Anyway, no long discussion here. The Advance Meeting Agenda is attached below. The First person who can find “Citizens Recognition” or “Public Participation” (as required by State Law) on this Agenda wins a new, crisp $100 bill as a prize. Don’t believe me, check it out. Win $100 if you can. Wouldn’t you like to be the first person to win a $100 prize offered by Robert A. Williams?
But, I smelled a rat here. This was NOT the first time “Citizens Recognition” or Public Participation” was left off a CCC BoT Meeting Agenda. The first time, I did not sign up to Speak. This time I did. I got to the meeting early and a sign-up sheet was left at the podium. I signed in and listed for the subject “Communications/lack of.” When Chairman Littlejohn, who obviously was trying to sneak through the meeting without anybody from the public speaking, called me to speak, I realized he knew I had not fallen for the bait this time. And I lowered the boom on the Board of Trustees.
I reminded the Board of Trustees about the sneaky trick with the Agenda and how they were caught. I reminded the BoTs about their other sneaky trick with the Committee Minutes not being provided. I reminded them that I was the only member of the public that was regularly showing up to their meetings and how “they treated me like dirt.” “But I can handle it!” Them trying to keep their dirty little secrets secret. I reminded them that I had came early and read the local newspaper when I came through the Library. That I had read the article about Eaton closing down a production line. And that another large higher tech business was laying off around half their workers. All because the Cleveland County education system and CCC was not turning out workers skilled enough to do the job. That their highly touted “Workforce Development Programs” was all talk and no action. Maybe, just smoke and mirrors.
Incredibly, the next item on the agenda was a report from CCC President Jason Hurst. Hurst stated that a NC Community College survey indicated that by the year 2030, there would be a shortfall in skilled workers in North Carolina of 600,000. That translates to a 6,000 deficit for Cleveland County. Half of the High School graduation class projected to 2030, considering the loss of population at the going rate. The smarter people leaving Cleveland County, going to college and finding jobs somewhere else. And the better workers leaving for somewhere else too, seeking better jobs. So, all you thousands of parents and grandparents, kiss your kids and grandkids goodbye. They will be leaving Cleveland County, never to return. Except for a visit every now and then or to come to your funeral. Which is already the case for many. Too bad since North Carolina has picked up over 1,000,000 voters since 2016 and Cleveland County population is still going down rapidly. Doesn’t that tell you something???
But, later in the meeting President Hurst spoke about how well Eaton was doing in Cleveland County and about how good a partner they are to CCC. Telling lies against himself and his own words. All in the same meeting. That may be a first place for CCC in the “Liar’s Poker” contest. You can be the judge of that.
But the lies kept on coming. CCC had settled the lawsuit against them filed by former teacher Ginger Bullock. The CCC lawyer said that the CCC insurance company had decided that THEY would settle the case. To pay off Bullock. (Who had accused CCC of dumbing down the dual enrollment classes so more unqualified high school kids could take college courses so both CCC and CCS could better defraud the taxpayers. And the kids who then might enter college, only to flunk out, would be the losers. Along with us taxpayers and the kids with college loans to pay off.) According to the lawyer, since the CCC insurance company had made the decision to pay, CCC was refusing to accept that they had done anything wrong. And the whole thing cost Cleveland County Taxpayers not one red cent.
