What would it take to get Larry Block out of the increasingly heated campaign for West Hollywood City Council? Apparently not $20,000.
Block told WEHOville tonight that Cole Ettman, another of the four candidates in the June 2 election, offered him $20,000 if he would withdraw from the race. Block said he refused the offer, which Ettman made at an event hosted by the Los Angeles Business Federation. Block said Ettman wanted him to withdraw from the race because Ettman believes the number of candidates is reducing the chance that John Heilman could be defeated. Heilman, a 30-year Council member, announced as a candidate in the June 2 special election after losing in the March 3 general election. The other candidate in the race is Heidi Shink.
Asked about Block’s allegation, Ettman responded only by laughing. Paying a candidate to withdraw from an election is a violation of a California “purity of elections” law enacted in 1893. Ettman has been accused by the New York State Board of Elections of violating campaign finance laws in his 2004 race for a state Senate seat. That board filed 13 lawsuits against Ettman for failing to pay fines levied against his campaign committee for not filing campaign donor reports. Ettman paid the $6,549 in fines after WEHOville revealed the lawsuits in a story published on May 10. It is not clear whether Ettman has yet filed the New York campaign finance statements.
Ettman’s alleged offer is further evidence that he, Block and candidate Heidi Shink see Heilman as their strongest competitor. That was also apparent tonight at a candidate forum hosted by various West Hollywood neighborhood associations. Ettman and Shink spent the much of the evening attacking Heilman. By contrast, Block, who Heilman has recommended as a candidate to those who won’t vote for him, spoke up in support of several of Heilman’s City Council decisions.
The candidate forum was moderated by Elizabeth Ralston, president of the Los Angeles League of Women Voters. The candidates largely focused on issues such parking, traffic congestion and concerns about overdevelopment that they addressed in the Citizens Agenda questions on WEHOville.
Z Property owners have the right to redevelop their property. I think the city can only attempt to mitigate what is being proposed. While you and many blame John Heilman for said developments , he is only ONE vote on the City Council and that vote can only come if the development is appealed to the City Council. Concerning Larry Blocks business. Your right, his landlord is reported to have raised his rent to double what it was before. If the landlord can get it, that’s good business sense. If you recall the owner of the property at Santa Monica… Read more »
@fine7760 In defense of your critique pf the merchandise BLOCK PARTY carries; it’s a novelty shop. Nothing more, nothing less. To blame Block for carrying said novelty items opposed to staple clothes such as LEVIs would NOT save the business from a substantial hike in rent and excused as “good business sense”. If the problem were his merchandise, as you point out, then what is the problem/excuse for the demise of the clothing store located in between Mickys and Fiesta Cantina? They sell LEVIs, and both women and men’s clothing-yet, they are being “forced’ out with their rent skyrocketing in… Read more »
Is John D’Amico really a wolf in sheep clothing? Are Heidi Shink and Cole Ettman his fractious lambs?
@David Reid: Please reference the following articles all aptly covered by Wehoville D’Amico on Creative Eastside/Dylan/Huxley/Movietown The Huxley Apartments Open, Adding Some Glam to Gritty La Brea Avenue “Domain” Project at Faith Plating Site Gets Positive WeHo Design Review While John DAmico was once a member of the illustrative Planning Commission while most of these and other projects were brewing in the pipeline, I ask: Where were you? Where and what was John D’Amico thinking? What was D’Amico discussing with his eventual appointee John Altschul? Commissioner Altschul called the 6 story Faith Plating site “magnificent”and “gorgeous” while Commissioner Huebner said… Read more »
David Reid Nice attack. John Heilman was one of five council members including John D’ Amico. Do you really believe the Carl’s Jr. site was not going to be developed into anything other than a mid rise building? I can’t recall what was at La Brea and Fountain but the same is true. Eminent Domain at the Movie Town site? Are you kidding? Those kind of legal actions cost thousands if not millions and the chances of winning such actions is very negligible. Eminent Domain can usually only be upheld if there is a urgent and lack of a alternative… Read more »
@fine7760 Nice try. Heilman should have kept West Hollywood quaint and affordable! Being inevitable is NO excuse to let these overpriced, unoccupied luxury apartment/condos continually going up and ruining our little city! As for your dig at Block unable to keep his business; let’s see if you would be able to continue running your business or paying your rent if your rent went up DOUBLE!? His business isn’t a failure. The failure is that business property owners have the ability (right) to raise rents drastically in order to vacate a residing business, to lease out to another business. Just ask… Read more »
John Heilman was at the right place at the right time in the 20th century. He was good in the 20th century. Since his re-re-re-re-re-election John has changed a lot. Following 2011 it took two years before John would shake John D’Amico’s hand. I assume it was a human side of John you rarely see and it was his bitterness at D’Amico coming in first place and bumping Heilman to his first 3rd place finish. He might have come in 5th on first council. City Hall has no records. What has Heilman wrought to the eastside? The Huxley apartments. What… Read more »
D’Amico has a yard sign for Shink and Block and I do not see people claiming he is up so something diabolical. Some people just will use anything to trash Heilman (especially Cole Ettman!).
I love the potholder; very old school! But I’m voting for Shink.
People say Larry Block is a good person, a nice guy, etc, etc. But I’ve never talked to anyone who thought Larry Block would make a good Council member.
He may be nice…? But I don’t think Larry Block would make a good Council member.
Cole Ettman needs more history in Weho.
John Heilman is a non-starter.
Heidi Shink makes the most sense for Weho at this time. I will happily vote for Heidi Shink.
KG
Shink has been caught violating campaign funding laws. Do we really need some one who can’t even abide by our laws even before being elected?
Off topic: I don’t know why they can’t keep the old pool HISTORY & turn it into a kiddie pool and area opening up the old kiddie area. The Auditoriums HISTORY… the old council talks about moving a building. I hope the NEW council walks the walk.
@Henry (hank) Scott, Thank You. I’m new to this and it’s so hard as all of these memories flood in. I like this blog especially you’re news of Weho. (? article not titled debate, when this is the first debate heilman has attended in many, many, many years…) but because you just lay it all out there in other stories, I’m O.K. 🙂 Thank You Again, Lyn I’ll email you soon. I’m kinda busy… this I’m new at, a project I’m working on, we’ll know June the 2nd? P.S. Edit: Names take me a while to learn, Cynthia Blatt, Cathy… Read more »
Cassandra – thx for your catch – I was going by the headline of the story of who is financing outside campaigns. It said developers & billboard cos., but on reading it, it says developers for Heilman. But therein lies a story – this billboard co. backing Shink is one of the most noxious groups around, and they hate Heilman because he led the fight to limit their billboards in a big fight a few years ago. IIRC, this came after they had donated to him, and despite that, he opposed their proposals for larger billboards. So I thank you… Read more »
@Lynn, I have tried to write some comments, that don’t get posted in this article and others. I’m sure this one will not get posted but I will copy and keep for my records and send to Cathy. There seems to be when one is explaining an opposition “debate” about other candidates, a chhoose with whom wehoville allows under a guise, one wonders as my comments have NOT been or as obvious sluurrr attacking, as a bunch of other comments, in other articles attacking, as other commenters have been (though a couple of my first ones about WHCHC were, learning… Read more »
We post all comments except for those that contain profanity, allege unproven illegal activities or consist solely of ad hominem attacks not related to civic issues. So if there are previous comments of yours that have not been posted that would be the reason.