Commissioners Surrender to the Taliban!!! Cleveland County Style—Trump Haters amongst Republicans!!! A plan for recovery—Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat!!! Taking Control of the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees!!! Report, opinions and Recommendations by Robert A. Williams
If you are one of the 150+ millions of Americans that are pretty well PO’d at how our so-called Commander-in Chief Surrendered to the Taliban in Afghanistan while he was snoozing the weekend away at Camp David, you ain’t heard nothing yet.
At last week’s County Commissioner meeting the Commissioners completely and stupidly surrendered to the Cleveland County version of the Taliban without firing a shot. Rogue Trump-Hating Republican RINOs masquerading as Republican Leaders here in Cleveland County. Wes “Loser” Westmoreland, Dennis “Beetle” Bailey, Kevin Whisnant, David Allen, State Senator Ted “Milque-Toast” Alexander and Robert “Luke” Queen. And others too, whose identities will soon be known.
Let me recap this story from the start until NOW!!! Which is not necessarily the finish!!!
As the law stands now, the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustee consists of eight voting members appointed by the Cleveland County Commissioners and four voting members appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly., for a total of twelve voting members. One non-voting member is added and chosen by the College Students themselves. Twelve is the magic number and the Commissioners have a 2-1 advantage. Thus, making the all Republican Commissioner’s Board appointments a two-thirds majority. A wild band of “village idiots” for Commissioners should be able to handle that kind of margin without any great skill in anything. Except maybe “staying awake” at the wheel. Alas, they were all asleep at the wheel!!!
Three Cleveland Community College Board of Trustee members terms expired June 30, 2021. Alan Langley, Luke Queen (Commissioner Appointments) and Betty Carrigan (a Governor’s Appointment when she was appointed, but now an appointment by the General Assembly). In 2021, Cleveland County has three elected members of the General Assembly. Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Kelly Hastings in the NC House and Ted “Milque-Toast” Alexander in the NC Senate. All Republicans. Again, a wild band of “village idiots” in this Cleveland County contingent in the NC General Assembly should have been able to handle this one appointment without any great amount of skill in anything. Except maybe “staying awake” at the wheel. Alas. They were all also asleep at the wheel.!!!
At their last meeting in June of 2021, the Commissioners reappointed Alan Langley to the CCC BoT, but did NOT reappoint Luke Queen.
For the Commissioners to NOT reappoint Luke Queen made a big statement. Luke, by mid-June .2021 on the School Board, had shown his true colors to everybody many times over. Instead of being “Transparent” as he had promised, he wanted everything kept secret. He violated laws and told tons upon tons of lies. Luke also showed his “ass” to the Commissioners in ways that they still won’t talk about. The Commissioners did the right thing by getting rid of Robert “Luke” Queen on the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees.
The Commissioners also notified Luke that they were NOT going to reappoint him to the CCC BOT. Luke, in turn, to cover his being “fired” by the commissioners, drafted a letter on June 15th, 2021 and backdated it to June 1, 2021 stating that he was overloaded with both the School Board duties as well as the Community College BOT and formally requested the Commissioners NOT to reappoint him to the CCC Board of Trustees. I have a copy of that letter and have previously published it. I am again publishing that signed and backdated letter with this article for YOUR convenience. Proof for any unbelievers.
But, all this Commissioner “stuff” pissed-off Luke’s buddies on the CCC BoTs and some Trump-Hating Rogue Republicans too (Wes “Loser” Westmoreland, Dennis Beetle” Bailey, Kevin Whisnant and David Allen). This “setback” to their Taliban agenda caused them to pull some “Taliban” style dirty tricks on the Commissioners. Assisted by Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Rep. Kelly Hastings, NC Senator Ted “Milque Toast” Alexander and certainly the overpaid Cleveland County Manager Brian Epley and his county staff. They enlisted NC Senator Ted “Milque-Toast” Alexander to NOT reappoint philanthropist Betty Carrigan back onto the CCC BoT, but to appoint Luke Queen in her place. In total disregard to what the Commissioners wanted to happen. Rid themselves of Luke Queen as much as possible until the next School Board Election.
