That's unfortunate. Not that I expected Marchetti to win, but that I expected to see a legitimate debate on the future of Johns Creek. I wanted to see a debate on why the traffic issues just haven not been addressed.
Looks like it will be more important than ever to vote for candidates that will be able to voice those concerns and points as Council Members instead.
@Ernest, Not true. Marchetti was about to win. Bodker & Co. were genuinely nervous. People were/are ready to vote for Mickey Mouse(anyone but Bodker). So, why didn't you run? You could have easily won!
Anonymous
6 years ago
I am still voting for Alex,
What would happen if Alex won the election?
Definitely not a Mike supporter. but this was sent out by the City. I would prefer the votes go to a write-in candidate to beat Mike, if this group can come up with one.
As required by the Official Code of Georgia, Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 134(a)(2), “all votes cast for such withdrawn candidate shall be void and shall not be counted.”
I am too. If his name is not on the ballot, you don't need to vote. To be elected a Mayor or any public office, the candidate must meet a certain minimum number of votes. I don't know what that is exactly for JC but there has to be a physical count of numbers. 16 years in office by same person is very odd for a vibrant city like JC. I thought we were supposed to have highly intellingent resident population. Where are they? What are they doing? So much apathy that they don't care what happens in their own city?
CTimms
6 years ago
Unbelievable, but no big surprise. I never believed him to be a viable or serious candidate anyway, let alone win.
His campaign was extremely weak from the start, which should have been a clear indication that his heart was just not in it... Not sure why he ever jumped in???
This is unfortunate, as he took up a integral spot in the election that could have been filled by a serious and much more qualified candidate.
Like Earnest I was expecting, at the very least, to see legitimate debates.
Anonymous
6 years ago
JC's residents can still take its City back. If Endres keeps her seat, and we get the right person in Cori's seat, and flip Lenny's seat. Then, we will have 4 solid votes (counting Coughlin) against Bodker's current choke hold on some councilmembers...
Another smart suggestion!!!!!! Vote for ALEX MARCHETTI so that we can have another ELECTION but this could only work if there will be more new candidates lined up and if those new candidates believe in not caving into the developers' lure.
Anonymous
6 years ago
I think he owes everyone a more detailed explanation after running for public office and suddenly dropping out. Does anyone know the details? Has he made any other statements?
Anonymous
6 years ago
I agree with Christine Austin, let’s all vote for Alex Marchetti and if he wins and doesn’t want to serve, we can hold another election with new mayoral candidates.
Also, Bev Miller moved to South Carolina.
Holden Caulfield
6 years ago
YOU WERE ALL SOLD OUT.
Set up from the start.
The ole' razzle dazzle!
Marchetti had no intention of winning, much less going the distance.
It's just WAY too obvious now. The high schoolers who hosted that dog-and-pony mayoral debate could have done a better job supporting Marchetti's campaign 'efforts' than the neophyte(s) he had managing it.
And just WHO is the patron mentor for the Student Leadership program that put that debate on?
It's a political version of Vanilla Sky: is this real or just a lucid dream?
But the turkey hunter's call at the twinkling of dawn was just too irresistible for many of us.
And many of us walked right out into the open for it.
BANG!
Brilliantly Machiavellian, though.
Or perhaps a new definition and hashtag: #Marchevellian.
So now you KNOW just exactly who you're dealing with and the lengths they'll go to retain their power; the seemingly genuine smiles and feigned concerns are really hand-writhing, shoulder-haunched devious snickers behind your backs and now at your disastrous expense.
Total infiltration.
But there's some solace in having that revealed at long last and in such dramatic fashion I suppose.
But it's truly a sad –– SAD –– disaster for many who'd held out hope for a new or corrective vision for Johns Creek.
Bump back to Anonymous' (of the many) comments in this thread:
You all MUST focus RIGHT NOW on getting the indy candidates in.
Getting them seated would be a fate far more sinister and detrimental for the council's presiding officer because he'd be met with gatekeeping opposition at every turn.
It would be four years of confounding hell.
