Editor’s Note; The indefinite closure of the Midpines Recycling Center in/near Kings Mountain has caused major inconveniences for approximately 15,000 Cleveland County residents who live nearby. Now they have to travel many extra miles to either the Recycle Center near Earl or to the Recycling Center on Oak Grove Road. Not only do they have to travel many extra miles, they have to compete with all the other CC residents who normally use those other two Recycling Centers. Creating long lines and long wait times for everybody to “dump” their trash. Especially on Saturdays when the usage is already high. Extra miles, extra gas, longer waits, and a gaggle of Cleveland County Commissioners who refuse to tell us, citizens, just exactly what was wrong at Midpines that triggered the untimely shutdown. Most “gossip” around KM is that some private investors want the Midpines property as part of a plan to build a “shuttle service” over to the Casino and the Commissioners have once again chosen private gain (and perhaps some of that “gain” for themselves), over the best interests of us regular citizens of Cleveland County. Such shenanigans are commonplace in Cleveland County and the CC Commissioners always go along. Re: Eddie Holbrook and David Dear and their ill-gotten gain with $million$ of corruption income from their shares in the Kings Mountain Equipment Supply Company as disclosed not too long ago by a Charlotte Observer investigative reporter.
But there are also other considerations regarding the shutdown of Midpines, whatever the reason. The Midpines shutdown and its associated extra gas, time, money, wear and tear, etc., costs to taxpayers are equivalent to an INCREASE in everybody’s PROPERTY TAX BILLS.
It goes like this. Everybody who uses the Recycling Centers in Cleveland County has an item on their TAX BILL called SOLID WASTE USERS FEE. For instance, for Robert A, in 2022 that SOLID WASTE USERS FEE was a little over $80. If you are a renter, rest assured that your landlord is passing that extra cost along to you.
So, now, your extra expenses to haul off your “solid waste” have increased by the amount of your extra expenses. Those extra expenses straight come out of your pocket every week when you haul off your trash. Just the same as that SOLID WASTE USERS FEE comes out of your pocket every time when you pay your property tax bill, or rent if you are a renter. If you figure it takes just one gallon of gas extra to run back and forth to the dump every week, and the gas price is $3.49 per gallon, this closing of Midpines is costing you $181.48 EXTRA per year. And that is not even counting your time or the war and tear on your vehicle.
If you consider that cost for all the population affected, that is 15,000 people / 4 people per household X $3,49 per gallon for gas X 52 weeks, that equals $680,550 EXTRA cash out of CC Households that is equivalent to a tax increase of that same amount. Except the County doesn’t collect that tax. It is just wasted so somebody related to a CC Commissioner can make some crooked wheeling and dealing profits on a corrupt land scam. And, this is the kind of “screwing” that Commissioners Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, Ronnie Whetstine, Deb Hardin, and Doug Bridges are willing to allow to happen to CC Taxpayers!!!??? So some of their rich buddies can get a little richer.
But, folks, it is worse than that!! Not only does it appear that the CC Commissioners are “stiffing” the taxpayers of Cleveland County, they are working hard to cover their tracks. First, they plant a story in the bankrupt Shelby Daily Liar about some kind of deadly safety hazard at Midpines that has caused them, “out of an abundance of caution, to immediately close Midpines. When Robert A questions the Commissioners about the closing of Midpines, they plant another story in the Shelby Daily Liar with a picture that clearly indicates NO safety issue as the Commissioners and the Liar are trying to put out to CYA. But Robert A was not finished.
On August 19, 2023, Robert A sent to EVERY ONE of the CC Commissioners making an OFFICIAL REQUEST to personally inspect the Midpines facility. Note that Robert A’s OFFICIAL REQUEST to inspect Midpines is added at the end of this article for your information.
Now, it is over two weeks LATER, and not one word from Commissioners Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, Ronnie Whetstine, Deb Hardin, and Doug Bridges. Or anybody else. A total silence from Cleveland County’s so-called leaders. But this is totally understandable to Robert A. They clearly do NOT want Robert A to come out with a camera and perhaps some other inspection tools and gather irrefutable proof of their corruption. Especially when they must be totally afraid that Robert A will file and run for Cleveland County Commissioner in the 2024 elections, recruit two more excellent candidates, and defeat incumbent Commissioners Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, and Ronnie Whetstine in the 2024 Republican Commissioners Primary Elections.
Otherwise, folks, why are they so silent??? Why don’t they just say “Come on down, Robert A. Inspect all you want to inspect for we have nothing to hide”??? But, NOOOoooo!!! It is total silence from all the CC Commissioners. And the reason certainly appears obvious. The obvious conclusion must be that there IS something to hide and THEY are afraid. Afraid that if they end up having to repair Midpines and reopen to the public, they will not get their payoff?? Or just what else may be at stake for their personal benefit that they do NOT want to talk about. Or are they just too incompetent to realize; just like the pay-offs to Eddie Holbrook and David Dear, that happened right under their collective noses, payoffs and bribes were being paid and they weren’t included??
Folks, your guess is just as good as Robert A’s regarding why and how this set of Cleveland County Commissioners have become so obviously corrupt or are just too incompetent to understand what is going on around them. Perhaps they should just resign immediately and put themselves out of the misery of being publicly exposed.
Anyway, folks, please find below Robert A’s Official Request to personally Inspect the Midpines Recycle Facility for any serious safety concerns. Make up your own mind on who you might want on the CC Board of Commissioners in the 2024 Elections, Robert A, et. al., or the set of dunderheads that we have now??
Official Request to Commissioners for Robert A. Williams to Personally Inspect the Margrace Rd. (Midpines) Recycling Facility in Kings Mountain for serious safety concerns.
Date: August 19, 2023
From: Robert A. Williams/citizensforgoodgovernment.org
To: Cleveland County Commissioners:
Kevin Gordon, Ronnie Whetstine, Johnny Hutchins. Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges
Subject: Official Request to safely inspect the Cleveland County taxpayer/citizen-owned property known as the Midpines Recycling Center located at 615 Margrace Road, Kings Mountain, NC.
Please allow me the opportunity to closely (inside the gate and within a safe distance) inspect the county-owned property known as the Midpines Recycling Center located at 615 Margrace Road in Kings Mountain, NC. Next week at your earliest possible opportunity is preferable. I would like to see for myself the safety concerns that have caused the indefinite closure of that facility.
Also, please inform me of any safety equipment like Safety hard-toe shoes, gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, etc. that might be necessary.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Regards,
Robert A. Williams
Citizensforgoodgovernment.org