Zoo animals would serve you (CC) better than Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Kevin Gordon and Johnny Hutchins!!!

Editor’s Note: Ms. Sandra Stroud has been a years-long proponent of good government in Cleveland County. She has been personally involved in various movements to right some of the many wrongs that go on in Cleveland County. This includes successfully pursuing Federal and Local Legal Actions to protect the constitutional voting rights of the voters in CC and the rights of citizens with disabilities. Over many years Ms. Stroud has also written many Letters to the Editor to various media, including Robert A’s. After recovering from injuries sustained during a fall at her home in Shelby, and the various complications, Ms. Stroud is again troubled with the waste of CC Taxpayers resources on various unnecessary and mismanaged projects and the educational dysfunction of CC’s Public Schools. Etc. Ms. Stroud is back in action now and Cleveland County will be much better because of it.

Greetings All,

I’ve got some issues of importance to write about.

First, I will start by saying that when I became of age to register with a Political Party, with guidance from my daddy, I became a Democrat. Life was good for a Democrat back then. However, things began to change noticeably in the mid-70’s to early 80’s.

Democrat candidates were beginning to go way far left for me. As a remedy for the distaste I had for the “new” Democrat party, I made a move to the Republican Party, where I quickly observed that the GOP in Cleveland County was a socially elite society which did not welcome new members to their fold.

Although I did agree with the National GOP policies and platform, and still do, many years have passed and I’ve left the Republicans in Cleveland County behind. Now, I am a proud Independent voter. I vote for who I believe is the best candidate. Which brings me to say that I’ll be voting for some Democrats and some Republicans in the County Commissioners and the School Board elections.

 

We’ve tried an all Republican Commissioners and the same for the CCS School Board and it has proven to be a BIG Mistake. As citizens, We the People are not welcome at their meetings and they do not want to hear about our concerns. Citizens have been subjected to threats of removal from their meetings with some being ordered by law enforcement to leave the meeting entirely. Sheriff’s Deputies and Shelby Police Officers are not needed in Public Meetings in small communities like ours. This practice was unheard of in the “good old days” when we had quality people serving on our boards.

We elected Republicans for our School Board and we saw what that gave us. It was a constant fight between Robert Queen and Danny Blanton at almost every one of School Board meetings. Mr. Blanton wanted to exercise his freedom to speak and air his ideas and was always shut down by Robert Queen, who was a power-grabber. Along with his “Water-Boys”, Queen was able to bully and throw his authority around. Queen’s minions were always Ron Humphries, Joel Shores, Greg Taylor and Rodney Fitch.

Voters eliminated Queen, Fitch and Taylor in the 2024 Republican election. But two of the worst, Shores and Humphries, are left and will appear on the 2024 General Election Ballot. It is time for Shores and Humphries to also be removed from the CCS School Board. They have done nothing to make Cleveland County Schools better. We cannot afford to allow these two minions of Robert Queen to stay on our school board any longer. Both of them will take up the mantel and keep the same old chaos going on.

Our best option and our only option is to elect some Democrats to the CCS School Board. Democrats Rod Powell, Tracy Ross and Coleman Hunt have signed up for the School Board positions. They, along with Republicans Kenneth A. Ledford and David Fisher are the best five candidates for the 2024 CCS School Board Elections going forward.

With this five and the four on the School Board for four more years will result in five good Republicans (Kenneth A. Ledford, David Fisher, Danny Blanton, Ronnie Grigg and Aaron Bridges), One “Rogue Republican Water-boy” (Walter Spurling) and three Democrats (Rod Powell, Tracy Ross and Coleman Hunt) on the final School Board. Enough for an overall Republican Majority, but enough differences to prevent another “power-grabber” and tax dollar waster like Robert Queen from ever again taking total control or the CCS School Board. The CCS School Board needs this kind of “face lift” to finally bring order to Cleveland County Schools so our children will be better educated and Cleveland County will benefit with a better-informed leadership in our years to come.

I encourage you Democrats and Republicans Kenneth A. Ledford and David Fisher to get out and move around Cleveland County. Be seen and let us hear from you. Learn how to run a successful campaign. Also, listen to the “little people” of Cleveland County. The ones that work every day for a living and to support and educate their children. Their votes count just as much as the big shots around Cleveland County. And, there are more of them.

Now, let me chime in on the Cleveland County Commissioners.

We’ve got a lot of the same problems with the Cleveland County Commissioners as we have with the CCS School Board. This ALL REPUBLICAN Board is made up of all being big spenders. For all the wrong things.

Chairman Kevin Gordon is a branch of the same old arrogant big spender tree as CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen. Commissioner Johnny Hutchins is no different. Hutchins is no longer of any significance on the Board of Commissioners. His best years are spent. It is time for Johnny Hutchins to move on. I’ll be putting my support toward Tony Berry, Stormy Mongiello and David Peace.

I’ll give Stormy and David the same advice I gave to the new Democrats who. are running for the CCS School Board. Work!!! Get out in the county and work for a seat on the Commissioner’s Board. Let us see you and hear from you. Let us all know that you all are not arrogant and lazy people like Kevin Gordon and Johnny Hutchins. Those who just put up signs and billboards everywhere and refuse to talk to members of the public. Or participate in Candidate Forums. They also refuse to allow citizens to voice their opinions at Commissioners meetings and when people do speak, they have to abide by stupid rules and the people’s words are not recorded accurately in the minutes of the meetings.

I recommend voting for the following Candidates:

         For the CCS School Board:

XXX Kenneth A. Ledford  R

XXX David Fisher  R

XXX Rod Powell  D

XXX Tracy Ross D

XXX Coleman Hunt  D

 

For the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners:

XXX Tony Berry  R

XXX Stormy Mongiello  D

XXX David Peace  D

 

I’ll hold my nose when I vote for one of the Democrat CCS School Board Members, but, what do I have to lose? Zoo animals would serve you better than Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Kevin Gordon and Johnny Hutchins!!!

Sandra Stroud, Shelby NC