Nicole Horn, Democratic Candidate for GA Labor Commissioner

The North GA Blue: Getting into Good Trouble podcast covers democratic politics in North GA, the 9th Congressional District, and across the state of Georgia. The podcast is in Q&A/Interview format with various democratic politicos including county chairs, democratic operatives, politicians, and more. It is our mission to deliver crucial information to our listeners in a timely manner as we fight for community values and principles in the 3rd most Conservative district in the state. Our website is: https://www.fcdpga.com/podcasts

Our guests highlight democratic activities and actions to work toward a Blue Georgia. The 9th Congressional District spans 20 counties across the region and covers a good deal of northern GA including Blue Ridge, Morganton, Fannin, Union, Banks, Athens/Clarke, Dawson, Elbert, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, and White counties. 

Our democratic party podcast also disseminates information and interviews powerful Democrats across the state of GA who are working to overthrow the suppression tactics of the GOP and ensure democracy and our values, grassroots efforts, and goals remain intact. 

#podcasts #politicalpodcasts #democraticpolitics #democraticparty #stateofga #democraticactivism, #democraticgrassroots #community #gademocraticparty #georgiademocrats #democraticpodcasts #bestdemocraticpodcasts #freedemocraticpodcasts #deepdemocracypodcasts #gademocrats #democracy #republic #democraticpodcastslisten #fightthegop #votersuppression #voterrights #bluestates #redstates #podcastsaboutdemocraticpolitics #grassrootsactivism #climatechange #environment #9thCongressionalDistrict #9thcongressionaldistrictchairs #ruraldemocrats #racialequity #racism #POC #politicalactivist  #racialjustice #equity #education #diversity #inclusion #workingtorestoredemocracy #voterrights #democraticoperative #localpolitics #countypolitics #statepolitics #politicalraces #voterturnout #redistricting #gerrymandering #votersuppression #voterrights #politicalhistory #gapol #ruralrevival #ruraloutreach #DemocraticPartyofGA  #DPG #democraticgoals #democraticcharacter #democraticvalues #democraticintegrity  #TurnGABlue #Transparancy #GADems  #GAPOL #NicoleHorn #GALaborCommissioner #Labor #Unions #UnemploymentBenefits #Apprenticeships #AppretenceshipPrograms #Technology #Education #Workers #JobOpportunities #FairJobs #EqualPay #POC #FairEmploymentPractices #RaisetheWage #IndivisibleGA 

Transcript

Meral Clarke: 0:18

Hello, and welcome back to the North Georgia Blue Podcast produced and distributed by the Fannin County Democratic Party. I'm your host, Meral Clarke. And we're getting into some good trouble today with our special guest, Nicole Horn, Democratic candidate for Georgia labor commissioner. Welcome to the show, Nicole. We're happy to have you with us today.

Nicole Horn: 0:39

Thanks so much. I'm so excited to be here and get into the meat of politics and the labor department and unemployment. Gosh, we've got a lot of things to talk about.

Meral Clarke: 0:50

Fantastic. So tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and why you're running, why our current labor commissioner needs to be replaced? And what makes you a qualified candidate? And why do you believe you are the best candidate for the job?

Nicole Horn: 1:05

I am excited to talk about this. We are still going through one of the worst crisises of our generation. We've lost more than 23,000 Georgians and more than half a million Georgians as we've gone through the pandemic have lost their jobs. I'm running because when the pandemic first hit, I thought it's reasonable that there would be some bumps in the road as the Department of Labor responded to this crisis. But what we've seen is the depth of suffering that many people went through when they lost their job was largely unavoidable. And that's because between the end of the great recession and the start of the pandemic, our current labor commissioner cut staffing in half. He chose not to use a federal grant to upgrade the technology that runs our unemployment system, which is ancient. I mean, it requires a mainframe. And these two things created a disaster when the pandemic hit. And 19 months later, our department is still taking four to six months to process unemployment claims. People call the Department of Labor and nobody answers, no one responds to emails and the 40 career centers that are run by the Department of Labor are still closed today. We can d better. And I think Georgian deserve better. So people as why you then? Well, it's reasonable question. I' actually I feel like I' uniquely qualified for thi position. I'm an entrepreneu and I built a business tha helped universities understan what jobs are in demand, and ho to align those jobs wit programs that universities coul offer. So that adult student who've returned to school o came to school for the firs time would complete a progra and go out and then get a job So that business experience i what I take as I think thi department needs to be run lik a business. And I can do that And I'm running on a premis that we need to strengthen ou safety net, which is th unemployment insurance system s that people receive thei benefits quickly. And we ca also protect against people' identities being stolen and use to get unemployment. But I als think we need to talk more abou building ladders to better jobs so that there are fewe Georgians who need the safet net. And I have a plan to do

Meral Clarke: 3:24

That's terrific. And tell us a little bit more about your background as an entrepreneur.

