Editor’s Note: The following comment was submitted by Hayden S. Soloway of the Shelby TEA Party in response to my last article titled “CC Republican Party/TEA Party Rotten from Within!!! Called Out by Victims of Political Dirty Tricks!!!” Also Note that that article was a continuation from the article before that titled “CC Republican Leaders Pull Dirty Tricks During 2020 Primary Elections!! Akin to the Democrat Party playing “Plantation Politics!!!” We recommend both those previous articles be re-read in evaluating Hayden Soloway’s Comments. We also invite the Cleveland County Republican Party, other TEA Party members as well as Matthew Canipe and Junie Barrett to provide their comments and discussion.
From Hayden S. Soloway (4/3/2020):
(1) “First let me say that none of the three Tea Party leaders were consulted regarding this issue.
(2) The Tea Party had scheduled a forum to which all candidates were mailed invitations, but we had to cancel it at the last minute at the request of the D.O.T. because of dangerous weather. Because it was so close to the election, rather than reschedule, we referred our members and others to the forum at the community college.
(3) We supported several candidates we have supported in the past and knew their motivation and the skills and assets they each bring to the position. In our research, we looked at Facebook pages, attended the college forum, had conversations with some, and watched footage of School Board meetings at which Junie, Matthew, and Robert Queen spoke. We were left with the impression that both Junie and Matthew were basically single-issue candidates, but had either or both won, we would have supported them against the incumbents in November.
(4) We had no plans or collaboration with Republicans, but because we were not supporting any Democrats in any of the races, we could work different early voting sites and cover more ground. Our goal was to defeat all incumbents. We are strong supporters of Danny Blanton whose seat was not up for election. We chose candidates who we knew were sincere and whom we believed were capable of defeating incumbents as has been our goal for several years and will be until the public becomes aware of how poorly they are leading the Superintendent and protecting and educating our kids.
(5) Just one example: After 14 YEARS of public education in Cleveland County schools, 67% of students who enter Cleveland Community College require remedial classes in READING and MATH – the only two subjects required in every job they will ever apply for (remember, this is after 14 YEARS of education).
Robert A. Williams’ response:
1. Hayden’s first sentence is confusing to me. If Hayden meant that I did not ask permission from any of the three TEA Party leaders, whoever they are, before I published any of the related articles, she is 1000% correct. I have never asked permission from anybody to publish any of my thousands of articles over the years and I am not about to start now. The First Amendment of the US Constitution is permission enough for me.
If Hayden meant that SHE did not ask permission from the three Shelby TEA Party leaders, well, that is between her and them. But I would expect that Hayden derives her permission to speak freely from the same place I get my permission-The First Amendment of the US Constitution.
2. We all know that the TEA Party DID indeed schedule a forum before the 2020 Primary Elections that had to be cancelled because of inclement weather. And the 2020 elections filing and Primary Elections dates were indeed pushed way forward, which caused major problems for everybody. But the fact remains that the Cleveland Community College forums are closed to the public asking candidates questions and never provide a complete opportunity to vet candidates on all of the issues. Especially on complex issues.
3. The first sentence in Hayden’s third paragraph about supporting past candidates is disturbing in that the Shelby TEA Party supported Democrat Candidate for Commissioner Eddie “Massa Eddie” Holbrook in the 2018 Elections. Even after all the major display of dirty “Plantation Politics” in that year’s Democrat Primary Elections and $68,000 worth of “fake news” campaign spending. All of which cast very large concerns on the TEA Party’s candidate selection processes when “Massa Eddie” lost in the General Election-defeated and disgraced!!!
Also, the Shelby TEA Party’s troubling assessment of Matthew Canipe and Junie Barrett being “single Issue” candidates rings hollow when that “single issue” was there are major problems at Cleveland County Schools and Matthew and Junie, both very knowledgeable about the lies, corruption, waste and likely fraud at CCS required major changes and said so. Making that “single issue” the most important issue in the 2020 School Board elections. Especially in light of Hayden’s paragraph 5.
