Part II: The Fast-talking, Loud-mouthed, Blow hard, Con Man presently RUINING Cleveland County!! Times Two!!! Kevin Gordon: Continued
Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of the previous article as titled above. Please refresh your memory by re-reading the previous article.
Also please remember that Commissioner Kevin Gordon was not properly vetted by the 2020 Republican Commissioner’s Primary Election! But was appointed by the Rogue Republican Contingency in the CCGOP Executive Committee. This was caused by a need to fill a vacancy when Tommy McNeilly resigned his candidacy for CC Commissioner after winning in the 2020 Primary Elections but resigned prior to the 2020 General Election when McNeilly was promoted into a cushy CC Government job. This was a contentious appointment as Former long-time Commissioner Susan Allen had not filed for reelection in 2020 due to health reasons but had recovered sufficiently to actively seek that vacancy created by McNeilly’s resignation at this later date.
When the CCGOP Executive Committee convened to select the replacement for McNeilly, former Commissioner Susan Allen was nominated. Also, a complete stranger from within Cleveland County CC GOP politics, Kevin Gordon, was also nominated. Since the CCGOP Executive Committee was operating behind closed doors, who nominated who was kept away from Robert A and most all other Republicans in Cleveland County?
However, Kevin Gordon had actively supported the CCGOP Chairman Dennis Bailey in lobbying the CC Commissioners to put the first recent Sales Tax Increase Referendum on the Ballot and had actually formed a Committee with the CC Board of Elections to encourage voters to support that Sales Tax increase. Making Kevin Gordon’s first known foray into Cleveland County politics as an advocate for raising taxes.
Ultimately, that First Sales Tax Increase Referendum supported by Kevin Gordon, Dennis Bailey and others, soon to be known as the Rogue Republicans, FAILED by a WIDE Margin. As did the SECOND and finally the THIRD Sales tax increase Referendums. Each loses by an increasing margin. But, firmly establishing Kevin Gordon as a Charter Member of the CC Rogue Republican faction within the CCGOP. Joined at the hip with Dennis Bailey and other known CCGOP troublemakers.
Back to the 2020 Commissioner Elections effort to fill the vacancy left by Tommy McNeilly’s resignation. It is not presently and publicly known who Nominated Kevin Gordon to fill that vacancy, but it seems almost certain that it was Dennis Bailey or a Dennis Bailey Waterboys, like Kevin Whisnant.
The first vote of the CCGOP Executive Committee between veteran Susan Allen and the almost unknown newcomer Kevin Gordon was an exact tie. 50% for Allen, 50% for Gordon. Then the real dirty politicking kicked in as it now is known to be common for these Rogue Republicans who just have to have their way. The details are sketchy for non-CCGOP Executive Board Members, but the proceeding voting eventually resulted in Kevin Gordon’s selection as a candidate for Cleveland County Commissioner in the 2024 General Elections. Candidates Kevin Gordon, Johnny Hutchins, and Ronnie Whetstine won the 2024 Election for Commissioners over a single Democrat candidate. A gay, black, Democrat man who didn’t have a chance in those 2020 local offices where Republican Candidates swept up 100% Republicans into all of the local offices up for election. The Democrat Party in Cleveland County had all but died in the 2020 Cleveland County Local Elections. And the only savior for the CCGOP after the election of both Kevin Gordon and Robert Queen in the 2020 Elections, was the Election of Joe Biden as President and Roy Cooper as the Governor of NC. And the COVID Epidemic. All perfect cover for the mess that was coming from both Gordon and Queen. And the Rogue Republicans that have infiltrated the CCGOP.
Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon-Continued:
Cleveland County Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon, like Robert A has announced his candidacy for County Commissioner early. Unlike Robert A, Kevin Gordon’s material appears to be written by a “Ghost Writer” and includes much more fiction than fact. However, the clearest fact is that Kevin Gordon is an incumbent, running for re-election, and has a voting record that is well documented by Robert A as well as official public records and accounts. It is interesting to note that Kevin Gordon’s re-election materials (found on the website kevingordon.com ) show Kevin Gordon marching along with others in his Five Stripe Firemen’s Dress uniform, all adorned with Stripes, Brass Buttons and Fireman’s Badges while claiming Leadership, Experience and Service. Kevin Gordon’s Leadership, Experience, and Service is maybe OK for driving a $250,000 Firetruck or spraying water on a fire, but Kevin Gordon’s well-documented record of Leadership, Experience, and Service as a Cleveland County Commissioner and CCC Chairman is a much different story. A story of leadership, experience, and service that is bordering hard on disaster. A disaster for Cleveland Count. A disaster for all the Cleveland County Commissioners and staff. And a looming financial disaster for Cleveland County taxpayers.
