Editor’s Note: A couple more questions/issues related to the PART 1 Article involving the foolish CC Commissioners and their phony and foolish efforts to set themselves up for bribery payments. A very close copy of the Commissioners M/O actions to block the Solar Farm development off New Prospect Church Road.
Folks, on March 22, 2025, the Shelby Star published another Cleveland County Commissioner “Press Release” article titled “Cleveland County updates its policy on trucks at convenience sites. Here’s what to know.” The text to that article can be found at the link below:
From that Commissioner “Press Release” as published in the Shelby Star, it appears that certain trucks with Letters “painted on their sides are not welcome to empty trash and garbage at the Cleveland County Convenience Centers, which are often called “Trash Dumps.” The question immediately comes to mind: “What does it matter if trucks with “painted letters” on their sides come to dump trash and garbage at the CC Trash Dumps????” Isn’t that better than dumping trash and garbage on the side of the roads and highways of Cleveland County??? Robert A is old enough to remember when NO Cleveland County Residents had no place to haul their trash and garbage and every resident maintained a “burn barrel” to burn their trash and buried their trash somewhere on their property. Or dumped everything on the side of the road or in gulleys somewhere.
Editor’s Note 2: That was then! Now, hauling garbage is a big and lucrative business worth million$ to those the Cleveland County Commissioners “decide” to award a Garbage Handling “Franchise” to. As usual, the Commissioners seem, by all the usual “signs”, to set up these “Franchises” in such a way that their Franchise decisions seems to go to those who offer the best bribes or other ways that “help” the Commissioners get elected. Like large “Campaign Contributions” and other creative ways to pass Cash or “something of value” under the table. Construction Permits and Zoning preferences seem to work the same way here in Cleveland County and many places elsewhere. Like Permits to build Solar Farms, Zoning changes that make “Certain” property more valuable. At the present or in the future. And so forth. Just like the so-called “investors” that bought 10 acres near the Casino (and the Midpines Convenience Center for $67,000 and later sold the property to the Catawba Casino for $47,000,000.
Of particular interest, as well as a clear PROOF that the corrupt Cleveland County Commissioners are determined to limit TRASH/GARBAGE hauling by anyone else besides their buddies who have their “Exclusive” Franchise are the following THREE rules as noted in the Press Release as published in the noted Shelby Star Article:
- The vehicle is not used in the construction industry.
- The vehicle owner has submitted a completed Convenience Site Exemption Application and received approval from the solid waste director.
- Agreement that the vehicle will not be used for commercial, industrial or institutional solid waste disposal…
Folks, Commerce and Free Enterprise in the USA (which includes North Carolina and Cleveland County too, the last time I looked at a map, is based on competition and the equal and fair rights for all to compete. But NOT in Cleveland County.
Note that Robert A has had the opportunity to attend CC Commissioners Meetings regarding free trade in the garbage Hauling business since the very beginning. And, the garbage hauling Franchise has ALWAYS been exclusive to those certain few who had insider advantages. Right from the very start. And the Cleveland County Commissioners have ALWAYS protected their bribe-paying buddies from Free Enterprise and fair and honest competition. Right from the very start. And, continue to do so to this very day. As clearly shown by the “Rules” published by the Shelby Star in the noted Article/Press Release.
Also, the Commissioners charge CC residents a “fee” on their property tax bills for use of the Convenience Centers even though they might still burn their trash in “burn barrels” and bury their household garbage in “compost heaps”-, just like in the old days.
