time, fuel and food prices could fall. Supply chain problems, the “fault” of the pandemic and the free market, could ameliorate (with help from the Administration wherever requested).

After a time, the truth about January 6 could come out — Liz Cheney and Adam Schiff are pretty tough cookies.

The disgraced former president might not run for reelection — or face a damaging primary if he does. (See: Could Chris Christie and Liz Cheney Take Trump Down?)

The mid-terms will be tough — but so was winning two Senate seats in Georgia. And we did. Will 88-year-old Chuck Grassley really be unbeatable in Iowa? I don’t think so. Could former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley flip North Carolina’s open Senate seat from red to blue? Absolutely. She lost her last statewide race by just 400 votes. Could Val Demmings win in Florida? She is awesome. Could we pick up Senate seats in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin? And hold the blue seats we need to hold? You bet. We just have to get our butts in gear, fund massive organizing — now, early, while the organizing snowball has time to grow huge (thank you, as always) — and spread a positive message wherever we go, inspiring people to join us.

If they like weekends, remind them that it was unions that gave us weekends; the anti-union party that opposed them. If they like Medicare, remind them it was Democrats who delivered it; Ronald Reagan’s team that famously opposed it.

Social Security? Democrats delivered that. The Assault Weapons Ban? Democrats delivered it; Republicans refused to renew. The Violence Against Women Act? Same. A woman’s right to keep the government out of her most personal decisions? Democrats want abortion to be safe, legal, and rare. The other party is the party of back-alley abortions for women who can’t afford to travel.

If they have LGBT friends, relatives or co-workers, remind them it was Democrats who’ve so dramatically improved our lives; Republicans who fought us every step of the way.

The Family And Medical Leave Act? Democrats. DARPA and the Internet? Democrats. Massive job growth? Democrats. Comprehensive immigration reform? Democrats (68 to 32 in the Senate, only to be denied a vote — that would have passed — in the Republican-controlled House).

But wait!

The Interstate Highway System? The Environmental Protection Agency? The Earned Income Tax Credit?
Republicans! But of the moderate variety, who are now, basically, Democrats. Or Independents.

They believe in integrity, civility, compromise, balanced budgets (Clinton was the last President to achieve one; Obama got the Debt shrinking relative to the economy as a whole, which is nearly as good) . . . and the peaceful transfer of power.

The point is: Democrats have so much to run on. With more to come.

In ordinary times, the party in power gets killed in the mid-terms. These are not ordinary times.
Let’s emphasize the positive and get to work.

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How To REALLY Support the Sanctity of Life

11/11/2021

NOTE: This letter was submitted to the Wilkes Journal Patriot by Eva Engle in response to the "Right To Life" resolution before the Wilkes County Commissioners on November 2nd, 2021.

To the Editor:

The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners in a special meeting on November 2 considered a proposed resolution which stated that Wilkes County will “defend the unalienable right to life….of all human beings”. The resolution further stated that the Board “resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people’s elected governing body”.

Curiously, the speakers supporting the resolution and the Commissioners apparently overlooked the greatest challenge to life in the County by not amending the resolution to add support for expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, thus providing basic medical care to Wilkes citizens who currently have no health care insurance. This measure would certainly defend the right to life of all human beings. North Carolina is one of only 12 states in the nation that has not expanded Medicaid to help low income citizens pay for medical care. U. S. Census figures show that in 2019 an estimated 11,000 residents of Wilkes County were uninsured. Those folks, when sick, end up in our doctors’ offices and the emergency room at Wilkes Regional Hospital and increase the unpaid bill accounts there.

Rural counties are especially impacted by the lack of expansion because of the strain on rural hospitals caused by emergency services provided to persons who have no health insurance. Of particular interest is the fact that five other County Boards of Commissioners in western North Carolina have adopted resolutions urging the General Assembly to expand coverage in the state. The Chair of Swain County’s Board has said, “It’s not a Republican-Democrat thing at all. It’s what the needs are within our County and the people who need these services.” How can any group of concerned citizens and a “peoples elected governing body” consider an action addressing the sanctity of life and ignore the single most important action that would directly improve the lives of citizens of our County?

