Lack of leadership: Vernon Jones attacks Governor Brian Kemp

News, State & National
Vernon Jones

ELLIJAY, Ga – Former State Representative and Trump ally Vernon Jones continued to flirt with the idea of running for Georgia Governor as a Republican.

Jones switched the Republican Party in January after previously stating he had no plans to do so. However, his tweets “if I were governor” suggested he wants to primary current Governor Brian Kemp (R).

At 10 a.m. at Liberty Park on Friday, April 16, Jones will make an announcement whether he is running or not. If he does announce, it’s like Trump will endorse him.

He’s promised an “overhaul” of Georgia’s election system if he was governor but didn’t go into details.

As for switching parties, Jones asked for the same treatment as past Republicans who started out as Democrats, such as former Governor’s Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal. If reelected, Kemp will be the first life-long Republican to reattain the office since Reconstruction.

Jones added that not everyone agrees, and no one should expect 100 percent agreement. He claimed that Democrats disagreed with his conservative nature for 30 years, and now, he no longer has to abide by their rules.

Kemp’s leadership or lack there of was the focus of Jones talking points. He wanted to know why Kemp let MLB pull the All-Star game from Georgia, what actions did he take to prevent it? Did Kemp speak with Delta about their objections to SB 202. According to Jones, Kemp’s failures to address voter integrity issues months ago, cost Georgia money.

Accusing Kemp of hiding and letting the General Assembly clean up his mess, Jones attacked the governor for not taking a proactive role in November 2020. He didn’t call a special session to discuss election issues. Several Democrats and Republicans have praised Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) for not bending to the will of Trump during that time.

However, other Georgia voters lost faith in the system after the General Election. Legislators spoke at length during the 2021 Session about constituents calling to express their voting concerns.

RNC Spokesperson Dennard addresses MLB’s decision

News, State & National
Paris Dennard

ELLIJAY, Ga – RNC National Spokesperson Paris Dennard called out Major League Baseball, Stacey Abrams, and President Joe Biden for their actions following Georgia’s passage of SB 202.

MLB, according to Dennard, cares more about politics and should have taken the time to talk to Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker of the House David Ralston, and elected officials on both sides. Instead, they spoke to Stacey Abrams and made a decision regarding the All-Star Game following that conversation.

The abrupt pulling of the All-Star Game from Truist Park cost business owners in the area an estimated $100 million. Denver, the new location of the game expects to rake in $190 million. Dennard called the money that will be flooding into Denver a real chance for long-term business growth, not a temporary stimulus.

He added MLB, Abrams, and Biden knew the move would hurt people, but continued ahead with it. Abrams has come out against the planned Georgia Boycotts, but sources are now reporting MLB decided to move the game after a call from the voting rights activist. She released a statement expressing disappointment over MLB’s decision on April 2.

Abrams statement

Statement Abrams posted on her Twitter account.

Dennard stated that the actions of Democrats over the Georgia Law are nothing more than an attempt to pass H.R. 1 and federalize elections. The law’s already facing lawsuits from NAACP, New Georgia Project, African Methodist Episcopal Church, and others.

In an earlier interview, Speaker Ralston expressed his belief that SB 202 would hold up in court.

RNC’s involved in all the lawsuits and working with other state legislatures to pass their respective voting bills. GOP hopes to take back the House and Senate in 2022 with policy-centered arguments.

“Crisis of integrity and confidence” Belle Isle explains why he’s running for Secretary of State

News, Politics
David Belle Isle

ELLIJAY, Ga – David Belle Isle (R) took a minute to address why he’s running for Secretary of State even though the incumbent Republican intends to run for reelection.

Former Alpharetta Mayor and runner-up on the 2018 primary runoff for Secretary of State, Belle Isle supported candidate and eventual Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger until his actions in 2020. He called what happened in 2020 an “absolute disaster” citing the perceived dissolution of election integrity and voter confidence.

“As much as we want to find the right leaders,” Belle Isle remarked, “We can’t get there if we don’t have the ballot box right.”

Belle Isle wants to clean up the mess, mail-in ballots, and restore voter confidence.

Raffensperger has expressed his intentions to run again and that the facts state former President Donald Trump didn’t carry Georgia and when the truth is revealed people will understand. Belle Isle observed if Raffensperger can’t see the problem, then that’s “the reason he needs to go.”

The Secretary of State did hire a company, ProVMD to audit Dominion machines and that company primarily services Dominion. Raffensperger’s chief operating officer also left the office for a year to take a role at Dominion in 2020. Belle Isle believes these actions aided in the public distrust of the Dominion machines and wants to see if the state can get out of that contract.

David Belle Isle headshot

David Belle Isle

He also stressed that voter confidence has to be restored across the state. However, it will be up to the candidates to help people believe in the system since Raffensperger will be the Secretary of State overseeing the 2022 elections.