Nicole Horn: 3:30

Alright, I'm happy to do that. So my husband and I worked together since 2002, we took a company that was an initially a data website tech company, and transitioned it into a higher education consulting firm. We helped build programs for Emory University's Continuing Education Department, we launched their paralegal program and Six Sigma. And all of that was a data driven conversation around Okay, what are jobs that are needed in the Metro Atlanta area, and then we took that approach, really looking at different jobs and what a university is good at offering and aligning those so that adult students who are coming in could leave with a skill that would then help them into that next job, and that I applied to master's degree programs, but also to programs that were for people who wanted to get their undergrad degree. And as I was saying before, to non credit certificate programs, so really a wide range. And part of that higher education consulting perspective also took into account looking at big technology systems and what kind of technology would support the university from a marketing perspective from a recruiting perspective and also from a retaining students perspective. So I feel like I have a lot of experience working within big huge slow moving departments, which is what colleges and universities are so so state level departments don't scare me, because I think I am used to kind of working through the slow moving stuff and getting to the nugget of how can we make changes more quickly, that will have a better impact? And then how do you build on those changes and grow impacts for something that is stronger and sustainable?

Meral Clarke: 5:20

Fantastic. You're certainly qualified for that. So what do you think should be the top priorities for the position of labor commissioner? What are your priorities? And what will you do in the role? And what do you believe are the most egregious actions taken by the current republican labor commissioner and his department?

Nicole Horn: 5:39

Let me start with the most egregious actions. And I touched on this a moment ago, but the current labor commissioner, his name is Mark Butler. He's been there since 2012. And I alluded to this, but he cut staffing in half.

Meral Clarke: 5:54

And why is that? I mean, was it due to COVID? Or,

Nicole Horn: 5:57

No, this was from the end of the Great Recession to the start of the pandemic, he cut staffing in half. And I think he was like priding himself on Oh, we're gonna stay as lean as possible. The challenge with that is, and this is again, you can hear kind of my business experience coming through, you can cut staffing, if you have cutting edge technology that can plug in to where that staffing is. But when you cut staffing, and you refuse to take federal money to improve the technology that runs unemployment, as the system is run on COBOL, which is ancient and requires a mainframe. You can't do both. And both of them were such egregious decisions, it speaks to Mark Butler's belief that unemployment isn't something that he believes in. I don't believe he actually thinks we should have an unemployment system. And you can see that in the way in which he's chosen to manage that department. And it's frustrating for those of us who believe in the good that government can do, the strength that government can bring to communities when it's needed, and there's a total lack there. So that speaks to the most egregious, but you also asked about my top priorities. And I have two and everyone who is running for this office, and Mark Butler has a couple of primary challengers. And there's a few of us in this race as well. We are all talking about, we need to fix unemployment. That system is a mess. And that means staffing back up. That means the being ready to replace the current technology with technology that is easy to use, where when people lose their password or can't find their code, it's easy to regenerate. It should be a system that's simple. So I think fixing that system, both from a staffing and a technology perspective, that's going to be my top priority. And to me, we need to not have this backlog of 80,000 people who are in the appeal process, we need to drive that down. So that is for me, it should be for anyone running for this office the top priority. But I also want to talk about underemployment. And for your listeners who don't know, underemployment is when people are either forced to take a job for which they're overqualified, or they're an hourly worker who is unable to work the number of hours they'd like to work. Our governor and current labor commissioner talk a lot about our low unemployment level, but they never talk about how high underemployment is in Georgia. So in Georgia, our statewide underemployment level is 9%. But for Black and Hispanic women, it's 15%. For Black men, it's 18%. And to fight underemployment, we need better pathways for better jobs. And that's a significant part of why I'm running and I have a plan to address both unemployment and underemployment, and Meral I can get into that, or I can wait and let you ask other questions. I don't want to go on for too long without you being able to ask your next question.