At this point I have to include the fact that the Commissioners had and still have the full authority to pull the plug on the Taliban “Treason” over at the Cleveland community College. Scroll on back a few articles and read for yourself. It is a bold move for bold leadership-something the Cleveland County Commissioners are totally lacking in. And more.
The “front” story (Lies) told by the Taliban stooge Senator Ted” Milque-Toast” Alexander, told directly to me on the old historic Courthouse grounds was that “Robert Queen has always appeared to me to be a capable leader.” “Oh yeah, “was that that the reason the Commissioners got rid of him” I stated too soon to be Mister Milque-Toast Alexander after the 2022 Elections.
The real story is this. The Commissioners made a mistake when they appointed “John Doe” to the CCC BoT instead of Luke Queen, I say “John Doe” because I am sure he doesn’t want his name associated with the Commissioner FUBAR that I am about to disclose. The FUBAR was John Doe had previously been an employee at the Cleveland Community College and State Law says that any former employee of CCC has to be out of CCC for 5 years before he or she is eligible for appointment to the CCC Board of Trustees. Don’t ask me WHY such a State Law as this exists. Ask Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Rep Kelly Hastings and Senator Milque-Toast Alexander that question,
But it took me no more than 90 seconds to confirm that State Law as a 100% fact. Meaning the Commissioner’s over-paid County Manager Brian Epley and his staff did NOT properly “vet” John Doe before the Commissioners illegally appointed Mr. Doe to replace Luke Queen at the June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s meeting.
That state law was specific and SO easy for me to find and confirm, that any reasonable person would have to rightly believe that the “oversight” by Epley et, al. HAD to be deliberate
And, since that State law is so easy to find, I am adding the pertinent parts (Underlined) right here for your convenience. Look up NC General Statute 115D-12 if you want to see it all.
Setting up and Selecting Community College Boards of Trustees-In Part
Article 2.
Local Administration. § 115D-12.
Each institution to have board of trustees; selection of trustees.
(Para (a) left out for clarity)
(b) All trustees shall be residents of the administrative area of the institution for which they are selected or of counties contiguous thereto with the exception of members provided for in subsection (a) of this section, Group Four.
(b1) No person who has been employed full time by the community college within the prior 5 years and no spouse or child of a person currently employed full time by the community college shall serve on the board of trustees of that college.
(c) Vacancies occurring in any group for whatever reason shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the agency or agencies authorized to select trustees of that group and in the manner in which regular selections are made. Should the selection of a trustee not be made by the agency or agencies having the authority to do so within 60 days after the date on which a vacancy occurs, whether by creation or expiration of a term or for any other reason, the General Assembly shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Now, let’s get back on track.
The Commissioners, at their June 15, 2021 Commissioners Meeting Reappointed Alan Langley to the CCC BoT and Appointed “John Doe” to the CCC BoT to replace Luke Queen, At Luke Queen’s Request-to cover up his being fired.
Then the General Assembly, directly thru Senator Ted “Milque-Toast” Alexander-motivated by Taliban Trump-Hating Republicans Wes “Loser” Westmoreland, Dennis “Beetle” Bailey, Kevin Whisnant, David Allen and others (Tim Moore and Kelly Hastings) nominated Luke Queen to spite the Commissioners-who the Taliban Republicans considered as fools. And, probably rightly so as the Commissioners continue to allow County Manager Brian Epley to make them look like fools. (Remember the 2021 tax increase??)
Now, the Commissioners, to correct their mistake with John Doe’s appointment and time is running out, appoint philanthropist Betty Carrigan back onto the CCC BoT where the General Assembly had just fired her to make room for Luke Queen. And the CCC BoT Board is back to exactly where it was. Run by the majority-the Trump-Hating Taliban the Commissioners surrendered to.
The Commissioners do all of this surrendering at their July “Work Session” after all these months of pissing off the Carrigan family by putting philanthropist Betty Carrigan into a scandal that was not of her own making. And. pissing off the real Republicans and ordinary citizens of Cleveland County who are sick and tired of a failed education system at both Cleveland County Schools and Cleveland Community College.
And yet, the Commissioners still get it wrong.