A related issue for the future of Wilkes County is the continued economic health of our hospital, Wilkes Medical Center. An expansion of Medicaid would have an estimated annual positive impact of $1,300,000 on the hospital and could clearly affect its future. Is it unreasonable to expect that our elected County Board be concerned about this? Are Board members, for example, ready to supply County funds to cover a future deficit at the hospital or would they support Medicaid expansion in the state to keep the hospital open?

The issue of the uninsured is more acute in 2021 because of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. The current epidemic has likely expanded the number of those without health insurance, with one estimate that states without expansion will see a 40% increase in the uninsured. How can elected officials and citizens concerned with life in a community adopt a resolution in support of life in Wilkes in 2021 with no attention to how the County authority may address the COVID-19 threat?

The resolution under discussion concludes, “the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners hereby resolves to use all means within its power to support the sanctity of human life in accordance with its God-given responsibilities as the people's elected governing body” . The citizens of the county are right to question if using “ all means within its power” to support the sanctity of human life is met when the single most important means of expanding and improving health care in the county--Medicaid expansion--is totally ignored.

Sincerely,
Eva P. Ingle

The five Counties are Clay, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Watauga.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act must be passed!

6/2/2021

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On the day that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins released the following statement, in response:

“This verdict is a step forward for accountability, but there’s still work to be done in the names of Georg in re Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others on a list that stretches far too long and reflects a pain that has become all too familiar for Black families in this country. The reality is that systemic racism must be eradicated. No one should be at risk in the United States because of the color of their skin.

“We cannot wait another moment to do what is necessary to ensure a better, safer future for our children. The DNC recognizes that peaceful protest is an outlet for our cries for change. And the time for action is now: Republicans in the Senate must join Democrats to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which will fundamentally transform policing in America as it addresses implicit biases and racial profiling, curbs police brutality, and enforces accountability. Enough is enough.”

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Honor RBG's Memory: Don't Forget The Judges

9/28/2020

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's flag-draped casket lies in state at the US Capitol while US Congresswomen pay their respects on Sept 25th, 2020.

The news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing was a devastating blow. Over the past week, many of us have experienced a whole litany of emotion: sadness that we loss a titan for human rights and an amazing legal mind; anger that she had to battle cancer so many times and continue to work up until the very end because of the current state of our democracy; rage at the hypocrisy of the GOP as they rushed to nominate through their replacement and backpedal from all they said in 2016; and reverence at this fearless Supreme Court Justice being the first woman to ever lie in state at the US Capitol.

May her memory be a blessing.

But just as she would never rest and would continue to move forward, so must we. That is why her passing has pointed out the dire need for balance from the judicial branch at all levels of government. This election, we have many judicial races that are of vital importance at the state level. So, while Republicans are busy making sure Democrats have no voice in the composition of the US Supreme Court, we DO have a say in who will lead our NC Supreme Court, who will serve on the Supreme Court, and who will serve as justices on the NC Court of Appeals.

There are EIGHT judicial races on the ballot so you need to know who your Democratic Party judicial candidates are to lend the courts balance, fairness and, above all, dignity to those that stand before them. Whether they are victim or accused, those in the courtroom have no need for partisan ideology and demagoguery. These candidates achieve those important goals. Make sure you vote for them on your Absentee Ballot by mail, your Early In-Person Voting, or when you cast your ballot on November 3rd.

NC Supreme Court: VOTE FOR THESE THREE

NC SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE:
Cheri Beasley
chiefjusticebeasley.com
She has served on the court since 2014 and has been Chief Justice since March of 2019. Before serving on the court, she served 4 years as an Associate Judge on the NC Court of Appeals, was a District Court Judge for 10 years in the 12th District, and was a Public Defender in Cumberland County. She is the first black woman to serve as Chief Justice of NC. "I believe all North Carolinians should have access to fair and impartial justice, no matter who they are. I will continue to work for an independent court system that people can trust."