Meral Clarke: 9:12

Oh, please, I'm good to go with you. And what you're talking about is so important. So please do elaborate a bit on the underemployment, especially in communities of people of color. Historically, they're the most impacted by poor labor policies. So how will you make the system more equitable?

Nicole Horn: 9:30

Well, I think an equitable system that from an unemployment perspective, when upgrade technology, when you open up those career centers, there's 40 of them across Georgia, we need to staff people with a goal of connecting people, not just with unemployment, but connecting them with good jobs that lead to something more than just paying the bills to a career and to create paths to good jobs. I'm focused on apprenticeships, so the Department of Labor is not a legislative branch. It's an administrative branch. So you have to work within the existing infrastructure. Many, many, many departments of labor across our country offer state run apprenticeship programs. We don't in Georgia. And that's shocking. What's even crazier about this is that the State of Georgia has fantastic apprenticeship programs that are union run. And these are programs where you go and you learn a skilled trade, and you begin the apprenticeship program, earning $15 an hour for most of them, and that you're earning between 70 and $100,000, within two to four years. Those are fantastic programs. And when I talk with the unions, they say they never get people who send people looking for jobs to an apprenticeship program, which is ridiculous.

Meral Clarke: 10:53

That is insane.

Nicole Horn: 10:55

It's insane, especially because we have a huge shortage of people, for skilled labor like Meral, you've probably gone through this. I have an old old house. It was built in the 1920s. And we constantly have problems with plumbing or electricity, and getting a plumber out to your house or electrician, you're gonna have to wait at least a week, possibly two or three, because we have a shortage of people with people who can do those skilled trades. We should be talking and partnering with the unions on those. But also think about moms who were in the workforce at one point, and then stayed home to raise their children and are ready to go back into work and they don't have a good pathway. To get back into that we need apprenticeship programs that lead to strong office jobs that lead to white collar careers for both the kids getting out of college, but also for adults who are ready to make the career transition or who have been at home and want to get back into work. Apprenticeship programs, and aligning apprenticeship programs with living wages is a way where we can strengthen our workforce and fight against underemployment. I have one other pathway that I want to talk about. And this is being used in five states right now. And oddly enough, Mississippi is one of them. It's always weird when Mississippi does stuff better than you. But it's called a Self Employment Assistance Program. It's a program where if you lose your job and you qualify for unemployment, but you have an idea for a new business, you can receive your unemployment benefits for a given period of time, you know, the standard period while you work with the Small Business Administration and the Department of Labor, to get your business planned and watched. That's a great way to bring more equity to our state.

Meral Clarke: 12:46

That's fantastic. And everyone should be doing this every stage on board with getting folks employed. And entrepreneurship is so important. So let's talk about unions a bit more. Both of your parents were staunch union members and supporters. Your family often survived by living paycheck to paycheck without unemployment benefits. Your father was, I believe, a seasonal worker and your mother was a nurse. Yeah, yep. So how has this experience in your background growing up? How has this impacted your current views? And how do we get more unions in Georgia?

Nicole Horn: 13:21

That's a great question. I have to say my mom, she was a nurse. She wasn't a member of a union. But my dad was a lifetime union member of the International Operating Engineers. So what he did was he was a heavy equipment operator. He built roads in New York and Connecticut. He was one of the guys on the big yellow machines with the rollers or the cranes. He loved heavy equipment. So every year usually right before Christmas, he was laid off from his job because you can't build roads when it's cold and wet outside. And despite how this may sound, it was never scary for us because our family didn't worry about paying the mortgage or paying for food because my dad, I know this is gonna sound shocking, applied for unemployment and quickly received it. And so it was just a couple of months, usually that he couldn't work because of the weather. But he was back at it in the spring. And it's shocking to me because it's such a different experience than what so many Georgians went through. And you asked how do we get more unions in Georgia? And I think that a lot of the challenge is that Georgians don't know the value that unions bring. Unions are why we have weekends or why we have 40 hour work weeks. Unions are the reason why we don't have child labor. It's

Meral Clarke: 14:39

Exactly I was about to say that but you beat me to it. Yes.

