(WOODSTOCK, GA) --- Martha Jean Schindler isn't a fan of Woodstock mayor Michael Caldwell.
OpGov.News was able to interview Schindler last month as she documented the prevalence of I.C.E in Woodstock. Schindler had a second interview with the outlet on March 6.
In the previous interview, Schindler stated that I.C.E took 27 people in a Woodstock neighborhood, which shows their presence. Schindler spoke passionately about the incident and believes the residents in Woodstock need to be mindful of the agency.
Photo Credit: Jorden Hampton Zoom account
Schindler provided her perspective on Caldwell and his handling of I.C.E in Woodstock.
“Mayor Caldwell does not care,” Schindler, who is the founder of Woodstock Community Action Network, said. “Mayor Caldwell says that because we have to follow state law, if you get taken by I.C.E, that’s on you.”
Schindler also stated that Woodstock City Council and Caldwell aren’t listening to their residents. There is discontent with how the Woodstock City Council handles issues voiced by the public.
“When we spoke to the council, the council doesn't seem to ever care, but they care about optics,” she said. “They don't like news coverage that they can't control. They want to be able to control the narrative.”
Through email exchange, Schindler informed OpGov.News that Caldwell asked the city attorney to issue a legal opinion on what the city can and cannot do regarding I.CE.
Schindler believes that Caldwell and Woodstock City Council may be feeling the pressure to respond because journalists are reporting on I.C.E.
During the interview, Schindler mentioned that a student journalist from Kennesaw State University was present at a city council meeting on Feb. 23.
“I think they knew that he was there, and I think that might've made them nervous too,” she said when speaking about the pressure Woodstock City Council is facing regarding I.C.E.
Caldwell didn’t respond to an interview request from OpGov.News last month, which puzzled Schindler.
“The fact that they didn't respond to you about your story and the fact that he made that announcement made me think that it spooked him,” she said.
This real-time reporter sent an email to Caldwell. An email was also sent to Woodstock City Council Marketing and Communications manager Stacy Brown.
Pictures are shown below.
Schindler was flagged with a point of order at a Woodstock City Council meeting last month for speaking out of turn and not following the rules. She had no issue with the flagging.
“I knew I was violating their rules,” she said. “I didn't care because what are they going to do? Arrest me for saying something out of turn? No, probably not. And if they do more power to them, that'd make them look really bad.”
She added that Woodstock City Council likes to violate First Amendment rights when it’s convenient to them.
Building relationships with residents needs to be a priority for Woodstock City Council, according to Schindler.
“They've gotten used to not involving the community in decisions; therefore, they resent involving the community in decisions,” she said.
Schindler stated that she cares about her community and has tried to make a difference. The native of Fairhope, Alabama, ran for mayor last fall.
Photo Credit: Martha Jean Schindler's mayoral campaign website
She decided to run after receiving some advice from someone in the political realm.
"I used to go and knock on people's doors and ask them to accept Jesus into their hearts,” she said. “You have to either be an absolute narcissist. I'm so important, of course, you have to vote for me, or you have to have some sort of moral conviction that this is the right thing to do.”
Running for mayor helped Schindler learn more about the political system, and she wasn’t discouraged after not winning.
“I learned a ton about my community,” she said. “And one of the things that I told people that I stand by is, even if I didn't win, I was going to keep fighting for the community. And that's what I've been doing.”
Caldwell won with 3,915 votes, while Schindler received 1,955 votes.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact jorden.h@lead4earth.org.
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