NC SUPREME COURT:
Lucy Inman
lucyinmanforjustice.com
Inman has served on the NC Court of Appeals since 2015. Prior to that, she was a NC Superior Court Judge for 4 years, a private practice trial attorney for 8 years, and was a law clerk to NC Chief Justice James Exum for 2 years. "I am running for the NC Supreme Court to preserve the rule of law, to keep our justice system fair and free from partisan politic and ideology, and to pursue equal justice for all."

NC SUPREME COURT:
Mark Davis
justicemarkdavis.com
Davis has served as a Justice on the NC Supreme Court since March of 2019. Before that, he was a Judge on the NC Court of Appeals for 6 years. He served as General Counsel to the Governor, Special Deputy Attorney General for the NC Justice Department, and was a Litigation Attorney for Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. "I have written over 500 opinions as an appellate judge. I am a strong believer in judicial independence. I believe my background and judicial experience qualify me to continue serving on the Court."

NC Court of Appeals: VOTe for these FIVE

SEAT 4, COURT OF APPEALS
Tricia Shields
shieldsforjudge.com
Shields has represented clients throughout all levels of the Court System. She began as a clerk at the Court of Appeals in 1985. She is an instructor at Campbell Law School and president of a statewide attorney group. "From my 35 years of practice, I know how important it is that Court of Appeals Judges are fair, impartial, and respect the law and the impact of their decisions on real people."

SEAT 13, COURT OF APPEALS
Chris Brook
keepjudgechrisbrook.com
Appointed by Governor Cooper in 2019, he has authored more than 75 opinions that speak to his rigor and fairness. He has a long experience as a public interest attorney, including 7 years as Legal Director of the ACLU-NC. "I went to Carolina Law because of what our justice system aspires to: equal justice under the law for everyone."

SEAT 5, COURT OF APPEALS
Lora Cubbage
cubbageforjudge.com
Cubbage served for 5 years as Assistant District Attorney, 5 years as Assistant Attorney General, 2 years as District Court Judge and is currently Superior Court Judge. "To ensure: protection of rights given by the NC and US Constitutions; equal justice for all in order to regain the public trust in our judicial system; equal access to justice for all; and an independent, fair and impartial judiciary."

SEAT 6, COURT OF APPEALS
Gray Styers
styersforjudge.com
Styers served as an attorney for 30 years, was an adjunct law professor at UNC School of Law, Is a member of the NC Bar Association Board of Governors, and is the Wake County Bar Association President. He was also clerk to Chief Judge Sam Ervin III in the 4th Circuit US Court of Appeals. "I am committed to the rule of law, a fair and impartial judiciary, and equal justice for all North Carolina citizens."

SEAT 7, COURT OF APPEALS
Reuben Young
keepjudgeyoung.com
In his 32 year career, Young has served as a prosecutor, defense attorney, civil litigator, Legal Counsel to a Governor, Agency Secretary, Superior Court Judge and now the NC Court of Appeals. "Fairness and accessibility are the foundations upon which our judiciary is built. I have and will continue to support equal access to the courts and a fair, impartial independent judiciary."

With your votes, you can cast a ballot to honor the memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and ensure that North Carolinians receive the justice they deserve in our courtrooms.

Common Sense

9/1/2020

The following ad ran in the Wilkes Journal Patriot in August 2020:

Message from the Chair, Kathryn Charles: Wilkes County Democratic Party Statement on Racism and Unity after the Killing of George Floyd

7/4/2020

Along with the rest of the country, we have watched in dismay as events continue to unfold following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death was the most recent reminder of the epidemic of systemic racism that continues to plague our society. Before that it was Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald and many others. We now stand face to face with the ugly truth that Black lives continue to be taken with little or no consequence. We now know that we will never heal our nation’s deep wounds by remaining silent.

Responses and recent actions by the President of the United States have only exacerbated the intensity of this situation, have threatened the liberties of all Americans, and have attempted to divide us, rather than unite us.

We of the Wilkes County Democratic Party wish to make our position clear:

Racism and violence toward others on the basis of race or color is never acceptable.
We recognize the centuries-old pandemic of systemic racism and are committed to rectifying it through education, sustained activism, constructive action, and continued progress toward liberty, justice and equality for all people.