Absolutely dreadful.
So keep your eyes on the prize. Election Day ain't up yet.
Consider this as well: when in recent cycles has anyone been elected as a true champion of the community?
Someone that wasn't put up by the failing GOP old guard or one of their vote-dividing establishment lackeys?
Or had a major shade of crazy to them?
From the earlier comment in this thread about the ousted and disgraced former mayor pro-tem: electing city council members in recent years –– if forever –– has been more about getting the former ones out than vetting what's best for the present and future.
Who's to say? Maybe even some those elections back then were rigged. Maybe all of them. It's mind boggling to consider, I know.
So maybe in a couple years this theory may ring true for some of you when the lackeys all line up to qualify again.
NEVER EV-ER let your guards down again.
And for God's sakes put your collective support by someone who can actually win. Someone who's good on camera and in front of a crowd.
Stop splitting the field for ego. The serial campaigners just gotta' stop. Figure the sh** out and send 'em to the show by pre-consensus.
Who you have before you on the ballot ––are they REALLY the most talented and ground engaged for that position?
Or are they the only ones available at the time?
Something to think about.
Because this Marchetti fella was a total fail.
Meantime, a couple more things here to consider now that early voting has begun:
Have you noticed the phone numbers the mayor continues to use interchangeably when he's commenting on his official Facebook campaign page and what's listed as his contact number? Wasn't that a main source of that tens of thousands of wasted dollars investigation leading into the last mayoral campaign?
You know, the one that was abandoned for cost but not for cause.
Some of y'all seem to have forgotten about that. What else?
Flanking him with resistance candidates is your only hope now if you wish to balance and deliver the power back to the people.
This is your last stand.
So you better get with it.
Or you'll be living in a post-apocalyptic The District hell yourselves.
What leader wouldn't have spoken up and out about how Medlock Bridge residents were treated when a big dumpster full of rotting roadkill corpses were just so conveniently 'stored' near the site of a failed proposed radio tower straddling Medlock Bridge and within walking distance of the high school?
The stench was so bad it wafted over into homes and front and backyards where children play.
Their complaints fell on deaf ears until the TV news media got involved.
Google that. Google it in boolean "Johns Creek' 'road kill' 'dumpster' and see how many hits come back.
It was international news.
And by all accounts intentional.
WHO DOES THAT?
Billboards. If at first you don't succeed with a radio tower deal. Now a lasting legacy to you all.
Hardened criminals and STDs in 672 square feet hi-def dimensions staring you and your kids held captive in traffic right in your damn faces.
Think of the formation of this city as a marriage with children gone bad.
There was a lot of love between two consenting adults at the start. And from that love and promise of a hopeful future together came a batch of kids.
Today, however, a decade later, and things are irretrievably broken. And the kids are a bunch of out-of-control degenerates.
This analogy rings true for City Hall's uncontested contracts; out-of-state (never mind looking for local talent or expertise) consultants who come and go in droves and with wheelbarrows full of your cash; and what some are calling the carpet-bagging of the city's ancillary policymaking boards, commissions, and 'leadership' groups, whose members don't even reside anywhere near Johns Creek.
Now you're the single mom who's owed tens of thousands in child support while the ex is out on the golf course banging out 18s with the judge who presided over your divorce; fine cigars and aged bourbon freely flowing afterward while you're worried about having enough gas in your car to get your kids fed and dropped off and picked up from school.
How's that working out for you?
Your young people are being eaten alive by the sale and use of illicit and illegal substances. All of them; not just the faddish opioids we're all hearing about because it's more fashionable to go after Pharma than hold parents and kids in this community just as accountable for their complicity in the illegal trades.
So much of this is getting swept under the rug. I'll bet you have a neighbor or even know someone on your street whose struggling with it.
Remember Chelsea Bennett. Google her and that's what's up.
Why isn't someone going after these suppliers and enablers fast and hard and once and for all?
It's pretty said when you've got an epidemic at your front doorsteps yet the only traffic anyone can ENDLESSLY talk about –– and do nothing about, NOT EVER –– has more to do with cars on the roads than what's coursing through your kids' veins.
