Party News

Republican Party Valentine Dinner features David Ralston and Tim Echols

The Feb. 11 Valentine Dinner will feature keynote speaker Tim Echols, public service commissioner, and Speaker of the House David Ralston. The event will also include dinner, music and a cake auction. The dinner is $15, and tickets will be available at the door of the Fannin County High School Cafeteria before it begins at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Brian Stanford, chairman of the Fannin County Republican Party at 706-838-5299 or 70-365-1642 (cell) or gohike (at) tds (dot) net.

Republican Party to hold mass meeting and county convention

On Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 9 a.m., the Fannin County Republican Party will convene Precinct Mass Meetings to elect Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Fannin County Republican Party Convention. The County Convention will convene at 10 a.m. the same day at the same location for the purpose of electing Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Congressional District Convention and the State Convention. Both the Precinct Mass Meeting and County Convention will be held in the Jury Assembly Room on the third floor of the Fannin County Courthouse, located at 400 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, Georgia.

All Fannin County residents who are legally registered to vote and believe in the principles of the Republican Party are urged to participate in this process.

The 9th Congressional District Convention will convene on Saturday, April 14, at 10 a.m. at the Jefferson City Civic Center, Jefferson, Georgia. The purpose of the District Convention is to elect three Delegates and three Alternate Delegates to the 2012 Republican National Convention, to be held the week of August 27 in Tampa, Florida. Delegates and Alternates will be required to pay a fee to cover the cost of the Convention.

The Georgia Republican Party State Convention will convene on Friday, May 18, in Columbus, Georgia, and will elect 31 Delegates-at-Large and 31 Alternates-at-Large to the 2012 Republican National Convention, electing a National Committeeman and a National Committeewoman and conducting all other necessary and proer business. Delegates and Alternates will be required to pay a fee to cover the cost of the Convention.

If a Delegate or Alternate requests a waiver of the fee for inability to pay, that request will be considered and a determination made as to whether a waiver is in order.

Registration and participation at the Precinct Mass Meeting, County Convention, District Convention or State Convention is not allowed after the event's designated start time.

For further information, contact Brian Stanford, chairman of the Fannin County Republican Party at 706-838-5299 or 70-365-1642 (cell) or gohike (at) tds (dot) net.

Sen. Gooch talks about immigration bill

"We took bits and pieces of legislation from other states, fixed some of the problems we saw in those bills, and adopted our bill. We believe it will stand the test of the courts," said Georgia Senator Steve Gooch at the June meeting of the Fannin County Republican Party.

Gooch was talking about HB 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 that will empower Georgia to protect its borders and reduce the burden of illegal immigrants on the taxpayers of Georgia. It was signed into law May 13 by Gov. Nathan Deal. Provisions of the bill, starting July 1, will authorize police to investigate the immigration status of people stopped for traffic offenses, set new hiring requirements for employers and penalize people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants in Georgia.

Sen. Gooch said that passing the bill was a way to clear the state of illegal immigrants, who cost Georgia millions of dollars by taking advantage of free school lunches, hospital and medical care, and taking jobs from Georgians that are still unemployed.

He acknowledged that opponents of the bill held major protests in Atlanta and described one of the protests at the Capitol.

"People up in the gallery were screaming, shouting, and chanting. It was not pleasant and the Capitol police had to escort them out of the building," he related.

Not all Georgians agree with the immigration bill. Some South Georgia farmers who depend on migrant workers to pick crops will bear the brunt of the bill's economic impact.

Gooch said that Gov. Deal has already requested a study to investigate potential labor shortages as a result of the new law. He said he will wait for the results of this study before taking a stance on that issue.

"I know there is some concern about where the farmers will go to find their labor...and that they won't be able to meet their needs, but I don't know that will happen," he said.

Gooch also commented on the Governor's proposal to use probationers to help fill the farmers' labor needs.

"I don't know if it will work, but I think it's a good idea to give it a try. If probationers want to work, let's put them to work. I also believe that if the illegals leave Georgia, it will open up jobs for the rest of us." Gooch emphasized, "I think this is a good move for Georgia. We put a lot of work into it (HB 87) and we adopted what we believe is a good, fair bill."

The Senator also talked about other bills that were passed by the Senate and those made law during the 2011 legislative session.