Nicole Horn: 14:42

And vacation medical care. It's because of what unions protested for and negotiated for and when you look at states that have a strong union presence versus states that don't consistently you see that the average pay among states with union presense, is higher. So the purpose of unions is to give voice to workers to employees. And I do think there's a shift happening in Georgia, where there's a recognition that we've always talked about Georgia being one of the best places to grow a business. And more of us are saying, it also needs to be one of the best places to work. And unions and creating unions are part of that conversation. I think, for me, when I look at one of the big things that we need to overcome is the right to work law in Georgia. And that makes union growth more difficult. And so for your listeners who don't know what the right to work law does, is it's two things, it makes it so that an employer can hire or fire anyone they want, as long as any discrimination laws are not broken. But the other thing that the right workload does, it allows some workers to receive a free ride to kind of get the advantages of a union contract such as higher wages and benefits and protection against arbitrary discipline, without paying any fee associated with negotiating these matters. So unions have to represent all workers and provide the same due diligence regardless of whether someone has joined a union or is paying the dues or other fees. So the union's got to cover all workers and states like ours, where you've got the right to work laws, somebody can refuse to pay union membership dues, so you've got people working on your behalf, but others don't have to contribute. And it's like a slow death. That's like the death by paperclips. The Federal Pro Act, which has been passed by the House would end this practice would also address the misclassification of workers, which is a big problem we have in Georgia, and that's when people are hired as independent contractors, but they're doing the work of regular employees and businesses misclassify. So they don't need to pay benefits. I would be another voice in support of the Federal Pro Act. But if that doesn't pass, I think Democrats, we need to work to undo the harm, right to work policies in our state and also push for the clarification around misclassification.

Meral Clarke: 17:12

So that's really interesting. And then I would have to agree. So you've stated in the past that you wish to ensure all Georgians have equal and fair job opportunities and an effective safety net when they need one. What does this mean to you? And how do you plan to make that happen? Once you get into office?

Nicole Horn: 17:30

Well, an effective safety net Meral is fixing our unemployment system. So that to me, is what I've been saying, we need to immediately staff up, we need to prioritize making sure that people who are going through the appeal process get through it faster. And there needs to be a process change at the Department of Labor right now. Because people who apply only about somewhere between 90 and 95% of all the people who apply are sent through the appeals process. It's a tiny amount of people who are who are qualified, there's something broken with that process. So I think fixing that process, we've talked about technology. We need technology so that it's software as a service so that it's in a cloud so that it can be more flexible and easier to use so that it's not run on a mainframe. But I think also that's why as I am thinking about us to talk about equal opportunities and job opportunities, I want our career centers to be open to where people are right now and better identifying job opportunities. And when there's not clear job opportunities, beginning the conversation around what needs to happen next. Does that mean going back to school? Can we get you in a job with an apprenticeship program, and that's going to be a collaboration not only with workers in Georgia, but with the employers in Georgia and with the unions in Georgia. We all benefit when more Georgians have better jobs when more Georgians are able to strengthen their families and put money back into the community. And and I think it needs to be a more strategic conversation. And that's top on my priority list.

Meral Clarke: 19:18

Fantastic. So we've talked about unions, and we've talked about the safety net. Let's talk a little bit about your political advocacy background. quite extensive. Nicole, you formed an indivisible Georgia local branch for the political advocacy group to promote democracy following the disastrous 2016 elections. Why does this particular group matter? Why is it important and why should everyone be involved with it?

Nicole Horn: 19:46

It doesn't need to be an indivisible group. I think we all owe it to ourselves in our community to get involved at the local level. And for me initially, that started with things like being the PTO president and being on my neighborhood association, like that spirit of thinking, it's the old asked not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. By doing that, on the local level, it strengthens communities. That said the night that Trump won the election. I mean, I think it's trite to say I was devastated. We all were there. My daughter was eight at the time. And when I told her that Trump won, she was like, No, no, no. So when when do we get to redo this, that that can't be? That's not the way it works.

Meral Clarke: 20:36

That was pretty much my reaction as well.

