Tuesday is election day here in Dunwoody and I hope you make it to the polls before the 7 pm closing time. Predictions are that turnout will be low therefore just a few votes could swing these contests in either direction.
As a resident of Dunwoody for the last 15 years and as a member of the City Council since inception, I am very proud of the many accomplishments that we as a community have collectively made in making this a better Dunwoody.
I have done my best to provide you the information on the candidates, in a positive manner without going negative in anyway. Unfortunately I can't say the same with all aspects of this election and hope that we can put this behind us to move our great city forward.
With one guaranteed Council seat change, I am looking forward to the new member adding positive energy into discussions that we have been missing for awhile and if the other two seats had the incumbents returned I would be overjoyed as they have served us well.
I would like to thank all eight of the candidates for submitting their names forward for elected office and no matter who is elected at the end of the day, I hope that everyone will stay engaged to add value to our community.
As a member of Council, I have a very an active desire to know who will be sitting with me and where they stand on the various issues. I have done my due diligence on that subject as I have attended (and filmed) the Political Forums, read all candidate statements, articles, letters to the editor, private emails, blog and Facebook posts to find out about the candidates. For me a top three have emerged far above the others and the excerpts of the article below closely mirrors my thoughts on the positive aspects of the three recommended.
The power is in your vote, please use it govern the future of Dunwoody. Thank you.
We believe in a Better Dunwoody and do not think we need to save Dunwoody, except from those who think we should freeze time or look backwards. We think the city is doing a good job at transparency and asking for public input. - although in order to give input you do have to attend meetings. Is the city staff and council perfect? No, but we do believe they have the city's best interests at heart and look at the big picture.
District 1- Denny Shortal (incumbent) will get our vote on Tuesday. Denny surprised us at the DHA forum with his complete understanding of the various vendors the city uses for services. We liked his suggestions to tweak some of the service levels. Denny supported the Village Parkway Plan and the Brook Run trail system. At the same time, he is the first to question costs and unnecessary spending. Denny fully supports keeping Austin as a community school in the same location.
District 2 - Heyward Wescott will get our vote on Tuesday. Heyward's positive attitude, involvement in many different community organizations and proven leadership will make a great contribution to the council. Truthfully we hope he runs for mayor in the future. We think his perspective as a small business owner add to his qualifications. He is the only candidate from District 2 to support Project Renaissance. As noted in another post, this project took foreclosed land zoned for 300 apartments and turned it into a city park and single family residential homes.
District 3 - Doug Thompson (incumbent) will get our vote on Tuesday. At the DHA forum we were delighted with his understanding and commitment to District 3 issues. His candor about city issues helped provide some insight to decisions made over the past few years. The loudest applause at the forum was Doug's closing statement when he said, "I don't understand when people try to tear this city down." He almost had a standing ovation for that statement.
21 comments:
Councilor Heneghan,
WE appreciate your service. Your unwavering commitment to transparency is a model of how others should act, at any level of governance.
You have consistently kept your Constituents informed, going even further by making sure ANYONE could observe local government in action through your blog.
"Que sera, sera, whatever shall be, shall be," and I hope your endorsements become reality tonight.
Thank you for your cheerful and unwavering service, John.
Sincerely,
Max Lehmann
John,
Thank you for your service and thanks for copying our blog. Here's hoping the election goes with our wishes.
John,
While it’s nice to say you have done your best to provide information in a positive manner about the candidates without going negative in any way, re-read what you wrote on your post below: “The ‘Clean Slate’ platform has little substance and few facts in which to have a real platform to move this city forward…” Seriously John? Sure, you can claim to be positive all you want, without going negative in any way, but you are not being fully honest. If you wanted to simply state facts, you could have, but you chose to go negative.
And though you were so quick to be upset by what you described in the post below as false statements in this campaign regarding zoning, you have refused to clarify or comment on the libelous posting about the “Clean Sweepers” on the Dunwoody Patch that you were made aware of several times. http://bit.ly/1czEBa6 Why? The post was meant to scare residents away from the “Clean Sweep” candidates and was disgusting, but you decided not to clear the facts on it because you are selective in your outrage. You normally deserve praise for all the work you do in posting items and fairly informing residents in the city, but don’t pat yourself on the back for this election.
-Joe
A few items that are very evident to most civilized intelligent persons living in Dunwoody, but somehow isn't to a quite ordinary Joe -
- John Heneghan is not the ombudsman for the Dunwoody Patch. The Patch is no more than AOL's shill working its way into local communities through the gossamer guise of a local blog. They are best left ignored. John Heneghan doesn't have anything to do with them, and isn't even obligated to read their posts. But facts be facts, if you want to examine the articles posted on that blog - many more were in support of the Clean Sweepers than the incumbents.
