Editor’s Note: Incumbent CCS School Board Members Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor are trying to Deceive everybody. All want voters to forget about the shenanigans they have pulled over Cleveland County taxpayers and other members Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg that has wasted Million$. And, ALL are telling lies like never before. And, ALL do not want anybody talking about their records in office.
Folks, the five CCS Incumbent 2024 School Board Candidates: Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor are all lumped together here as they ALL have equally conspired to work together to DECEIVE the voters in Cleveland County to re-elect them in the 2024 Republican School Board Primary Elections. Just like they did in the 2020 General Elections. But first, Robert A wants to set the record straight on the completion of the Brand New $30 Million$ Auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools.
Some background: The remodeling of the old Shelby High School Building at 400 West Marion Street around 15 years ago was controversial for many reasons. The Costs of this remodeling was about $5 million overbudget. Those over-budget costs were partially covered up from the public by using CCS Maintenance people to do as much work as possible and charge their time to other CCS accounts. And, perhaps other unacceptable accounting tricks were used. But, to the point, the Old Shelby High School Auditorium remodel job included a new air conditioning installation. Beam Construction was the remodeling contractor and Holland & Hamrick was the remodeling Architect firm. And, the newly remodeled Auditorium would most often be used to hold CCS School Board Meetings.
As fate would have it, Robert A has had many years of Engineering Design, Construction, Operating and Maintenance experience, which once included the air conditioning system design and installation for an auditorium remodel job at a nearby University. And, one of the requirements for that installation was an air conditioning system that operated silently so as to NOT interfere with the audience’s ability to hear the performance of the actors on stage. Robert A took this into consideration of the auditorium HVAC system. And, the customer’s drama classes were 100% satisfied with the results.
However, once Robert A. began attending CCS School Board meetings, it was clearly obvious to Robert A that the Old Shelby High School Auditorium remodeling job had major design flaws and deficiencies that could cause excessively loud background noise in the Burns and Crest High Schools Auditoriums. First, the air conditioning chiller at CCS was not purchased with noise abatement features. Second, that chiller was installed closely adjacent to the West Wall of the Auditorium. All of which caused excessive chiller background noise in the Auditorium. Third, the A/C fans also made excessive noise when operating. In other words, this Auditorium remodeling job would have been deemed unacceptable to any event held in that auditorium. Including School Board meetings. To compensate, sound systems were installed in the CCS Auditorium for School Board meetings.
Now, the CCS School Board has spent $30 Million$ to build new auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools. The very same Architect Firm and Construction Company that designed and installed the Air Conditioning system at the Old Shelby High School Auditorium remodel has designed and constructed the new $30 Million$ auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools. And, at no time have the CCS School Board ever mentioned the noise problem at the Old Shelby High School Auditorium remodel, nor indicated that they are even aware of a need for silence in either the Old Shelby High School Auditorium or the Burns and Crest High School Auditoriums. Only time will tell whether or not the Burns and Crest High School auditoriums are first class installations. Or $30 Million$ “last-class” installations that Burns and Crest High Schools usually get from this CCS School Board Majority that consists of Chairman Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch, Greg Taylor and Walter Scott Spurling (who is not up for re-election in 2024.
So, whether or not the Burns and Crest $30 Million dollar$ auditoriums are worth the time, effort and costs remain to be seen. Hopefully it is acceptable for the intended purpose. But it will likely be “luck” more than anything else. Or maybe a population of people in the Burns and Crest School districts who are used to being screwed over.
As far as Robert A is concerned, the CCS School Board had all the indications they needed to ensure the Burns and Crest Auditoriums are successful. Yet, none of this was ever mentioned at the 100 plus school board meetings that Robert A has attended.
Trust
Of course, there are many other factors to consider in determining the best school board candidates to vote for in the 2024 Republican School Board Primary Elections. The first and foremost consideration in such a decision is TRUST! No candidate that the voter does not trust should ever receive the vote of that voter. Especially in the 2024 Republican School Board Primary Elections where there are plenty of other qualified candidates available to vote for. If a voter has a “Trust problem” with a candidate, remember this: these School Board elected offices are good for FOUR years. If an untrustworthy candidate gets elected, YOU, We, and all of US are stuck with that candidate for those FOUR painful years. Proof of that FACT is in the record for the past four years of the Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor majority regime. Nothing but scandals and arguments at every School Board meeting.
And, that is the problem that all of Cleveland County is in right now in the 2024 Elections for the School Board. ALL of the incumbent School Board Candidates came in front of WE THE PEOPLE in the 2020 School Board Elections and lied, lied and lied some more. They ALL said they would be transparent and above board. And, as soon as we elected them, they went back on their word and threw transparency and teamwork right out the window. Every single one of them; Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor lied to us and just as soon as they got elected in 2020, they have caused major problems ever since.
These five well-documented liars formed a majority on the nine member CCS School Board and elected Robert Queen as the Chairman by a 5-4 vote and have stuck to it for the past four years. Four years that were filled to the brim with turmoil, rancor, name-calling, acrimony, resentful dissent, hatred, animosity, bitterness, malice, hostility and just plain old meanness. Chairman Robert Queen even took all his resentment out on the public by calling on the security officers to throw out of the School Board Meeting any member of the public that said something that Robert Queen didn’t like. Or even thought he didn’t like. School Board Chairman Robert Queen even tried to throw out of a meeting a member of his very own Church in one of his more egregious fits of temper tantrums. In one particular fit of anger, a beet-red faced Robert Queen even assaulted a member of the public whose only offense was him trying to peacefully exit the building after a school board meeting by a path closer to his parking spot because of a rainstorm outside, that just happened to cross the path of an angry Robert Queen and others in Queen’s entourage.
