2024 A Look Back: Least influential YouTube influencer award
Haywood Commissioner Terry Ramey has really made a name for himself in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Jack Snyder photo illustration
The last few years have been a helluva ride for Haywood County Commissioner Terry “double down” Ramey. Prior to his 2022 election, Ramey faced criticism over his decade-long nonpayment of county property taxes, so he did what any decent, upstanding, God-fearing man would do — he lied about it and threatened the media for reporting on it.
The other four commissioners subsequently chastised him for his behavior before his “service” had even begun.
For proof, one need look no further than his appearance in a recent YouTube video shot by an out-of-state grifter looking to capitalize on a hard-hit region full of generous, trusting people eager to help with recovery from Hurricane Helene. In the video, the YouTuber can be heard encouraging Ramey to force a commission vote to override state law, which even grade-school civics students know isn’t possible. Ramey said that he was only one vote and that it was up to the other four commissioners to help him with his constitutionally impossible task.
Lies in the videos prompted misguided outrage, provoked violent and vulgar late-night threats to the other commissioners and resulted in fellow Republican Rep. Mark Pless, of all people, calling for Ramey’s resignation.
Rather than admit his mistakes, Ramey, who still owes thousands in taxes he never paid, lashed out, calling another commissioner a liar and claiming he’d done nothing wrong.
But Ramey’s latest embarrassing episode might not entirely be his fault; he may not have been aware that people don’t use YouTube when they want to make a name for themselves by showing their ass — they do that on OnlyFans.