We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to correct the wrongs of institutional racism, state-sanctioned violence against blacks, and fight for racial justice and equality for all.
We fully support ”the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” as defined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
We reject the use of violence against persons or property, either as a means of protest or as a weapon against peaceful demonstrators.

We stand in disbelief and anger at the President’s deployment of our military and the unjustified forceful clearing of lawfully assembled citizens from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. We denounce the President’s use of a church and a Bible as a backdrop and prop for a self-aggrandizing photo opportunity.
We stand in support of General Mattis, General Allen, General Colin Powell and other military leaders in their condemnation of use of force by the U.S. military on its own citizens.

We find the characterization of assembly and protest areas as “battle spaces to be dominated” extremely alarming. This is the language of dictatorship, fascism and authoritarianism.

We stand opposed to the practices of racial gerrymandering, racially motivated voter suppression and voter intimidation.

We endorse the statements of former Vice President Joe Biden that we are currently in “a battle for the soul of America”, and that we are facing formidable enemies which include not only the coronavirus and the terrible impacts on Americans’ lives and livelihoods, but also the hatred and fear that have loomed over our national life for the last three years.

Each of us must search our hearts and minds for our own responses. Will we give in to the forces of anger, hatred, fear and division? Or will we reject those forces, reach out to those who are different from us, and make a commitment to move forward together as a nation?

Those of us in the Wilkes County Democratic Party have made our decision. We will continue to embrace inclusion and diversity, address the wrongs of the past, seek to understand one another, support constructive change, and do our part to form a more harmonious union in these United States.
If you feel the same way, we invite you to join us.

The Wilkes County Democratic Party

Kathryn Charles, Chair

Change begins with personal relationships

6/3/2020

This letter was originally published in the June 3rd Wilkes Journal Patriot
Michael Cooper Jr. is a journalist and attorney living in Raleigh. He was born and raised in North Wilkesboro. (and worked for many years here) He is a 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a fellowship hosted by the George W. Bush Center, the Clinton Center, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, and the LBJ Foundation.

I told a friend Saturday that despite everything in the news, “I’m still optimistic about the future of our country.” Look how far we’ve come. Look how close we are to living in a just and righteous world.

And my friend, Darren, who’s black, asked, “How much longer are we going to have to wait?” He was tired and he was frustrated and I couldn’t blame him for feeling that way.

Not after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. All in the last few weeks.

“Who cares if we get to the promised land if none of my people are with me,” he asked. I said these were growing pains, that we’ll get through this. But Darren quoted a line from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that hit me in the gut.

He said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” And all week I’d been silent.

That evening I joined the protesters on the grounds of our State Capitol to stand in solidarity with those who demanded justice for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

I saw homemade signs that were all too familiar (“Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Killing Us”) and I heard the chants of “No Justice, No Peace” as a man on the edge of the crowd played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” on his saxophone.

Later that night, my neighbor and I walked the streets of Downtown Raleigh. We smelled the tear gas. I saw images I’d only seen in the movies: cops in riot gear and dozens of smashed windows with glass shattered all over the sidewalks. And the same thing was happening in cities across the country.

I was furious. I abhor vandalism. I hated seeing the building of a local newspaper wrecked. I saw it as counterproductive to the overall cause of getting justice for those killings.

But walking around, I understood those other words of Dr. King that, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” And for too long, too many of us hadn’t been listening.

This moment and the deaths of Floyd, Taylor and Arbery are because of something bigger than police brutality and a few bad cops.

This is about America’s original sin of racism and how that’s tied to disparities in health, income, housing, education, and how different groups of people are treated by the criminal justice system.

That’s why people are in the streets. Not just because of the killings. But because a pandemic and an economic crisis are disproportionately impacting communities of color (including in Minnesota, where African-Americans make up 6 percent of the population but a third of their deaths from COVID-19). We have work to do as a society. The way to end the riots is not to suppress these feelings until they explode again the next year or the year after that.

But instead to address the underlying causes: the racial wealth gap, policies of mass-incarceration that serve as a “New Jim Crow” and the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. But this isn’t just about public policy. It’s about the way our society still sees black Americans as different and inferior.