SHAMEFUL.
But lastly, and finally:
HELL NO I'm not leaving my real name here.
This is my final decree to all of you. And I won't be looking back on this post if published.
Some of y'all are crazy AF. And I could give a rat's ass what you have to say.
But if something in this post gets you fired up enough to fire off a reply, I'd suggest you convert that energy toward getting votes for your folks on the ballot than sparring with me.
Otherwise, how do you really know if this isn't just another a set-up to distract you, too?
Suzi Krizan
6 years ago
Something’s rotten in Johns Creek ! You can’t vote for Alex..he signed an affidavit !
Your vote won’t count
I don't know about you, but I feel played. I agree with a couple of comments I read here, one is yours, there is indeed something rotten in JC, and two, I think the people deserve a better explanation.
Yes, we all feel played. Marchetti wasn't properly vetted. So, will you be willing to serve, if we write-in your name, Carlos Carbonell? You are much more qualified than Bodker and Marchetti put together!
Yes you can vote for Alex. You can vote for anybody you want. There is no law preventing who one can vote for in any election.
Smart Resident
6 years ago
Votes for a withdrawn candidate are considered "null and void": here's a clip from AJC's report.
As required by the Official Code of Georgia, Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 134(a)(2), “all votes cast for such withdrawn candidate shall be void and shall not be counted.”
Only viable option would be a same "Write-In Candidate" that everyone votes for in critical mass. Miracles can happen and sometimes do.
Mars
6 years ago
Maybe a city wide petition for a new mayoral election can be started
Is this a possibility ? I would sign it
@Mars- that's genius! Anyone know if this is possible? I think a council seat was unfilled for a long period of time for some reason. Maybe it was a scenario like this?
All feasible options would be good to know. There has to be another option prior to November that the CITIZENS can do. Any legal folks in this forum who might know the JC Electoral Process from a legal perspective what can be done here? Never too late; there're still few weeks left.
Any recommended "Write-In" candidates? Is Bev Miller still interested?
I understand that Bev Miller is no longer a JC resident.
That's unfortunate. Not that I expected Marchetti to win, but that I expected to see a legitimate debate on the future of Johns Creek. I wanted to see a debate on why the traffic issues just haven not been addressed.
Looks like it will be more important than ever to vote for candidates that will be able to voice those concerns and points as Council Members instead.
@Ernest, Not true. Marchetti was about to win. Bodker & Co. were genuinely nervous. People were/are ready to vote for Mickey Mouse(anyone but Bodker). So, why didn't you run? You could have easily won!
I am still voting for Alex,
What would happen if Alex won the election?
All the votes would be discarded.
Votes would NOT be discarded. You must be Mike supporter.
Definitely not a Mike supporter. but this was sent out by the City. I would prefer the votes go to a write-in candidate to beat Mike, if this group can come up with one.
As required by the Official Code of Georgia, Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 134(a)(2), “all votes cast for such withdrawn candidate shall be void and shall not be counted.”
I am too. If his name is not on the ballot, you don't need to vote. To be elected a Mayor or any public office, the candidate must meet a certain minimum number of votes. I don't know what that is exactly for JC but there has to be a physical count of numbers. 16 years in office by same person is very odd for a vibrant city like JC. I thought we were supposed to have highly intellingent resident population. Where are they? What are they doing? So much apathy that they don't care what happens in their own city?
Unbelievable, but no big surprise. I never believed him to be a viable or serious candidate anyway, let alone win.
His campaign was extremely weak from the start, which should have been a clear indication that his heart was just not in it... Not sure why he ever jumped in???
This is unfortunate, as he took up a integral spot in the election that could have been filled by a serious and much more qualified candidate.
Like Earnest I was expecting, at the very least, to see legitimate debates.
JC's residents can still take its City back. If Endres keeps her seat, and we get the right person in Cori's seat, and flip Lenny's seat. Then, we will have 4 solid votes (counting Coughlin) against Bodker's current choke hold on some councilmembers...