4. The statement that the Shelby TEA Party did not “plan or collaborate” with Republicans also rings hollow. I have, over the years, attended Shelby TEA Party meetings and have seen with my own eyes that the Republican Party has pretty much come to control the TEA Party. Which made the TEA Party’s decision to support Massa Eddie Holbrook in the 2018 Elections even more disturbing.
Also, just defeating the three incumbent Democrats running for the School Board in 2020 is NOT enough. Hayden, if you had read the article you replied to close enough, you would realize that it will take at least four good candidates, along with Danny Blanton, to make changes to the School Board. Removing both Matthew Canipe and Junie Barrett from the mix because of a shallow understanding that in American Government, it takes a majority to rule was foolish.
We agree 1000% that the present school board has not properly led the superintendent nor provided adequate protection and education of our children.
We would also state that we agree with three of the five of your recommendations for the School Board. We did not agree with your selection of Joel Shores and Dawn Bowland. Although Joel and Dawn did very well in the CCC Forum, we had concerns about their commitment to change that might have to be drastic to turn CCS around. One concern was their late filing-almost at the last minute. Usually a good indication that they were running to knock somebody who had already filed for election out of the running. Which may be good if poor candidates had signed up previously. But Joel Shores has made noises in the past about his preferred elected office-not as a school board member. Joel and Dawn have also not been attending many school board meetings. While, during normal times, Joel Shores and Dawn Bowland may make excellent school board members, this is a critical time and every seat is needed from the five candidates to make those changes. Plus, a bit of a margin. My previous articles do the math to show that.
5. We agree 1000% with this entire paragraph!!! However, we usually count 13 years, K-12, as the number years, for our math, for the educational cycle at CCS.
In addition, Hayden, there are a few things you did not mention that should be discussed.
1. By the addition of Joel Shores and Dawn Bowland to the 2020 Republican Party Primary list, votes were split enough so that Greg Taylor was able to make the top five. Our understanding is that you asked Greg Taylor what thing he would change at CCS and Greg said “Nothing.”
The Shelby TEA Party (as well as myself) did NOT recommend Greg Taylor in the 2020 Republican Party Primary but Greg ended up winning. Now that Greg Taylor will be on the 2020 General Election Ballot as a Republican, will the Shelby TEA Party endorse Greg Taylor?
We plan to recommend Democrat Samantha Davis for that position instead of Greg Taylor. Samantha has expressed a clear message that she wants major changes at CCS.
2. What plans does the Shelby TEA Party have to hold Candidate Forums during the 2020 General Elections. That time is now upon us.
Another comment that I have is that I have personally seen or am aware of elitist attitudes amongst Republican Party members for years and years. And Shelby TEA Party members too. And Democrats. And City of Shelby leaders. It is time to speak out about that and get down to the business of electing the best candidates for the job. Now, Matthew Canipe and perhaps Junie Barrett too will share their bad experiences. It is just like all elected officials as well as candidates for public office, Political Party officials and TEA Party leadership; bad apples need to be disposed of before they spoil the whole barrel.
Matthew, Junie and anybody else; speak out and say your piece. You all have the same First Amendment rights and myself and Hayden Soloway.
Stay tuned folks!!! It’s a long time until November 3rd.
PS: As I was wrapping up this article, I received another comment from a TEA Party person, TPartyCain. Normally I would disapprove this kind of name calling, but this time it clearly proves out the kind of elitism from TEA Party members trying to run down Matthew Canipe, Junie Barrett and others, including me. Shame, Shame, Shame on all of you!!! Hayden, is this one of your buddies??
TPartyCain says:
“Matthew, nobody worked against you, The fact that anybody with a brain and a pulse, can go read your Facebook posts and easily understand that you a clueless loud-mouth idiot. The fact that you can’t understand this shows why you don’t need to be in charge, or leading, ANYTHING!”