Voices of Union County, GA

02/10/2025

January 18, 2025, the Union County Republican Party's 1st Vice Chair read aloud a Resolution condemning the physical attack and assault upon State Senator Colton Moore of the 53rd Senate District. The attack occurred when Senator Moore tried to enter the House Chambers to voice his opposition to Governor Kemp and the House Leadership naming Fannin County’s Technical College after former House Speaker David Ralston. After continuous attempts to enter the Chambers by Moore, Keith Williams, a staff member for Speaker Jon Burns' general counsel, physically attacked and assaulted Senator Colton Moore.

The Resolution implies Mr. Moore was denied his Constitutional Duties as an elected State Senator when he attempted to oppose the naming of Fannin County’s Technical College after former Speaker David Ralston! Many have raised questions about illegal and corrupt behavior during David Ralston’s tenure as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Should the Resolution have condemned Gunter, Gooch, and Brian Kemp's support of Jon Burns' attempts to keep Senator Moore from entering the House Chambers to exercise his Constitutional Duties?

This is not a new story emphasizing the abuse of power by Georgia Legislators but a continuation of allegations surrounding David Ralston, beginning with other conservative State Representatives who have fallen to Ralston’s tactics by refusing to go-along-to-get-along. Remember, Ralston’s wife ran for the former State Representative’s seat in House District 7 and was defeated by an overwhelming margin by the residents of the 7th District.

If we look back to 2017 when the previously elected State Representative refused to run for a second term because he would not forsake his conservative values to go-along-to-get-along, in 2017, Mr. Matt Gurtler, along with Mr. Mickey Cummings, announced their candidacy for State House of Representative District 8. Mr. Cummings was highly favored over the conservative Gurtler by those who attended Cummings' kick-off rally. In addition to those pictured below were Governor Nathan Deal, House Speaker David Ralston, many State Representatives, and State Senators representing Districts in the Northwest corridor of Georgia. Mr. Gurtler won in the May 2018 primary over the unqualified Cummings with a large percentage of the vote. During his 1st term as State Representative, Mr. Gurtler realized if he would not go-along-to-get-along, he was faced with the same situation as why his predecessor did not seek a 2nd term.

Gunter retired as Enotah District Judge from his appointed position by Governor Nathan Deal and announced his candidacy for State House, District 8! Residents of Union County saw the same individuals come together for Gunter’s kickoff rally as those who supported Cummings. As Gunter won his election, it should raise a question: has the power structure finally found the yes vote to complete their agenda? With the majority of Gunter's political career coming from appointments, should the residents of the 8th District take a closer look at Gunter and question where his loyalties lie? Gunter’s numerous appointments within the ranks of State Government as a junior legislator are unheard of.

With the upcoming 2026 election, there is plenty of time to review the loyalties of Representative Gunter and seize the opportunity to find a true Republican conservative to replace Mr. Gunter.

With Governor Kemp giving away so much money through various programs, Georgia residents should be asking Gooch, Gunter, and Brian Kemp how Georgia’s Department of Revenue was able to collect well over $1 trillion dollars from the taxpayers of Georgia?

-- Wesley Hopgood

11/10/2024

Let freedom ring. 🇺🇸

11/09/2024

It feels dirty just having to share this on this page but, for the sake of celebrating Free Speech, it feels helpful to point out to all who do not know it, this group highlighted in the image below is run by a tyrant who spouts obscene mistruths about things happening in this county, and then vulgarly attacks, censors and bans anyone who shares the facts or even so much as asks a question. It's a toxic space that, much like the Politically Incorrect and Blairsville GA groups, promotes itself as a free-speech forum so that you do not realize the comments and posts have been sculpted to present the narratives they want you to adopt. Be aware. Free speech is free speech and we can not have liberation in any capacity without it. There is another Word of Mouth group here [Blairsville Word of Mouth - no GA in the title] that DOES promote free speech (as long as you aren't vulgar with it) and I am endlessly grateful to that group for boldly allowing discourse when no others will. We must be able to discuss the topics affecting us all without those the admin disagree with being punished for doing so. It's time to reclaim our Freedom and unite as neighbors to create from a place of informed consent. It's crucial, in fact.