SB 122. Water Independence authorizes the creation of public private partnerships to build reservoirs was signed by the Governor May 2, 2011.

Other bills passed by the Senate:

SB 33. Zero Based Budgeting will stop out of control growth of departments and agencies and bring their budgets back into public view.

SB 210. Women's Right to Action gives women standing to seek punitive damages from doctors and abortion clinics that violate the law.

SB 165. Requires minors who receive an abortion to have a fetal tissue DNA sample be collected and stored. This bill protects young girls who are molested or used as part of a sex trafficking ring.

SB 223. Georgia Government Accountability Act creates a sunset advisory board to review state boards and commissions to determine if they continue to be needed.

SB 177. The Healthcare Compact closes a loophole in the current federal law and prevents federal dollars or tax credits to be spent on abortions.

SB 36. Lawful Carry During a State of Emergency prevents any state government entity from limiting the freedom of gun ownership during a state of emergency. Further it prevents the requirement to register firearms during such times.

SR 20. The Taxpayer Protection Act—A resolution that would restrict the state from spending any money in excess of the previous year budget adjusted for inflation and population. Any additional revenue beyond the spending limitations would fund school districts with unexpected increases in population and then would be required to go into the Rainy Day fund.

The Fannin County Republican Party meets at 7 p.m. the third Monday every month at the Senior Center in Blue Ridge.

State Sen. Steve Gooch, third from left, spoke about immigration to, from left, Commission
Chairman Bill Simonds, Lane Bishop, Fannin County Republican Party President Brian
Stanford, and other members of the Republican Party during the June meeting.

Story and photo courtesy of the "Fannin Sentinel."

Dana Chastain to Republicans, "I enjoy being a public servant"

"I am not a public speaker so I hope you don't expect me to be--but I can tell you about what I do as the Clerk of Superior Court in Fannin County," began Dana Chastain.

Chastain was speaking at the May meeting of the Fannin County Republican Party, where 32 people listened intently as the soft-spoken elected official talked about her family and her work.

"I am married to Eric Chastain who is part of the Promise Quartet—you might have seen them at Singing in the Mountains. We have a daughter, Morgan, who is 16...and I pray a lot," she said.

Chastain has worked in the office of Superior Court for 20 years and is serving her third term as Clerk.
"I enjoy being a public servant and I want to thank you for electing me...if I can help you with anything, I want you to let me know," she said.

Continuing, she said that her office administers registration and retention of official documents, including civil and criminal proceedings, real estate and personal property transactions and other vital records.

The Office of the Clerk of Superior Court consists of three divisions: the Judicial, Real Estate and the Administrative Division.

According to Chastain, her office is responsible for receiving, recording, processing, storing and retrieving records for the Superior Court.

In the Judicial Division, copies and/or files can be obtained of civil cases, criminal indictments and subpoenas. In the Real Estate Division, copies and/or files are available for real estate deeds, miscellaneous documents (affidavits, plats, easements, tax liens, suits, powers of attorney, etc.).

The Business/Administrative Division provides auxiliary services where a citizen can appeal a Superior Court decision, file for adoption, register the name of a business, apply for a notary public commission or a passport. Copies and/or files are available of appeals, hospital liens, and other related documents.

In answer to questions, Chastain said it usually takes 4-6 weeks to obtain a passport and the cost is $135.
Military and adoption records are not available to the public and juvenile court records only by court order.

"If we can help you, we will--we have even come in on Saturdays and after 5 p.m. to help," she said.

The Fannin County Republican Party meets the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center in Blue Ridge.

Story and photo courtesy of the "Fannin Sentinel."

Fannin County Republican Party elects new officers

At its March 12 County Convention, Fannin County Republicans elected new leaders. From right, counter clockwise (standing): Chairman Brian Stanford, Second Vice Chairman Blake Collins, Treasurer Melanie Harris, Assistant Treasurer Howell Teasley, Assistant Secretary June Stanford, (seated) Secretary Jane Teasley, First Vice Chairman Ronnie Godwin.

Deal sworn in as Georgia’s 82nd Governor

Surrounded by his family and well-wishers, Nathan Deal was sworn in Monday, Jan. 10 as Georgia’s 82nd governor. He will lead the state with the support of fellow Republicans at the helm of every statewide office.