Equality is about putting ourselves in other people’s shoes and seeing each other as equals. It means opening doors of opportunity (on non-profit boards, with grants and scholarships and through elected office).

North Carolina has never elected a black governor or U.S. senator and Wilkes County has never had a state senator, state representative, school board member, or town commissioner who was black, and we should honestly ask ourselves why? And fix that. But if we truly want to correct racial inequalities in our society that work begins at home. We can’t change America’s statistics until we change the relationships in our lives and in our neighborhoods.

Those of us who are white should ask ourselves: When was the last time we had a black friend over for dinner? When was the last time we visited their house? When was the last time we went to a predominately black wedding?

Even better, when was the last time we went to church with someone from another race? The most segregated place in America is the inside of a church on Sunday morning. And we can pretty easily do something about that.

I’m still optimistic for the future. We’re closer than ever before to making good on our founding ideals and building a country with liberty and justice for all.

But that’s going to require some conversations that are long overdue and uncomfortable. That’s going to require listening. And for people like me that requires speaking out – to say these injustices are wrong and I think we can do better – because black Americans are tired of waiting.

The Power of the PRecinct

2/16/2020

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On Saturday, February 15th, a collection of Democrats from across Wilkes County got together at the Wiilkes County Agricultural Center to organize their precincts as a group and to learn more about all the things that precincts can do for their communities.

Kathryn Charles welcomed the group, which featured several past Chairs of the party, and then handed the program over to Mandy Marxen for a very brief training session on the precincts of Wilkes County.

Why do we need precincts?

Systemic Voter Repression is REAL
Most people DO feel they should vote and they feel shame when they don’t
There are many obstacles and processes that interfere with the process flow of voting.
Precincts helping at the most local level can counteract all the above.

It was pointed out that in the past, precincts were often organized for short-term campaign work, just in the months leading up to an election. However, the current model is one that is "community-oriented" which lends itself to greater sustainability through multiple election cycles and builds a permanent infrastructure for building the Democratic Party.

Precinct leaders act as organizers who live in the precincts themselves and have a more personal connection with their neighborhood. This type of organizing provides a service to the neighborhood as a resource to combat all those obstacles to voting. It builds a localized community of informed citizens and voters.

The main duties of a precinct:

Leadership of a precinct: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer
Organize monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly meetings in your precinct
Attend the monthly Wilkes Democratic Party Executive Council Meeting
3rd Sat 10am each month
Delegates to vote at the County Convention - Sat. March 28th
VARIES BY PRECINCT but a minimum of 2. (so technically, you need 5 people to be a formally organized precinct)
Provide nominal sustaining funds to the NCDP to use for candidates state-wide. (Investment in VoteBuilder & infrastructure. Last year we got a refund)
Write resolutions to present at the County Convention
Be a resource within the community to get things done & get voters to the polls

There were two main precinct changes in Wilkes before this election: Jobs Cabin precinct was folded into the Mt. Pleasant precinct, with voting at the Champion Fire Department; and North Wilkesboro polling location was moved from the fire department to the Elks Lodge location on Cherry Street. This can lead to voter confusion, so it is up to the precinct leadership to try and get the voters educated and comfortable with these changes. They can do this through postcards, calling, meetings, flyers, posting people at the locations during the election day...and very likely all of the above.

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2020 Century club kicks off the year right!

1/18/2020

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On the night of January 18th, Wilkes County Democratic Party kicked off their single biggest fundraiser of the year, The Century Club Dinner. It was a great night of fellowship and great conversation as we all listened to the ideas of the candidates running for office. In the lobby bar area of the Holiday Inn Wilkesboro, we gathered to get our minds right about the challenges we are facing and running towards in the coming year - which may without a doubt be the most important election of our lifetime. We had a wonderful meal served by Chef Blake Sebastian, and hosted by Wilkes County Democratic Party Chair, Kathryn Charles.

