by Dalton George | May 28, 2025 | Dalton George, Local Organizing, Local Politics, North Carolina Community, Reclaiming Rural
Regardless of party, most people hate politics, they distrust the system, and they feel left behind, unheard, and sidelined. I understood how they felt. So how could I reconcile this with being an elected official? I decided on an “ambitious” idea — aiming to talk to people.
These town halls have very little format, lots of me answering questions, sharing frustrations, and inviting people to help me solve the problems. It’s risky, no doubt, for an elected official to deviate from the script, but to meet this moment it’s also necessary. Opening yourself to a dialogue, answering any question asked can be a challenge, but importantly it also humanizes our decision-makers.
by Beacon Media | May 20, 2025 | Climate crisis, Cost of living, Environment, Local Organizing, Local Politics, North Carolina Community, Reclaiming Rural, U.S. Politics
We depend on Duke for electricity. They need to deliver that. But Duke also shouldn’t put shareholder profits over careful stewardship of the natural resources that we all depend on.
by Beacon Media | May 14, 2025 | Cost of living, Housing, Local Organizing, Local Politics, North Carolina Community
A staggering 86 percent of voters between 30-40 years old say housing costs are impacting their ability to reach other financial goals, like saving for retirement, starting a family, or buying a first home.
I see this data as a call to action—not just for lawmakers, but for all of us.
by Beacon Media | May 14, 2025 | Healthcare, Local Organizing, North Carolina, North Carolina Community, North Carolina State Politics
More than 14,000 North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive ‘Innovations Waiver’ benefits under Medicaid. My son is among those receiving help.
But thousands more North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities — almost 19,000 of them — are on the “Registry of Unmet Needs,” the waitlist to receive these services under Medicaid.
by Beacon Media | Apr 22, 2025 | Black Community, Local Organizing, Local Politics, North Carolina Community, Uncategorized
An organizer considers his and his town’s past as he confronts a time of political division. By Ryan Wegener Beacon Media Source: UNC Chapel Hill – Documenting the American South Most Confederate monuments face North to represent defending against...
by Gwen Frisbie-Fulton | Apr 1, 2025 | Cost of living, Gwen Frisbie-Fulton, Local Organizing, North Carolina Community, Reclaiming Rural
The writer reflects on her love of all things associated with the working class. By Gwen Frisbie-Fulton Working Class Storytelling City of Greenville, North Carolina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons It started in the back seat of my family’s Jeep Cherokee, the...