For example: Let’s start with the recent debacle at the Midpines Recycling Center near Kings Mountain. Hey, if Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon can’t run a trash dump properly, only the most foolish voters would re-elect Kevin Gordon as a CC Commissioner.
A problem at Midpines was discovered mostly by accident by the relatively new CC Landfill Director, who became aware that “something” was causing the concrete slabs at Midpines being undermined, causing serious safety concerns. Correctly, Midpines was immediately closed by the Director, affecting and inconveniencing up to 20,000+ residents in Cleveland County.
About that same time, “word” had leaked out that some private Catawba Casino “investors” were interested in a “cheap” Midpines property acquisition in order to develop a private party scheme to construct a valet parking area for the Casino where the high roller guests could park remotely from the casino, then take a shuttle straight to the Casino’s front door.
Such schemes where the private investors make big $$$ profits on the backs of CC taxpayers are relatively common in Cleveland County. Probably illegal, surely unethical, but common just the same. And involving Cleveland County Commissioners doing favors for their buddies. Especially related to the CC Landfill and the various land scams that have happened there over the years.
When Robert A first learned about the Midpines shutdown through an announcement the Commissioners posted in the Shelby Star, he immediately published an article that predicted (correctly) that the safety “concern” could have only been caused by some sort of “waterflow” under the Midpines concrete slabs that had washed away the supporting soil from underneath the concrete slabs. Immediately, Robert A requested permission to inspect the Midpines “concern” but this request was never acknowledged by Kevin Gordon and the other Commissioner Waterboys and Watergirl, much less approved. Instead, the Commissioners put out another press release to the Shelby Star showing a picture of torn-up concrete slabs that indicated the original concrete “pours” were too thin in places and all were poorly reinforced.
At this point, Robert A recommended that the old concrete be busted up into small pieces, pushed into the voids caused by years of underwater waterflow caused erosion, add any additional gravel necessary to complete the fill, compact everything, and pour new concrete of sufficient and uniform thickness, and well reinforced with steel “rebar.” Such a repair could have returned the entire Midpines Recycling Center back into full operation at a minimum of cost. And any future “plans” could be developed from there.
But NOOOoooo! All the while the Landfill Director had ordered the old concrete slabs be broken up into small pieces, pushed them into the voids, added gravel, compacted, and leveled the area. But, the NEW concrete slabs of sufficient thickness were poured somewhere else on the Midpines site. Large Trash Compactors were modified and placed on the new concrete slab in such a way that only bagged household garbage could be “dumped” (thrown upwards into the compactor chutes) into the compactors. When the new concrete had “set” (cured long enough to develop sufficient strength) the Midpines Recycling Center was reopened as a limited Convenience Center, and then only for a temporary basis until a new site could be purchased somewhere else and a new garbage collection facility can be built. And 20,000+ Cleveland County citizens in the Kings Mountain area are still inconvenienced.
And where was CC Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon and his leadership? for so long during all of this inconvenience for 20,000 plus citizens of Cleveland County? And where were the other Commissioners, for that matter??? All “asleep at the wheel” somewhere else. Robert A was correctly suggesting to the MIA Commissioners how to “fix” the Midpines Recycling Center to bring Midpines back to a fully functional operational status, using only pictures released by the Shelby Star. And, for a cost no greater than what had already been spent.
So, what was Robert A’s secret? How could Robert A accomplish so much while the Commissioners, under Chairman Kevin Gordon, accomplished so little??? Robert A says this. “There was NO SECRET!!! I paid attention to the problem at hand, considered the inconvenience of the citizens of Kings Mountain and the costs, and came up with a simple, low-cost repair that would bring Midpines back to full function for as many years as it might take to resolve any other problem, such as the traffic. Period!”
The voters of Cleveland County can decide for themselves what kind of Commissioner they want to have on Election Day 2024. A fast-talking, loud-mouthed, blow-hard con man or a real problem solver???
There is More in Part III:
Folks, Stay tuned for the remaining parts of this very serious article. The future of Cleveland County is going to be in YOUR hands in the 2024 Elections. And remember, Robert A is working hard on developing plans and programs that he will disclose in sufficient detail on how to finally set Cleveland County aright amidst all this confusion, chaos, and corruption. Also remember, you always have to identify the problem before the problem can be fixed. Right now, we are in the “identifying” process.