Many Georgians were disappointed that they were unable to attend the inaugural events due to a snowstorm that forced the ceremony from the steps of the Capitol to the shelter of the House chamber.

The oath of office was administered by his son, Hall County Superior Court Judge Jason Deal. His youngest daughter, Katie, serenaded her father with "Georgia on my Mind."

Gov. Deal started his administration off with a strong speech discussing the role of government, a large part dealing with public safety.

On education, he said we have failed to make the progress we need, mentioning the high dropout rate and low graduating percentage as contributing to public safety issues. He said school boards need to listen to parents when making decisions.

The former congressman from Gainesville pledged a frugal administration that would eliminate unnecessary programs and focus on government's core responsibilities, which he listed as education, public safety, transportation and water.

"In times of economic prosperity, we often ignore the costs and inconvenience of governmental paternalism," Deal said.

"But in times such as these, with more than one of every ten of our employable citizens out of work, we must justify every cent that government extracts from our economy."

Deal urged self-reliance in tough economic times, saying, "State government cannot and should not be expected to provide for us what we can provide for ourselves."

Pledging to fight the Democratic-backed federal health reform law and arguing that "government cannot make or keep us healthy," brought a standing ovation from the Republican led House and Senate.

"The primary responsibility for good health rests with individuals and families," he added.

Deal offered only a broad sense of what his priorities as governor will be, asserting that he will protect the HOPE scholarship, punish violent criminals and work to solve the state's transportation woes.

He is expected to flesh out his agenda Wednesday when he delivers his first State of the State address and unveils his first budget proposal. His first concern is expected to be money, as the state is facing a budget shortfall of about $1 billion for the coming fiscal year.

Following his own swearing in, Deal administered the oath to other statewide constitutional officers: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Attorney General Sam Olens, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler and Schools Superintendent John Barge.

The snowstorm derailed Monday night's inaugural gala as Republicans canceled the ball funded by a long list of corporate sponsors to keep supporters off ice-slicked roads

-From the Fannin Sentinel

"With A Servant's Heart"
Fannin County Day of Service Commemorated the Inauguration of Nathan Deal as Georgia Governor

Governor-elect Nathan Deal kicked off his inauguration festivities Saturday with a statewide "Day of Service" as hundreds of volunteers fanned out across Georgia to help their fellow citizens.

During the campaign, Deal often spoke of having "a servant’s heart." To celebrate his inauguration, he asked people all over the state to organize a "Day of Service." Dozens of volunteers answered his call and took part in Deal’s statewide day of service.

In Fannin County, Elaine and Jim Owen organized a "Feed the Hungry" campaign and asked that nonperishable food be dropped off at the offices of the Fannin Sentinel on Saturday. This food was taken to Family Connection’s Food Pantry.
John Aranda of AmeriCorps said the food would probably last "about a week."

The Food Pantry services between 15-20 families a day. After Christmas, the shelves were almost bare.

Speaking to a group of volunteers in Atlanta Saturday, Deal said, "The greatest challenge our society faces is to be able to deal with the least of the least. It’s something I hope to continue as part of my administration. The opportunity to help people exists every day, and it must be an ongoing process. It’s not just a one day event."

Fannin County’s contribution to the Food Pantry was about $1500 in food and checks. Several people pledged to participate "when the weather gets better."

Those people who plan to make a contribution later, please show your support by dropping off food at the Sentinel office or write a check to Family Connection, specify in the memo section, "Day of Service" so a total can be kept for the campaign. All donations left at the Sentinel office will go directly to Linda Mahan at Family Connection.

-From the Fannin Sentinel

FCRP Organizes Packages for Soldiers Program

The Fannin County Republican Party is organizing a Packages for Soldiers program to send a taste of the good ol' U.S.A. to our brave soldiers stationed overseas.
DONATIONS are needed as each box collected requires about $9.00 to mail. A collection box is located at the
Fannin County Court House by the Commissioners Office and at the High School’s main office.
If you have any questions, please call Ron Bolin at 706-492-7724 or Elaine Owen at 706-632-0021.

The list of suggested items to send is available in pdf format on the downloads page.

Paid for by the Fannin County Republican Party, 165 Hemlock Dr., Suches, GA 30572
(706) 838-5299
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee
Brian Stanford, chairman