Jeanne Supin:  http://jeannesupinforcongress.com/
She is running for NC Senate District 45. She has spent her entire adult life working with mental health and addiction agencies across the 5th district of North Carolina and our entire nation. She emphasized how important it is that we get Medicaid Expansion for NC. Other states that have done it have money and are serving THOUSANDS more of their citizens with funding that we do not have. NC is declining $3.9 BILLION dollars a year that are rightfully ours because they are OUR TAXES, TOO. 600,000 North Carolinians that are your family, your neighbors, your friends, could be helped. This is an immediate and crucial need for NC that Jeanne is committed to achieving in the General Assembly.

Chalma Hunt:  https://www.chalma4wilkes.org/
She is running for Wilkes County Commissioner in the county which she was born and raised. She grew up in Roaring River and graduated from East High. She went to UNC-Greensboro and got a degree in sociology with a concentration in juvenile delinquency. After living and working in the DC area in HR and raising two children to adulthood, largely as a single mother, she has gladly moved back to Wilkes to take care of her older parents. You may currently know her as the "Chick-Fil-A Lady" who is like the den mother at the restaurant, guiding the young workforce there. She is passionate about getting the youth involved in the community and in voting for their future. She is fully aware, that no one else on the County Commissioners looks like her at this point, and it is time to embrace that change.

Jerome Watkins:
Is also running for Wilkes County Commissioner. He grew up in Mississippi, just north of New Orleans and was stationed in the Marines Corps out of Jacksonville, NC. He had a career in the USMOC which took him all over, and he retired with his last station in Havelock, NC. He married a local Wilkes County girl, and settled in Wilkes. He was always a voter, but a few years ago it dawned on him, "You can't just be a voter,...you have to be more active." He believes the County Commissioners truly should work for us, their constituents, and that many have forgotten that.

Brandon Whitaker:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/brandonwhitaker4wcboe/
Is running for the 2nd time for a seat on the Board of Education. He has a wife, Kimberly, who works as a receptionist in the school system, and he has two children, one at the Community College, and one still in middle school. He works as a civil engineer private contractor and has worked for the NCDOT. He grew up in poverty, and is passionate in his believe that our public schools are the pathway for many to achieve a better life. But we need to commit to the strength of our public schools and our county's teachers.

Walter Smith:  https://www.votewaltersmith.org/
Running for Agricultural Commissioner. He has a BS in Agricultural Engineering at NCSU, is a farmer himself, and has been involved most recently with the industrial hemp lobby as a vital agricultural crop for North Carolina and developing a plastic that will biodegrade fully within one year. He explained to our group more of the broad-ranging duties of the Ag Commissioner; protecting small farms, the state's natural resources, and domesticated animals and shelters, as well as the ensuring the safety of the water supply of our communities, making cosmetics safe, monitoring propane safety, as well as regulating the system of weights and measures so you're getting what you pay for at the grocery store. It is a broad, wide-ranging list of duties that requires a well-rounded commissioner that has your best interest at heart. Walter Smith is that Commissioner.

Wayne Goodwin:  http://waynegoodwin.org/
NC Democratic Party Chair, Wayne Goodwin, is running to be Insurance Commissioner once more and unseat Mike Causey. He was well-respected as Insurance Commissioner and deserves to serve NC in this capacity once more. He spoke of being "Fired Up and Fed Up" about the year ahead. Fired up, because we have an opportunity to respond to and correct the errors of 2016. We have within our grasp the ability to make that change with the power of the vote. "This is the most important election of your lifetime," he said.

He claimed he was Fed Up, because we are not taking care of "the least among us." Those in the White House, The Senate, The State General Assembly have decided that they'd rather stand up for their personal power and private interests instead of the integrity of the offices they hold. They would rather worship power and hold on to it as long as possible. "Listen to the people and the facts to correct the danger that this country has been subjected to." It is time to choose Country over Party and choose what is right for our country, our republic, and ALL of us. But we have to give folks an opportunity and a choice and we have to ACT with our vote.

"Save our State, Vote The Slate" meaning to vote for Democrats all up and down the ballot. That is the simplest plan. And get more people to vote that way. When more people participate in the voting process, the state is better off for it. It is the only thing that will prevent more gerrymandering, stop the degradation of our public schools, protect our natural resources. We can make things go in the right direction if we make the right choices now.

"I'm probably preaching to the choir," he said to the room full of Democrats, "but choirs need to practice."