The former mayor isn’t a fan of policies Raffensperger implemented including signing the consent settlement agreement with Fair Fight. He promised to tear up the agreement if elected, adding that rejected ballots dropped to 0.3 percent in 2020. In the past, Georgia had a rejection rate of 3 percent.

As for former President Donald Trump endorsing Jody Hice (R – GA 10) candidacy for Secretary of State, Belle Isle commented that he’s always supported the President, but Trump’s never met him. He also believes he has the experience to run a multi-disciplined office like Secretary of State and that Trump would be impressed if he knew how Belle Isle ran Alpharetta and developed it.

“If presidential endorsements were always right, he’d be endorsing Raffensperger for the second time,” Belle Isle commented about the significance of endorsements.

Also, the decision is ultimately up to the voters of Georgia who will get to know the candidates.

Belle Isle has events scheduled across Georgia and is encouraged by the people reaching out to volunteer their time for his campaign.

Voter turnout, debates, and Trump: David Perdue discusses all

Feature News, Featured Stories, News, State & National
David Perdue

ELLIJAY, Ga: Senator David Perdue (R) addressed his relationship with President Trump, voter turnout, and not debating Jon Ossoff on his bus tour through North Georgia.

https://youtu.be/hXDzHORXNCs

Citing the earlier debates, Perdue didn’t see the necessity in rehashing the issues. 

“I wanted to give him a chance to show Georgia what an empty suit he is,” Perdue explained, “How can someone lose a debate with himself? I mean, that is what we saw last night.”

The senator discussed his concerns about the “radical left agenda” moving forward if the Democrats win in January. 

“We’ve held the line on Iran, and by removing ourselves from that JCPOA nuclear deal, we’ve now put tremendous pressure on Iran. We’ve stood up to China. We’ve got our trade deals moving. These are the things we can protect and hold the line against the radical leftist agenda the Democrats have put forward,” Perdue remarked. 

He asserted the only way to protect the gains made is to “hold the line” against the Democrats. 

As for President Trump, he’s instructed Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler to win their races. 

“He has said ‘you’ve got to hold this Senate. We’ve got to win in January.’ He’s very disappointed that he hadn’t been able to get more of transparent accounting, if you will, of the signature absentee ballots, and so on and so forth,” Perdue stated. 

Perdue pointed out that Loeffler and himself called for the resignation of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger weeks ago. He asserted that Georgia never had election problems before 2019-2020, and the consent decree between Raffensperger, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Stacey Abrams created this situation. Perdue asked for a “specific accounting of absentee ballots, relative to the validity of the signatures and the number of ballots versus envelopes.” 

Gilmer Sheriff Stacy Nicholson introduced Senator David Perdue.

“We’re going to continue to make noise about,” Perdue affirmed. “If you look at the logic of saying ‘I’m upset about President Trump’s treatment or accounting of November 3, and therefore, I’m going to protest and not vote on January 5,’ what logic is that? That’s circular logic that basically gives the keys to the kingdom to the Democrats.”

Perdue will be in Union and Towns Counties on Tuesday, November 8. 

 

 

 

Fetch Your News Interviews Pickens Commission Chair on COVID-19 Response

FYNTV, News

JASPER, Ga. – Fetch Your News CEO Brian Pritchard held an interview with Pickens County Commission chair Rob Jones regarding the county’s response of COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Jones started off by stating that this ordinance was an 11 page document, intended mostly as a reminder to get people to understand how serious the virus is.

He states that not included in the shutdown are things such as grocery stores, drug stores, healthcare services, gas stations, drive thrus at banks, building supplies, auto parts, restaurants for takeout or curbside, liquor stores, etc.

The ordinance is available through Tuesday, April 7, 2020, and is planned to go void unless the health system of Pickens an Georgia directs them to do something else at that time.

Why liquor stores?
Jones says that this is because withdrawals may occur in certain individuals who have become dependent on alcohol, and that hospitals would further take a hit if those individuals were unable to obtain their alcohol.

Groups of 10 or more aren’t allowed while the ordinance is in place.

Even outside government agencies such as the road department have been split into smaller groups to aid in stopping the spread of the virus.

Jones says this ordinance encourages people to stay home, but, isn’t mandatory, as asked by Pritchard during the interview. Jones says that they understand people must go out to the grocery store, visit the bank, etc.

When asked whether or not Jones knows if those who are listed as infected in the county are from Pickens, he responded that they are residences of the county, but that one of the individuals is in a hospital south of the county, with another self-quarantined in their home, though he’s currently unaware of the status of the other two.

A video of the entire interview may be viewed below!:

https://youtu.be/2Vw8p4P0bhI

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