Nicole Horn: 20:38

So when the Women's March was organized, I took my kids who were eight and 10, at the time to DC, and we marched, but a march didn't feel like enough. And when I found out about indivisible, and their encouragement form local chapters, I just jumped at the chance. And I worked with a neighbor and a friend of mine, and we created the indivisible fifth, because at that time, Trump had made some heinous remark about John Lewis and the fifth district. And that's where I live. And before we know it, 300 people joined up with us, and we do it as an email list. And we use the platform to regularly engage with people and we protested, we wrote postcards, we email people, we called our legislators, and we used it as a way to just keep people informed. And I'll tell you, there are fantastic indivisible groups across the state of Georgia, who have done far more than us. And I think for me at the time, I was still working full time. And that was what I could do. And Meral you know, this, you've got the fantastic democratic county parties. And whether it's an indivisible group, whether it's a county Democratic Party, there are the groups that have that are growing that focus on Latinx issues, there's the Black voters matter issues, like what matters is make your voice heard. And that's what I want us to do. And unfortunately, we need all of these groups. We're pushing against bad Republican Trump policies. But we also need to push against bad Republican policies that are in our state legislature. I mean, gosh, we saw the heinous stuff that got passed last year. And I'm worried that Georgians are taking notes to replicate what happened in Texas to take away women's right to choose.

Meral Clarke: 22:32

So it's copy and paste it is. We've already talked about this, and it's horrific. So we need to stop that at all costs. So let's talk about Georgia's minimum wage, and I was shocked to learn it's only we touched on this with Congresswoman Nikema Williams as well, I was shocked to learn that Georgia is only one of two states where the minimum wage is$5.15 per hour less than the federally mandated wage of$7.25. So what are your plans to raise the wage in the state? And how do you plan to do it with an overwhelmingly Republican led General Assembly.

Nicole Horn: 23:11

So this is where I just need to have an honest conversation with everybody, I don't think we'll be able to raise the minimum wage until Democrats retake the General Assembly. And I think it's dishonest of state candidates to say otherwise, we need to flip the General Assembly and my position in particular doesn't set the minimum wage, it's set by the General Assembly. So I'm running on what I can change, which is creating pathways to apprenticeship programs, more small businesses. That said, I'm not afraid to talk about the importance of a living wage. And I think we need to. So I talk about right now, when people are like, oh, there are all these jobs out there. And I'm like, oh, all the jobs that you're seeing are these frontline jobs that are paying the minimum wage right now, which is nothing, you know, it's it's not $15 an hour, it's, it's too low to cover the childcare costs that are up 116% since the start of pandemic. We need to talk about the explosive increase in rent across our state. You know, it's up like 10% now.

Meral Clarke: 24:20

It's horrific, nobody can afford it.

Nicole Horn: 24:23

No. We need to talk about creating a state in which people are able to work one job and not three to meet their basic needs. And I think we have a long way to go before we can crack through the Republican controlled legislature. But having those conversations I think can help us elect more state and house legislators who are ready to make that change and get on board. But Meral s much as I support an increase o a $15 an hour minimum wag, that's not in me to say yes, I m going to get that done becau e it would be a lie. It would e dishone

Meral Clarke: 25:01

Well, it's not feasible currently. So we have to adjust and win the battles that we can certainly and you just illustrated why it's so critical to take the legislature back in our state so we can actually pass these laws that will help everyone. And you mentioned earlier that you're in the fifth district. That means the Congresswoman Williams is your Congresswoman. Correct?

Nicole Horn: 25:27

I'm lucky. Yes, you are. That's some great Democratic women who represent the state of Georgia.

Meral Clarke: 25:35

Yes, you are so lucky. I have to tell you, I have a bit of envy, Congresswoman envy there. But she recently co sponsored a bill the equal pay for equal work bill in the House. And it's currently co sponsored by Senator Jon Ossoff. And so many others. I think there are 35 representatives in the house who have signed on. So tell me a little bit about your thoughts about the equal pay for equal work bill as it impacts people who are underemployed people of color. And of course, Black women and women in general. Tell us a little bit more about your thoughts on that.

Nicole Horn: 26:10

Yes, Meral I'm sure I'm speaking to the choir already that as another woman, we know what it's like in the workforce.

Meral Clarke: 26:18

Yes, mansplaining. If you're of a certain age, you will have experienced all of that. And I certainly have, so I know other women have as well. So please continue.