11/06/2024

2025 is the year we discover the true power of free speech. The little bit of free speech we've painstakingly carved out in this county over the last few years against all odds and under focused attack by our government, 'local news' and even our very own GOP is the very reason we were able to finally get a new Sole Commissioner to both run AND WIN! Can you even imagine what will happen once his visions for protecting free speech for We the People of Union County will create for us over the next 4 years!?! But it's up to US, not Harold Collins, to use the tools of freedom, to show up to meetings and our new Town Hall meetings with all of our knowledge and wisdom and problem solving ideas and actually claim the freedom he's giving us. It's up to us. No more complaining. No more red vs blue. We are all neighbors and now is our time to shine ❤

11/06/2024

Congratulations Harold Collins!!! 🎉
And congratulations to the people of Union County!!! 🎉

10/23/2024

If anyone is voting for Paris and actually belives he cares about the people of Union County, please message me and I will give you many many real life examples of where he has tried to publically destroy any citizen that questions him. The names he calls them knowing no one will condemn him for it. The lengths he'll go through to ensure their questions and complaints can not be heard by others. This is the first time in a very long times he's run unopposed. We haven't had a choice until now. But now that we finally DO have a choice, I'm choosing the candidate that is putting our Constitution first; the candidate who is going to ensure our voices are recorded and made public for all to hear; the candidate who is going to create local town hall meetings for We the People to discuss the important issues facing our county publically so that we can make informed decisions. Harold Collins wants to give this county back to We the People, but first we've got to vote him in and then we have to show up to take part in it all.

09/16/2024

Post from UC resident Wesley Hopgood:
"Owners of homestead properties (6500 recorded residences with homestead exemption in Union County GA) again face assessment, valuations, and taxation concerns over local personal residential property! This time an amendment to Georgia’s Constitution is in play but the county, city, and school board COULD choose to ignore what the citizens want!

House Bill 581 as signed into law has an effective date of Jan 1, 2025, ONLY IF an amendment to the Georgia Constitution passes on the November 2024 General Election Ballot as a State-wide Referendum; it will require a “yes” vote to approve.

Its major goal is to provide property tax relief only to properties that meet homestead exemption requirement. The relief, however, is OPTIONAL at the taxing authority level - county, city and school board level.

Perhaps we should “VOTE NO to SEND A CLEAR AND VERY LOUD MESSAGE” to our elected officials at both the state and local levels. Why do I say this? Georgia’s Governor and General Assembly should NOT pass and sign legislation that allows County, Cities, and School Boards at their pleasure to circumvent the intent of the state law!

Voting ‘YES’ puts the responsibility on US as homestead property owners to make sure our local Commissioner, Mayor and School Board members HEAR us when we say WE need property tax relief and that it is THEIR responsibility to listen to US and to implement the provision of HB-581 that gives property tax relief to homesteads!!!!!!! If they don’t LISTEN, tell your friends and family and vote them out of office!

The major provision of HB-581, if amended into the GA Constitution by ‘YES’ vote in November, is a cap on annual increases in the assessed value of homestead property to a rate of inflation rate to be determined by the State Commissioner of Revenue. This cap on assessed value of your homestead property is in play, however, only if the local governing bodies DON’T OPT OUT. Local governments may opt out of the homestead exemption through the adoption of a resolution by March 1, 2025, after conducting three public hearings and placing an advertisement in both the local newspaper and on the local government's (county, city, school board) website. Our county, city and school board governing bodies are probably deciding NOW whether they intend OPT OUT in the event the Constitutional Amendment passes – which it is anticipated to do. Ask, “Why would they opt out?”

Also, approval of this Constitutional Amendment will authorize a new LOCAL special sales and use tax aimed at providing property tax relief, subject to local referendum approval and intergovernmental agreements.

There are also other minor changes in the Bill including the appeals process.
For more detail, go to these active links:
https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20232024/229562,
HB 581, Economic Analysis Revisions (gacities.com)
Navigating Georgia's New Property Tax Legislation: HB 581 and the Impact on School Districts | Parker Poe
This Tax Bill should be very good for the permanent residents of Union County, however….
1. In 2020 Union County Sole Commissioner and the Mayor for the City of Blairsville, created and financed what is functioning as a separate branch of Government know as Union County/Blairsville City Chamber of Commerce whose major purpose has been to change the rural nature of the County into tourist destination with attributes similar to an urban/suburban metropolis!
This was accomplished by worldwide advertising with the Chamber inviting the world to come to Blairsville/Union County because “We Have It All” - available property, services, and amenities!
Did they come? They came with plenty of money looking to invest in property, vacation resorts and entertainment. Boy did they get a surprise! Their promise of Union County becoming a Gatlinburg 2.0 began to slowly dissipate, as they found themselves left with some very expensive real estate!
How did this work out for permanent residents of Union County? Union County has 16,000 homesteads with only 6500 homesteads qualifying homestead exemptions from property tax. The remaining 9500 homesteads belong to investors or second homeowners with their permanent residences elsewhere.
2. Then T-SPLOST came along when the sole county commissioner and ACCOG tried to convince the residents 1% tax would be spent only in the county, which was not true under state law. You chose AGAINST T-SPLOST!
3. Although funds have been readily available from non-T-SPLOST sources the county commissioner neglected to maintain our bridges, while wastefully spending tax funds on projects to enhance tourism. He also misstated when he found out about the poor condition of bridges. As early as August 2021 an open records request revealed that in August 2021 – 3 years ago - GDOT transmitted a report of a review they conducted in which several of our county’s bridges were cited as in ‘poor condition’. Now taxpayers we are facing expensive repairs/replacements due to his negligence.
Wesley Hopgood"

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08/22/2024

If ANY person, entity or group is trying to convince you to close your ears to and shun anyone speaking up, it is a very good practice to question their motivations for doing so. It's an even better practice to listen to the person being censored to decide for yourself if the censored information is relevant.

