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shine a light on Democrat accomplishments

1/6/2023

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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 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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A Message From our New Chair - Kathryn Charles

4/9/2019

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Greetings to my friends and fellow citizens of Wilkes County!

To introduce myself, let me share that I spent my early years here in Wilkes County, attending Wilkesboro and C.C. Wright Elementary Schools, then attending Wilkes Central High School. After graduation, I was off to study Art, Psychology and later Accounting at the Universities of North Carolina at Greensboro and Chapel Hill, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude in Accounting from the University of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va.

​My 40 year career included Office Management, Public Accounting, Finance and Information Systems (primarily in Surgery) at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, S.C.  I am an enthusiastic supporter of education, social justice, a healthy environment, nature, art and animal welfare. I have recently returned to Wilkes County, where I have realized that “retirement” for me must include making a positive contribution to my community and this world we all share.


I would like to express my gratitude to fellow Wilkes Democrats who have placed their confidence in me to chair the Wilkes County Democratic Party for the 2019-2021 term.

Over the next two years, one of my goals is to continue the work of growing our Democratic base in Wilkes, increasing and developing our Democratic precincts, which represent the bedrock of our party. We know we cannot win elections without strong, organized Precincts!

We must increase our outreach efforts to all of our Democrats and unaffiliated citizens who may feel forgotten or unrepresented in our county, including but not limited to, our Hispanic, African American and LGBTQ citizens.

We must bring attention to the need for increased support for our public education system and our teachers, especially in light of the current administration’s attempt to divert funding to private and charter schools.

We must shed light on the serious issues of poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness in our county.

We must continue to seek opportunities for the economic development of our municipalities and county.

We must continue to find, support and elect qualified individuals who will represent us all, including women and minorities, at every level of elected office in this county.

We must preserve and protect our air, land and water, so that future Wilkes citizens will be able to thrive here.

We must do all that we can to protect the voting rights of all individuals and to advocate for fair and non-partisan redistricting.

We must support comprehensive healthcare for all, for seniors, women and persons with disabilities, as well as those who have fallen into the Medicaid Gap and cannot get affordable insurance coverage.

We must demonstrate our support for the rights of all working men and women to be compensated equally for the same work.

It is critical that we hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and make sure ALL of the people of Wilkes County are represented.


Under the current administration, we have seen an alarming rise in hate and division that tears at the fabric of our society. We must continue to stand in unity against these destructive forces. I will continue to remind myself and others of the pledge we have repeated throughout our lives, “allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Voting is critical, but “just voting” is no longer enough! Like anything worth having, a strong democracy requires work, rolling up our sleeves, going to meetings, making phone calls, knocking on doors, writing letters, working for good candidates, putting up signs, planning, collaborating, and earning some sweat equity! Participation in whatever way we can is absolutely necessary! I am looking forward to participating with and working with my fellow concerned citizens on these and other important issues that touch our lives!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” - Barack Obama

So now, my friends, let’s Get to Work!

Best regards to all,
Kathryn D. Charles
Chair, Wilkes County Democratic Party
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PRECINCT ORGANIZATION

1/6/2019

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2019 is not a big election year,...except for here! This year we will elect new county party officers and precinct leadership. The precincts start first.

The local voting precinct is the smallest subset of politics in the party, but definitely the most powerful. This is basically neighbors working with neighbors in their immediate community to organize and make change. 2019 is an election year for our local precincts, so each precinct will need to be organized and officers and delegates elected. 

Come to the monthly meeting to learn more about precinct organization and how to get involved. Wilkes has difficulty organizing all our precincts, so we need all current 28 precinct leaders or interested persons to come to the meeting if they need more information. Each current precinct chair should have already received a pdf with the organization requirements and their precinct's sustaining fund goal (based on the numbers of votes cast in their precinct for the last governor's election.)

This packet included:

1) How many convention votes each precinct will get at the county convention to vote for Wilkes Democratic Party Officers at the Wilkes County Convention in March.

2) How many delegates you'll elect from each precinct (some precincts require as many as 7 to be fully organized.)

3) Your precinct's sustaining fund goal to the state NC Democratic party 
(goes to access for software use and other support) 
We will do a county-wide precinct organization meeting for maximum efficiency on Saturday, February 16th at 10amat the Wilkes County Agricultural building. It's a great time to get together with all of Wilkes County's precincts represented.

If you are a precinct chair and did NOT receive this packet, please contact us immediately or pick yours up at the January monthly meeting.
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