That is a smart suggestion!
I agree that we should vote for Alex anyway. If he wins and chooses to resign then we can hold another election with new candidates.
Another smart suggestion!!!!!! Vote for ALEX MARCHETTI so that we can have another ELECTION but this could only work if there will be more new candidates lined up and if those new candidates believe in not caving into the developers' lure.
I think he owes everyone a more detailed explanation after running for public office and suddenly dropping out. Does anyone know the details? Has he made any other statements?
I agree with Christine Austin, let’s all vote for Alex Marchetti and if he wins and doesn’t want to serve, we can hold another election with new mayoral candidates.
Also, Bev Miller moved to South Carolina.
YOU WERE ALL SOLD OUT.
Set up from the start.
The ole' razzle dazzle!
Marchetti had no intention of winning, much less going the distance.
It's just WAY too obvious now. The high schoolers who hosted that dog-and-pony mayoral debate could have done a better job supporting Marchetti's campaign 'efforts' than the neophyte(s) he had managing it.
And just WHO is the patron mentor for the Student Leadership program that put that debate on?
It's a political version of Vanilla Sky: is this real or just a lucid dream?
But the turkey hunter's call at the twinkling of dawn was just too irresistible for many of us.
And many of us walked right out into the open for it.
BANG!
Brilliantly Machiavellian, though.
Or perhaps a new definition and hashtag: #Marchevellian.
So now you KNOW just exactly who you're dealing with and the lengths they'll go to retain their power; the seemingly genuine smiles and feigned concerns are really hand-writhing, shoulder-haunched devious snickers behind your backs and now at your disastrous expense.
Total infiltration.
But there's some solace in having that revealed at long last and in such dramatic fashion I suppose.
But it's truly a sad –– SAD –– disaster for many who'd held out hope for a new or corrective vision for Johns Creek.
Bump back to Anonymous' (of the many) comments in this thread:
You all MUST focus RIGHT NOW on getting the indy candidates in.
Getting them seated would be a fate far more sinister and detrimental for the council's presiding officer because he'd be met with gatekeeping opposition at every turn.
It would be four years of confounding hell.
Absolutely dreadful.
So keep your eyes on the prize. Election Day ain't up yet.
Consider this as well: when in recent cycles has anyone been elected as a true champion of the community?
Someone that wasn't put up by the failing GOP old guard or one of their vote-dividing establishment lackeys?
Or had a major shade of crazy to them?
From the earlier comment in this thread about the ousted and disgraced former mayor pro-tem: electing city council members in recent years –– if forever –– has been more about getting the former ones out than vetting what's best for the present and future.
Who's to say? Maybe even some those elections back then were rigged. Maybe all of them. It's mind boggling to consider, I know.
So maybe in a couple years this theory may ring true for some of you when the lackeys all line up to qualify again.
NEVER EV-ER let your guards down again.
And for God's sakes put your collective support by someone who can actually win. Someone who's good on camera and in front of a crowd.
Stop splitting the field for ego. The serial campaigners just gotta' stop. Figure the sh** out and send 'em to the show by pre-consensus.
Who you have before you on the ballot ––are they REALLY the most talented and ground engaged for that position?
Or are they the only ones available at the time?
Something to think about.
Because this Marchetti fella was a total fail.
Meantime, a couple more things here to consider now that early voting has begun:
Have you noticed the phone numbers the mayor continues to use interchangeably when he's commenting on his official Facebook campaign page and what's listed as his contact number? Wasn't that a main source of that tens of thousands of wasted dollars investigation leading into the last mayoral campaign?
You know, the one that was abandoned for cost but not for cause.
Some of y'all seem to have forgotten about that. What else?
Flanking him with resistance candidates is your only hope now if you wish to balance and deliver the power back to the people.
This is your last stand.
So you better get with it.
Or you'll be living in a post-apocalyptic The District hell yourselves.
What leader wouldn't have spoken up and out about how Medlock Bridge residents were treated when a big dumpster full of rotting roadkill corpses were just so conveniently 'stored' near the site of a failed proposed radio tower straddling Medlock Bridge and within walking distance of the high school?