08/14/2024

In response to Mr Burgess' failed attempt to dox me in his Blairsville GA-Word of Mouth group (after blocking me from the group so that I can't correct it,) No, I have never voted Democrat in my life. I foolishly voted Green Party for the Bush/Gore race and voted straight ticket Independent after that until registering as Republican to vote for Ron Paul in the primary. I generally voted Independent, but didn't vote in most elections because there were no candidates I cared about. I DID NOT vote in 2014 and then voted Trump and straight ticket Republican from 2016 until now. I do not live with my mom as he claims, although she did live in my home that I own for a few months while waiting for her own home purchase to finalize 2 years ago.

I wrote multiple songs trying to wake people up to the horrors of Obama when he won his first election. Feel free to ask to hear them sometime. I was passionate about trying to get people to wake up to the drone bombing of civilians, banning of lightbulbs & oldschool tv, legalized propaganda, etc... but no one, at the time, seemed to care. Trouble Man is a particularly interesting tune about that. I wrote it in 2009.

There were multiple Alexis Moores in Houston. My own doctor's daughter and I had the exact same full name and year of birth and it was confusing for their office staff. There was another Alexis Moore that frequented the same music venues I did, but she was a lush and often forgot to pay her tab. Bartenders would come after me before confusedly realizing they hadn't served me all night while I was performing on stage. Burgess, you tried to dox me and failed.

Mr. Burgess attempting to post my home addresses while claiming I voted Democrat and then saying I'm a "sneaky snake" liberal who hates men and lives with my mom is just a bizarre display of insanity and immature & dishonest bullying. I honestly am concerned at the level of obsession this obviously unwell man has with me. What could be fueling this obsession? I tell the truth about people in power and he is adamant to shut me down. Why? It seems he is very much doing Lamar's bidding.
Attacking & silencing citizen reporters in Union County is a trend by those seeking power for personal gain.
Shout out to the Real Union County, GA page for also assisting our county with real local news reporting regardless of the attacks he's received.

07/20/2024

07/01/2024

There is a reason we often assume telepathy when imagining a truly enlightened society. That's because an enlightened society is an informed society. How can anyone make the highest-level decision without the necessary information? They can't. What's worse is, an uninformed society allows those who only want power for power's sake to manipulate the uninformed masses to do their bidding. If you are ever on the side of those who censor information, you are with the uninformed masses doing the bidding of parasites. Own that.

05/08/2024

Asking a candidate claiming to want to reduce taxes how many years they've personally benefited from unearned taxpayer money is a highly valid question.

05/08/2024

On April 4th, Kevin Kilpatrick uploaded photos to his page of our Union County High School boys having lunch at Ho***rs before posing with Ho***rs waitresses holding Patrice Kilpatrick campaign signs on their high school wrestling trip.

*Faces of minors have been blocked out to conceal their identity

05/07/2024

https://youtu.be/iZHIVmsNNU4?si=lBSUwuxWJn9VWBEy. .

05/05/2024

05/04/2024

Reports concerning the candidacy of Patrice Kilpatrick surfaced last week thanks to an investigation done by Real Union County GA. The reports show that Kevin Kilpatrick, husband to the candidate for Sole Commissioner, has received over $500,000 of taxpayer money while not working for 7 years, plus retiring with additional benefits and pension. The events leading up to how he gained this nearly $1Mill of unearned taxpayer money involved internally covering up an incident of choking his wife and ripping the phone out of the wall when she called 911 as well as a DUI that he fled the sceen of, intimidating/attacking the Special Investigations Unit, and a really good lawyer. It's all right here for you to see in this week's Citizen News Report.

For a quick history of the recent 'grassroots movement' for freedom and protecting our rights here in Union County, begin at the begining of the video. To only see the reports mentioned above, skip to the 50:00 mark of the video.

https://youtu.be/MBU6QolhTJQ?si=r4aIu6-7yUtiqPR0. .

Links to the reports:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2004/04/08/officer-charged-with-dui-fleeing/

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/02/16/Officer-on-paid-leave-for-seven-years/62261297890669/

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2003/10/29/davie-police-investigating-911-incident/

https://reason.com/2011/02/16/how-hard-is-it-to-fire-a-polic/

If you appreciated this citizen news report, please support the channel by liking the video, subscribing to the channel and liking the page. And PLE...

05/02/2024

Just a reminder, anyone banning free speech and attacking or slandering the media during an election is NOT for freedom or the people and is in fact manipulating people for the sake of power... in case you needed the reminder.