Nicole Horn: 26:28

Well, pay discrimination has been illegal since 1963. But women are still not paid equally for equal work. And this discrimination, it's especially obvious for Black women, the equal pay for equal work act will establish the national equal pay enforcement Task Force. And that task force which previously existed during the Obama administration will bring together the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Management and Budget to work together to limit any potential gaps and enforcement of equal pay laws. And I think this matters in Georgia, because a Black woman makes 59 cents for every dollar a White man earns just ridiculous. It's crazy. It's crazy. So to me, I'm like, I am cheering for this to happen. And we need to change this. And I feel like when you ask people about equal pay for equal work, they say yes, that is the foundation that is of the American spirit. And this is where we need to put our money where our mouth is as a country. So I am excited about this bill, and I'm on pins and needles for it to get past. We'll see.

Meral Clarke: 27:47

I'm very excited about it as well. So dialing it back to Georgia. Can you elaborate on Georgia's Fair Employment Practices Act? so it covers all government agencies and private businesses? which it does not?

Nicole Horn: 28:01

Yeah, it doesn't.

Meral Clarke: 28:02

Why doesn't it cover everyone?

Nicole Horn: 28:04

I don't know. I think it's crazy. So the fact that the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act just focuses on state agency and what's crazy, isn't it's not all state agencies. It's just the state agencies that have 15 or more employees. I'd like what So your question is, why doesn't it cover everyone? The answer is it should. Legal protections should ensure that all workers are covered under our anti discrimination laws. And it should be regardless of the size of the employer. And I would add to it should be regardless of their status of an independent contractor or a temporary worker. There shouldn't be work arounds. People should be protected from discrimination,

Meral Clarke: 28:53

Right. And they're not, and they're not. So many cases. And I agree with you. It's insane.

Nicole Horn: 28:59

It's funny to me that the only thing that there is protection on is around age discrimination that's private and public. But that's because our general assembly is old, male and pale. And so they feel very comfortable saying, oh, if it's age, we're on board, we need to get them on board more holistically.

Meral Clarke: 29:20

I have not heard that phrase old male and pale. I'm going to be using that one. And of course attributing it to you. I stole it from someone else. So don't worry. But on I am so impressed by that. It's true, because we know that Republicans are more interested in protecting their financial interests and their company's financial interests than they are about actual individuals. And it makes me nuts. It really does. So I'm so glad that you touched on that. That term. It's perfect. It's perfect. So the Fair Employment Practices Act. Can you elaborate on legal protections of that act and how it works? I mean, can someone bring a suit? Can someone litigate?

Nicole Horn: 30:07

Only if they are a state employee? That's it. And that is not the case for most states. So for most states, you don't need to be a state employee. But the Fair Employment Practices Act, just discriminates only applies for state agencies. So that's something that I will be advocating for. And I think that there is enough conversation happening on both sides of the aisle that we can win this. Like, you want to assume that most people are not racist jerks. They don't want to see themselves as racist jerks. I think we can get

Meral Clarke: 30:44

Sure. And like you said, it has to apply to everyone for it to be fair, and my producer just sent me a message and our producer Susan, and she said that Melinda Easter's who co founded Georgia wind list and who will be an upcoming guests on the show, I believe, yeah, in the next couple of months. Lita actually calls it the pale male.

Nicole Horn: 31:07

It might have been winless that I stole it from that male, the male pale and stale, perhaps. So.

Meral Clarke: 31:17

Yes, it's so funny. It's funny because it's true. So what are you doing on the campaign trail for people whose unemployment benefits have ended? COVID is still raging. And there are so many folks who still don't have jobs or being paid a livable wage, especially in Georgia. So what do you say to those

