Admittedly, for the past few years, I have not been as aware of the workings at city hall nor the shenanigans of City Council as I had been in the past.
The vagaries of increasing age and declining health have prevented me from sauntering up the hill with my friend and neighbor, Michael, to City Council meetings. As a result, the many details of civic interactions, squabbles, and dealings have passed me by. It has been only occasional discussions with friends and articles on wehoonline.com that have given me some indication that not all is well in WeHo. The natives are restless — certainly an ominous signal for the incumbent Councilmembers whose seats are on the line in the upcoming election on November 5, 2024.
At ninety-one, I have seen many elections — municipal, county, state, and federal — almost always contentious, noisy, and sometimes resulting in significant changes in our country’s direction. (Back in 1957, my editor at the long-defunct Boston Post dubbed the election period “the silly season” due to the ridiculous promises made by some candidates and the electorate’s gullibility.) All elections can be called “transitional,” but this one, for two open seats on our Council, is, in my view, especially transitional and important. We residents are facing more outside interference in our city’s functioning than at any time since its incorporation. Our city has had its share of scandals — financial embarrassments and sexual peccadillos — and now, whistleblowers at city hall have revealed tales of personal and administrative misadventures. We are burdened with a largely unpopular City Council whose majority seems more interested in social justice reform than responsible civic maintenance.
My concern about outside influence on the Council — and apparently that of some of the ten candidates for the two seats — is how influential those developers with open wallets are, and now, an overly aggressive labor union with a fat checkbook funded by several hundred thousand members. (They could better spend the funds on health benefits for their members than on buying favors at our Council’s dais.) If I were a small business owner in West Hollywood, I’d be very troubled to have a labor union with influence on our Council. Things are tough enough without outside influences meddling in our businesses.
But, as former House Speaker Tip O’Neill famously remarked: “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Like a sow with ten teats, the developers’ cabal offers sustenance for the self-centered, overly ambitious types who use their Council seats as stepping stones to higher office instead of taking care of the city’s business. I can understand why developers want to buy influence in our city, but a labor union with the possibility of securing two seats on our Council? What are their plans for our business community? I would expect the Chamber of Commerce to be especially alarmed about the union’s intentions. Follow the money from its source to its recipient and see who truly has the best interests of West Hollywood in mind. Which among the candidates is for sale, and which depends on donations from fellow residents?
While it’s not illegal to accept funds from those seeking special attention from Council deliberations, it’s certainly questionable.
Earlier, I stated my principal criteria for a City Councilmember: Maturity — 35 years of age, for instance, to have had some varied, real-life experience that promotes understanding of others’ views; length of residency — I suggest ten years, to know the town and understand its great variety and values; and no single-issue candidates. These criteria are elastic, of course, and there are always exceptions, but be wary. Listen carefully to the candidates’ pitches, read their literature, blogs, and social media posts thoroughly. Think and ask hard questions — don’t accept fluff for answers. Democracy is at its best at the local level, since choices made here greatly influence the larger stage of national politics. “All politics is local,” as Tip O’Neill said. Voter disinterest and apathy open the door for false prophets and bad governance. In our democracy, it is both a duty and a privilege to vote. See you at the polls.
“Think and ask hard questions — don’t accept fluff for answers.” Wise words from a community treasure! Fluff takes the form of lies, spin and manipulation of facts and statistics. Just say no to fluff and demand better from all candidates. Reject platitudes. Reject lies propounded by outside forces such as Unite Here Local 11 that continues to use our once-fair hamlet as their Petri dish for a host of political issues that have nothing to do with advancing the interests of their dues-paying members, i.e., their piggy bank.
Wise words from one who would know! We benefit from your wisdom and experience.
Paid signature gathers from Unite Here have knocked on my door three times for their two ballot measures which they are using as a front to collect contact information and support for their endorsed candidates, John Erickson and Danny Hang. I suspect that Streets for All and the LA Bike Coalition will be investing heavily in this election now that Fountain has become a huge issue. It is really tough to avoid the heavy hand of outside interest groups now that WeHo City Council seats are simply viewed as spring boards for higher office. But I have faith that somehow… Read more »