The Commissioners, besides being victims of their own staff’s incompetence (most likely treachery), that clearly set them up to look like fools, besides the weasel-like shenanigans of the Taliban Republicans now controlling the CCC BoT Board, the Commissioners have appointed the” wrong” Carrigan to the CCC BoT Board. They should have appointed Betty and Charlie Carrigan’s DAUGHTER, Jane Doe (Name withheld for the moment), to the CCC BoT Board. And here is WHY!
1. Jane is reported to be well read and well educated. With an advanced college degree.
2. Jane is reported to be considering running for Elected Office against the General Assembly Stooge, Ted Milque-Toast
Alexander, in the NC Senate race in2022.
3. The unnecessarily bad and low-down treatment of Jane’s mother, philanthropist Betty Carrigan, by the dirty-dog crooks on
the CCC BoT Board surely has motivated her to expose those crooks. And the best way to do that is to make the CCC BoT
Board follow the law, expose corruption and make decisions that benefit the CCC students and taxpayers. Who can argue
with that kind of motivation? No matter what has awakened that motivation!!
4. As Jane’s parents, Betty and Charlie Carrigan, have been known to generously support political candidates, and they
would be certain to support Jane in such an endeavor. Jane will then be assured of campaign donations aplenty to run a
well-funded and viable campaign against the likes of Ted “Milque-Toast” Alexander and others perhaps in next year’s
election for the North Carolina Senate.
5. Since the American system of government, often forgotten, is that Government does NOT run on TRUST, but by CHECKS AND BALANCES!!!
There are other reasons the Commissioners, taxpayers, citizens and students would benefit by the appointment of Jane Doe to the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees. Presently a majority group of elitist men who are steeped in the old-time “Good-ole-(white) Boy Cleveland County style and tradition of phony paternalism that hides the fact that they exist for the sole purpose of “Sharing” amongst themselves the “spoils” of crooked “plantation politics” and self-interest. Something that a well-motivated, younger-generation of educated, confident, secure and fearless woman like Jane Doe would be morally and legally bound to “bust-up” with wild abandon. And be proud of the results.
And us concerned citizens could be proud too. All Jane Doe would have to do is re3fuse to serve on any of the CCC “secret” Committees, refuse to accept any of those “secret Committee Reports and demand that all Cleveland Community College “business” be conducted in sessions open to the public with accurate records (minutes) that are kept of those public sessions that fairly and accurately reflect what transpired in those meetings such that a person not present in the meetings but who reads those minutes could understand and follow what happened in that meeting. Folks, neither myself or a Jane Doe do not have to invent those concepts. They are State law. They are called “Open Meeting” laws. All Jane Doe would have to do is follow the law. How much more beautiful does this get? And vote NO on anything that does NOT abide by state law. It is simple as that.
“But Williams,” you might say, “the Commissioners have already appointed philanthropist Betty Carrigan to the CCC BoT at their August, 2021 “Work Session?”
“NOooo PROBLEM,” I would say. The answer is already in this article. And, clear as a bell.
If you scroll back to the law I cut and pasted in this article. Remember paragraph (b1) that I underlined where the Taliban-Republicans used to get rid of the appointment the Commissioners illegally used, probably were set up by County Manager Brian Epley, et. al. The next paragraph, Para (c), also underlined, dictates how vacancies on the CCC BoT Board are filled. All philanthropist Betty Carrigan has to do is “resign” from the CCC BoT, thusly creating a vacancy for her daughter-Jane Doe, and the Commissioners appoint Jane Doe to fill the vacancy. And. we are all set to go. Betty and Charlie Carrigan would likely be proud to advance the political career of their daughter, Jane Doe. Jane Doe would have the opportunity to take on the Taliban-Republicans who threw her mother under the bus for no good reason. The Commissioners would be proud that a person well motivated to take on the untrustworthy Taliban-Republicans who are causing all the “rukus” in the first place. And us citizens, taxpayers and students would be set to benefit by having a person on the CCC BoT Board totally dedicated to doing the right things in the right way.
What more could we ask for??? Commissioners, call Betty Carrigan and set this plan into operation. If Robert “Luke” Queen and his Taliban buddies (Wes “Loser” Westmoreland, Dennis “Beetle” Bailey AND Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn) had any honor and integrity at all, they would themselves resign from the CCC BoT Board. Thus, allowing the Commissioners to appoint three more Jane Doe’s and John Doe’s at one time to the CCC BoT And set things right once and for all.