- Shenanigans such as posting signs libelous to city employees and citing obscure restrictions in an attempt to prevent respected educators from parking on the streets while the public high school is undergoing reconstruction, are not the actions of a concerned citizen, a community activist, or even a gadfly, but actions that are mostly associated with the infantile antics of a narcissistic jackass. So, don't go patting yourself on the back for that nonsense.
Lastly, I have known John Heneghan and his wife for at least 18 years, lived in the northwest side of Chicago as he did, I was even arrested by the Chicago Police in the beer garden of the cathedral where he and his charming and lovely bride were married (years before they ever met or knew me, so don't put that on them), and though we do not run the same circles, no one could ask for a more honorable and loyal friend.
John Heneghan is one of those rare persons that likes me even though I give him no reason to like me. For years I would talk to him as we rode Marta to our separate places of employment, and he would listen to me intently, and then would say his piece, which often was not in agreement with me, but was very very insightful, and always respectful. When John Heneghan heard through the grapevine about my last day after being laid off after 22 years from job, he was already home with his family, but drove back into Atlanta traffic to the tavern that I was known to frequent to ensure that I didn't do anything more stupid than usual and that I got home all right and didn't drive.
And I'll tell you this, if there is anything that John Heneghan is, it is honest. You might not like what the man says, but know that he will never lie to you. John Heneghan is not a politician - he is a good honest citizen from a good honest hard working class family with siblings that patrol the streets of Chicago as a police officer and that were stationed in the Army in Iraq during that war's most treacherous days. John Heneghan's sense of community was bred in him through parents that taught him that just working a job and providing for your family aren't quite enough, that one has to contribute to the general good as well, and that is why he offered himself to be a public servant for this community.
And mostly John Heneghan is a man, and goes about his work humbly as a man with character does. Say what you will about me, in fact I encourage it as I adhere to the adage, "I'd rather be damn'd than ignored.", but not my friend, or for that matter Dunwoody's best friend, John Heneghan. He is NOT disingenuous.
Did you know there is a closed-door / hidden & "backroom" group -- basically an unregistered PAC -- called Save Dunwoody? Did you know they posted my name on their website & sent out emails containing false allegations? Did you know they failed to provide the full letter of explanation from the League of Women Voters detailing the reason they removed themselves from involvement in the Candidate Forum at Dunwoody Baptist -- which was coordinated & reserved by Norb Leahy (as verified by the League of Women Voters & the DBC Church Administrator)? I've asked repeatedly for them to remove my name, send an apology and clarification. No response. Why didn't Norb simply say the forum was sponsored by Save Dunwoody or his "Dunwoody Tea Party"? Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with providing FULL DISCLOSURE.
Here's what the Save Dunwoody website says: "Due to the complaints from Dunwoody resident and cycling advocate Joe Seconder, this forum has been cancelled." http://www.savedunwoody.com/elections.html
Hey Joe Hirsch -- I sent you an email a few days ago I am waiting on a response. A 3rd person has verified to me that YOU are the individual responsible for maintaining and editing the content on the Save Dunwoody website. Remove my name and send a retraction. Post the full truth.
Did you know that the registration of the website that runs Save Dunwoody is PRIVATELY / HIDDEN? There's not a human listed. In fact, on the Save Dunwoody website, there's not a SINGLE name posted to it. No board of Directors. No list of officers. No public meeting calendar. No meeting minutes, no finance reporting disclosure. No accountability. Save Dunwoody isn't registered at the Georgia Secretary of State as a business. Therefore, no bank legally can open an account under the name of Save Dunwoody.
Who makes donations? Who receives them? Who paid for the signs, crier ad, survey, mailing list maintenance, website and so forth?
Because Mr. Joe Hirsch won't post the truth and clear my name, my next recourse to clear my name in this defamation of character / libel action will be to send a formal Certified, Return Receipt Letter to the Domain Registrant Proxy:
Domains By Proxy, LLC
14747 N Northsight Blvd Suite 111, PMB 309
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
***********************
Looking forward to running into you at the Green Market or Publix...
You rock, John!
Here's some other sophomoric examples of "someone" smearing my name in the public. See for yourself. Look at these two twitter accounts: Your Dunwoody & Dunwoody Community. Look at the Save Dunwoody Facebook post. A little birdie told me that these are all run by someone who works for someone you should "Trust" Hmmm..
Screen shots posted at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/ndbdhtq
Joe Seconder
Save Dunwoody didn't say that the forums were being hosted by them because they weren't being hosted by them! That has been said 100 times before but I'll say it again.