The stench was so bad it wafted over into homes and front and backyards where children play.
Their complaints fell on deaf ears until the TV news media got involved.
Google that. Google it in boolean "Johns Creek' 'road kill' 'dumpster' and see how many hits come back.
It was international news.
And by all accounts intentional.
WHO DOES THAT?
Billboards. If at first you don't succeed with a radio tower deal. Now a lasting legacy to you all.
Hardened criminals and STDs in 672 square feet hi-def dimensions staring you and your kids held captive in traffic right in your damn faces.
Think of the formation of this city as a marriage with children gone bad.
There was a lot of love between two consenting adults at the start. And from that love and promise of a hopeful future together came a batch of kids.
Today, however, a decade later, and things are irretrievably broken. And the kids are a bunch of out-of-control degenerates.
This analogy rings true for City Hall's uncontested contracts; out-of-state (never mind looking for local talent or expertise) consultants who come and go in droves and with wheelbarrows full of your cash; and what some are calling the carpet-bagging of the city's ancillary policymaking boards, commissions, and 'leadership' groups, whose members don't even reside anywhere near Johns Creek.
Now you're the single mom who's owed tens of thousands in child support while the ex is out on the golf course banging out 18s with the judge who presided over your divorce; fine cigars and aged bourbon freely flowing afterward while you're worried about having enough gas in your car to get your kids fed and dropped off and picked up from school.
How's that working out for you?
Your young people are being eaten alive by the sale and use of illicit and illegal substances. All of them; not just the faddish opioids we're all hearing about because it's more fashionable to go after Pharma than hold parents and kids in this community just as accountable for their complicity in the illegal trades.
So much of this is getting swept under the rug. I'll bet you have a neighbor or even know someone on your street whose struggling with it.
Remember Chelsea Bennett. Google her and that's what's up.
Why isn't someone going after these suppliers and enablers fast and hard and once and for all?
It's pretty said when you've got an epidemic at your front doorsteps yet the only traffic anyone can ENDLESSLY talk about –– and do nothing about, NOT EVER –– has more to do with cars on the roads than what's coursing through your kids' veins.
SHAMEFUL.
But lastly, and finally:
HELL NO I'm not leaving my real name here.
This is my final decree to all of you. And I won't be looking back on this post if published.
Some of y'all are crazy AF. And I could give a rat's ass what you have to say.
But if something in this post gets you fired up enough to fire off a reply, I'd suggest you convert that energy toward getting votes for your folks on the ballot than sparring with me.
Otherwise, how do you really know if this isn't just another a set-up to distract you, too?
Something’s rotten in Johns Creek ! You can’t vote for Alex..he signed an affidavit !
Your vote won’t count
I don't know about you, but I feel played. I agree with a couple of comments I read here, one is yours, there is indeed something rotten in JC, and two, I think the people deserve a better explanation.
Yes, we all feel played. Marchetti wasn't properly vetted. So, will you be willing to serve, if we write-in your name, Carlos Carbonell? You are much more qualified than Bodker and Marchetti put together!
Yes you can vote for Alex. You can vote for anybody you want. There is no law preventing who one can vote for in any election.
Votes for a withdrawn candidate are considered "null and void": here's a clip from AJC's report.
As required by the Official Code of Georgia, Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 134(a)(2), “all votes cast for such withdrawn candidate shall be void and shall not be counted.”
Only viable option would be a same "Write-In Candidate" that everyone votes for in critical mass. Miracles can happen and sometimes do.
Maybe a city wide petition for a new mayoral election can be started
Is this a possibility ? I would sign it
@Mars- that's genius! Anyone know if this is possible? I think a council seat was unfilled for a long period of time for some reason. Maybe it was a scenario like this?
All feasible options would be good to know. There has to be another option prior to November that the CITIZENS can do. Any legal folks in this forum who might know the JC Electoral Process from a legal perspective what can be done here? Never too late; there're still few weeks left.