Two last minute endorsements make clear the divide that could exist on the West Hollywood City Council after next Tuesday’s election.
Today Councilmember Lauren Meister sent via email her endorsement of candidate Heidi Shink, who also has the endorsement of Councilmember John D’Amico. Earlier, Mayor Lindsey Horvath endorsed John Heilman, who also has been endorsed by Councilmember John Duran.
A victory by Shink will give D’Amico and Meister the vote they need to oppose some of the commercial and real estate projects in West Hollywood that D’Amico has condemned as part of a “bigger, louder, faster” development trend. A victory by Heilman, who served on the Council for 30 years until losing in the March 3 election, means the city is likely to continue along a path in which it has approved several major new commercial developments in recent years as well as residential projects, which are required to include housing for low- and moderate-income people.
The other candidates in the race are Larry Block, owner of The Block Party clothing store and an activist who has campaigned for crosswalk safety among other issues, and Cole Ettman, manager of a Beverly Hills law firm.
As the election day approaches, Shink’s campaign has been troubled by allegations that she has violated campaign finance laws and that she has made untrue claims about being involved in various civic organizations and activities. Last
month the city asked its City Prosecutor to investigate Shink’s campaign finance activities, which include writing herself checks from money raised for a March 3 Council race that she didn’t pursue.
Heilman continues to be criticized by opponents of the city’s original plan to redevelop Plummer Park, which he backed. That plan included tearing down the historically significant Great Hall / Long Hall. The demolition of Great Hall / Long Hall to build a parking structure underneath it is effectively off the table because the state decided in 2011 that cities must dissolve their redevelopment agencies and give the money held by those agencies to the state, a move designed to alleviate California’s budget problems. West Hollywood had hoped to use that money for the Plummer Park project. Recent discussions about Great Hall / Long Hall have focused on finding ways to renovate and reuse the buildings or move them to another location.
@DK. Find your continued attacks on Heilman amusing. But mystified why you don’t respond to those of us who are asking you to explain why Shink lies — about being on the LANCJW board, about launching the sober New Year’s Eve party, about being involved in the bike group, about Jeffrey Prang endorsing her and, I’m told many other things that Wehoville for some reason hasn’t reported on. This woman’s pants truly are on fire. Call the Fire Department!
It’s sad that instead of promoting their own candidate’s policies and vision, all Heilman supporters can come up is smears of Heidi Shink, Lauren Meisiter, and John D’Amico. D’Amico, Shink, and Meister are focused on real issues — parking, development, affordability, accessibility, etc. There are good faith disagreements and conversations to have on these issues. Heilman and his supporters know he has no vision and that his policy ideas are wrong for West Hollywood and disliked by voters — WeHo does not need uncontrolled development of unaffordable housing due to the corporate real estate lobby funding his campaign and endless… Read more »
I’m not sure how this hints at a divide in the council. If you look through the last fives months at who endorses whom, who has donated to whom and the candidates who have run it seems obvious that there are factions within city council vying for power.
Snake – an electoral jury is different than a judicial one (duh). We have an election next week. We choose based on the evidence provided. We aren’t rendering a verdict as to whether Shink is guilty (or not guilty) of the charges. But it is appropriate to take into account these allegations to state the obvious. It is part of a pattern with her – sloppy, opportunistic, pandering, basically wanting to gain electoral office by whatever means necessary, even if it takes changing her views 180 degrees from her commission votes. This city deserves better, particularly when her main backing… Read more »
let’s hope lauren’s endorsement of d’amico’s candidate is the last favor she may think she owes him, because as hard and long as she has worked to get her seat, i’m shocked at how she gave her endorsement away to someone who has not done a thing for this city.
@Joe the P, your quote “I always believe innocent until proven guilty, but in that case their are just too many complaints and too many women who have stood up.” So you believe in the legal process unless you don’t? Good Lord! I hope you are never on a jury. I also hope you are never a judge.
Typical strategy move from someone who has yet to offer the city anything of value.
No Value + No Value = No Value.
I’ve heard through the grapevine, so I’ll say it’s all “allegedly”….D’Amico made an agreement with Shink that if she’d withdraw from the March election so he could endorse Meister, he’d then endorse Shink in the June election. Shink’s agreement that she’s publicly stated while on the campaign trail is that she’d be D’Amico’s third voice/vote on Council if she were to be elected. All of this is “allegedly”….
Animal analogies are often illustrative as animals don’t go through the machinations that we humans create in our lives. Councilmember Meister appeared to be a big frog in a small pond of perennial malcontents prior to the election and since has shown that she is lost in a bigger pond. By the same token, Mayor Horvath guickly outgrew her bumps in the road, largely not her fault but those attached to her previous “appointment” to council. She has surpassed the small pond, comfortable in the larger and looks to be capable of moving on to the ocean. Likewise, John Heilman… Read more »
Meister
not so much an independent thinker
must agree w you kayaytche
Duran and Horvath want Heilman, giving them a voting block. D’Amico and Meister want Shink, giving them a voting block. Looks like the only independent (and trustworty) voice is the no-block Larry Block. He’s got my vote!
Meister is showing again that she is D’Amico’s puppet. She would have gotten close to winning w/o his endorsement, but not have won (it was that close). Endorsing Shink betrays her so-called outsider principles. This city will regret it if a D’Amico controlled majority runs the council.