And, now it is 2024 and Queen, Shores, Humphries, Fitch and Taylor are trying to change their sad and angry four-year nightmare of a narrative. Now, all of them have taken to their Facebook pages of fantasy and deception with accounts of how good a job CCS has done under their leadership. Completely ignoring the well-documented fact that over half of Cleveland County School’s students are not at grade level in reading and math. /skills that are absolutely necessary for a person to have in this day and time. Robert Queen, et al are now trying to buy off the teachers and staff that they have abused for so long by awarding lavish increases in pay and bonuses to the Superintendent and others. All given early and in lump sums to ensure it is remembered by CCS Teachers and staff during this presently ongoing 2024 Republican School Board Primary Election. All the while Queen, Shores, Humphries, Fitch and Taylor Are particularly careful to avoid any discussions of fixing things that are broken at CCS. Only good news is allowed. The truth of the matter regarding Cleveland County Schools is clearly NOT ALLOWED by Queen and his Waterboys. Who are all foolishly running for re-election. Depending on more lies and deceptions to again pull them through this 2024 Election period. Paying off uninformed voters with new athletic field improvements and fancy Press boxes. While more than half of students can’t read or do math at grade level. It is a sad fact, but true nonetheless. Which can only be gained through a public that is gullible, misinformed, uninformed and not paying attention. All at the very same time.
So, folks, how can you trust Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor with the futures of YOUR Children??? If YOU are smart in any way, you will choose to vote for a new and trustworthy School Board Leadership Team from the pool of qualified candidates that are making themselves available to save YOUR children from a life of ignorance and want.
Read on Folks, our children’s proper education depends on your choices made at the 2024 Elections Ballot Boxes. That is a fact that YOU MUST NOT FORGET!!
Folks, there is one more item regarding Robert Queen and his School Board Waterboys-Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor. They are all partnered-up in their “crimes” against a good education with the Rogue Republican contingent of the Cleveland County Republican Party (CCGOP) led by Dennis Bailey, Kevin Whisnant, Sherri Yocum, Pam Keller and others. These Rogue Republicans were first fully exposed in the 2022 School Board Elections when they recruited Walter Scott Spurling and other candidates in a failed effort to defeat Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg in the 2022 School Board Republican Party Primary Elections. These Rogue Republicans broke their own CCGOP Plan of Organization rules in the failed attempt to defeat Blanton and Grigg in that 2022 Republican Party Primary Election and then supported two Democrats in the 2022 School Board General Elections and failed again. With Danny Blanton, Ronnie Grigg and Aaron Bridges statistically tied for the top vote getter award.
In this failed effort in the 2022 Elections, the Rogue Republicans tried every dirty trick in the book to defeat Blanton and Grigg. Lies, misrepresentation, deceptions and any other low-down dirty trick they could think of. And still Blanton and Grigg were the top vote getters. Which should have taught Dennis Bailey, Robert Queen and the other Rogues a valuable lesson. That the will of the people should have been obvious, that the citizens and voters in Cleveland County didn’t like the Rogue Republicans and their dirty tricks. And, We the People were not going to stand for the dirty tricks any longer.
But, NOOOooo!! The Rogues didn’t learn a thing. Nothing but dirty tricks from the 2022 School Board elections to the 2024 School Board Elections. Only NOW, the Rogues are up for Re-election themselves. And, and there are plenty of excellent candidates to replace ALL of the Rogue Candidates-Robert Queen, Ron Humphries, Joel Shores, Rodney Fitch and Greg Taylor. Every single one of them can be defeated within the next FOUR DAYS!!
Folks, it is about time to send home this crowd of troublemakers and liars. Once and for all. And, even more appropriately, finally elect FIVE new School Board members who are ALL interested and committed to the best interest of our children, our county, our taxpayers and a better education for everybody.
Here is what WE have to do on Election Day!!
First, show up at the proper polling places with your proper identification
Next, go through the line and pick up your ballot! Then, turn your ballot over onto the back side. And start from the bottom. That is where the CCS School Board candidates are selected.
Robert A recommends these six candidates for YOU to choose five from. (Be sure to mark only the FIVE that YOU think are the best.)
The best candidates are:
- Samantha Davis
- Kenneth A. Ledford
- Matthew Canipe
- Sheila Canipe
- David Fisher
- Jay Carpenter
Special Note: Be Careful to only mark YOUR five of these Six candidates. If you mark all six, you ballot may be rejected
Note that we did not select Gloria Sherman for this list because of her comments to WeRCC Forum Questions where Mrs. Sherman appeared to be concerned too much with being a “team player” and referenced the NC School Board Association a little too often. At this point in time we need proven independent-minded and critical thinkers on the CCS School Board more than anything else.
We also left Chad Simpson off the list because we don’t know anything about Mr. Simpson’s position on important School Board issues.
Now, move up on your ballot to the Cleveland County Commissioners. YOU will notice that Robert A. Williams is right in the middle of that list. Which is entirely appropriate because Robert A is well known for getting into the middle of all kinds of political issues, finding the truth of the matter and communicating to the citizens regarding what needs to be done. This article is good proof of that. Also note that a vote for Robert A. Williams is also a vote for a better government right here in Cleveland County.