Nicole Horn: 31:36

So frustrating because what the system is broken. So I've been to several now protests then I was one of the people who I've been in front of the Labor Department. I was up in Rome, Georgia last week, protesting. I was the only candidate who slept out in front of the Department of Labor's Office along with several others to protest the end of the Federal unemployment benefits. But in addition to that, I started a petition that demanded that Butler reopen the career centers and reinstate federal unemployment benefits, and we got hundreds of signatures for that and sent that to the governor's office. And to Mark Taylor's office, I've also just tried to be a resource for people looking for a solution. And right now, if you are still having problems with your unemployment benefits, and you can't get through to the DLL, unfortunately, your best resource are local state reps and state senators. So when people call me and they ask I helped them look up who their local state rep or local state senator is, most people don't know and give them the contact information and tell them to reach out and call I posted regularly links on social media. If you need help with rent to county resources, I've helped put them in touch with United Way's also been a great resource for people. And then I've also tried to support the organizations that are supporting Georgians. So for example, I called on Georgians and several people to join me at the Metro Atlanta Community Food Bank on September 11, to give time to help box food for distribution. I've also worked with unions to distribute food in partnership with a nonprofit in Lawrenceville. This Saturday, I'm doing the same thing with a church. So there's power in running for office. And I believe in using my megaphone to not just highlight my own goals, but to also give voice to many of the great organizations across Georgia that are helping others. But like I said, it's a challenge when the system is broken. And that's why we need everyone to get out and vote. The Department of Labor is responsible for paying unemployment and providing that safety net when people need it most. And in Georgia, our department has failed. So the best thing we can do is vote.

Meral Clarke: 33:56

Right. It's in Republicans best interest for Democrats to stay home. And that's something that we need to be aware of especially going into the 2022 midterms. So thank you for bringing that up. So if folks listening to this podcast want to become involved in your campaign or support your campaign, how would they go about doing

Nicole Horn: 34:15

My website which is www.nicolehornforgeorgia.com a l spelled out fo r ga and I spe l Nicole and IC o le horn h o r n like a trumpet flr ga.com We a e in the process of kind f building out our infrastructu e right now so that we can enga e more with volunteers and do mo e with people on the ground. T e ugly part about politics is th t it takes money to run a campaign. So if people a e willing to make a donation eve y little bit helps. So if you' e like cool, I can't do a lot n w you can donate $10 a month I have an Act Blue account so I ake it easy. That would be reat. So I need your time, talen or treasure? All of the above Any one of those. Any one o those? Yeah

Meral Clarke: 35:09

Wonderful. And finally, unfortunately, we're constrained by time limits. But tell us a fun fact about yourself. Something not related to politics or your campaign something fun and interesting just about you?

Nicole Horn: 35:23

Can I tell you a couple things?

Meral Clarke: 35:25

Sure. I'd love to hear it.

Nicole Horn: 35:27

So I've worked since I was 12. First as a babysitter, but my first real job was at the brand new Waffle House off I 75. in Woodstock, Georgia. That was my first job was at a Waffle House.

Meral Clarke: 35:42

That had to be a whole different world there.

Nicole Horn: 35:46

It was a whole different world. So I moved to Georgia when I was 16, I moved to Woodstock, Georgia, and graduated from Ottawa High School, and it was exit 5 off 75. I don't think that's what the exit number is now. And it was a brand new Waffle House, and my dad took me over and I applied and got the job. And my dad was so proud of me. And it was great. It was a really fun, interesting experience. And there is a soft spot in my heart for Waffle House. And I'm not about some good scattered, smothered hashbrowns. I think the other fun fact about myself is that I love to sing, and I am a sucker for karaoke. I did musical theater all through college. And my husband actually, the way we met is he saw me in a play in Hair, and then hit on me after the show. And then it was all downhill from there together since then, but I still love to grab him and go do karaoke. So those are my fun facts.

Meral Clarke: 36:52

Oh, I love it. I love it. I have to tell you, that really is one of my favorite questions to ask all of my guests on the show because we have so many musicians in our party. I mean, we spoke with Hally McCormack, who's running against Marjorie Taylor Greene, she sings and plays piano and we have several other folks who are adept on other instruments and sing and play. We're going to have to get a band together. We're going to have to get this democratic blue band together and take that act on the road because I'm in awe of all the musical talent throughout the party. That's fantastic. Well, thank you, Nicole, for joining us today and sharing more about your critical work, especially with labor and employment matters to maintain our democracy. I'm Meral Clark and on behalf of our team, I'd like to thank everyone for listening to the North Georgia Blue Podcast. We hope you'll listen next time when our special guest will be Nakita Hemingway, Democratic candidate for Georgia agriculture commissioner. To learn more about the Fannin County Democrats and the work that we're doing please visit us online at FanninCountyGeorgiaDemocrats.com. Share the North Georgia Blue Podcast with your friends and family. Be sure to subscribe and follow and if you enjoy our podcasts become a founding patron and friend of the show at NorthGeorgiaBluePodcast.com/patron so we can continue getting into more good trouble.