And this is no list of directors shown, no public meeting calendar and no meeting minutes because none of them exist! Save Dunwoody is just an informal group of concerned citizens about the way our local government is headed! There are no 'leaders' as such within the group. Individuals within the group paid for the things you mention out of their own pocket.
Stop trying to make Save Dunwoody something it's not. It's just an informal group of concerned citizens, that is all! It is not a top secret organization with links to the mob as you are making it sound! I wish my life was as exciting to be involved in something like that!!
Gary, what libelous signs are you referring to that I posted about city employees? I never posted a single sign about an employee. Your complete lack of knowledge on this, yet your espousing to know, demonstrates your lack of facts and I dismiss anything you have to say. Done.
Joe Seconder, before you make ignorant statements, you should check your inbox from last Friday at 11:27 AM. And if you think you have been smeared, do something about it - sue me so you will finally stop whining.
Gary Ray Betz, I don't know you or Joe Hirsch personally. In the former case, I'm sorry I don't. In the latter, I'll count myself fortunate. What I do know of Mr. Hirsch is well described in your paragraph about the parking at Dunwoody High School during the renovation. This is an excellent paragraph to describe someone who was as difficult and obstructionist and irrational as anyone could be during this project. I am most certainly happy that Mr. Hirsch is in the small minority of people who live in this city, but could care less about cooperating in some positive way to help others.
I had planned on commenting on how I really wish that whoever wins gets rid of that foul dog park and allow the children of Dunwoody to play in that area, but I read something in an earlier comment that piqued my interest and want to have my say on it as well. thank-you
Am I wrong or didn't a local person adopt a local stretch of road or a public lot wanting to display on the sign that it was sponsored by a phrase that depreciated a city employee? Additionally didn't the city attempt to nullify it, but had to pay $7000 as settlement when the perpetrator sued because of "freedom of speech"?
I think that qualifies as a sign libeling a city employee, doesn't it?
Rob says he does not know me but feels compelled to chime in with his describing me as obstructionist. Please share with how my actions obstructed anything with the school renovation? crickets. crickets... Try harder Rob.
This morning I was forwarded an email disparaging Councilman Shortal's treatment of his wife. Just stop it!
Reply to Joe Hirsch - No, I don't know you personally, I only know your from your actions. Those, objectively viewed, were as described.
Interesting, Rob didn't answer my question about his false accusations. We know why. He just keeps being negative about a person he really does not know. Classy and predictable. I think the best thing we should do is focus on our soon to be elected city council members. Move on Rob. Done with your ignorant and loathsome diatribes too.
Joe Hirsch I will chime in here as is my right - Your actions are duly noted above - YOU sued Dunwoody AND WON, cost Dunwoody about $7,000 because you went after an opportunistic legal action that you knew you could SETTLE.
That fact will become runoff material...
I cannot imagine I would see a time when I wholeheartedly and proudly stood tall with Gary Ray, Bob Lundsten, Rob Augustine, and Joe Seconder, most of all - WE stand behind City Councilors:
Doug Thompson
Denny Shortal
and
Support Heyward Wescott
Really, Joe?
"Ignorant and loathsome diatribes..." from the guy who has vexed two City Administrations with nonsense.
You cannot see past the hatred in your heart, Joe - let it go, neighbor, it WILL consume you. So many people watch the videos, Joe - They watch your antics, shaking their heads and wondering, what in the plu-perfect-poo drives you to do what you do.
Coo-coo-ka-choo, Joe.
Between Gary Ray and Max, I'm out of words to describe Joe Hirsch any further. I think we have the picture.
Of course, when someone refers to my comments as "ignorant and loathsome diatribes," I tend to put into play that person's obviously failed objectivity and good sense.
That rational discussion somehow eludes folks of your ilk has been well demonstrated in the brief annals of our City's existence, which due to your presence has seemed all too long and ridiculous. We know you are seldom right but never in doubt, and we repudiate all your comments and actions.
Joe H's Facebook Cover photo says it all: "If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong".
I feel sorry for you.
Positively Dunwoody who are you asking to 'stop' when talking about the Shortel email? This is the second personal attack I've heard has been made on Denny Shortal and I think both of them are disgusting. Are you accusing someone on here of doing it?
I am no fan of Denny's but that email sounds below the belt!
Rosemary, this looks like the typical smear job Save Dunwoody has been doing all over town. The lies and negativity coming from your group is certainly a reflection of all of it's members. Have all of your members, and the Save Dunwoody candidates distance themselves from this nonsense. And btw - it's already been revealed that members of Save Dunwoody wrote all of the questions at DUMC. Save Dunwoody rigged that one, no doubt. Why can't your group honest about it?
Joe H, the only reason you didn't obstruct the construction at the HS is because all of your attempts failed. It's not for a lack of trying.
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