Councilmember Erickson laments the return of John Heilman to the political arena.
Councilmember Erickson had previously served as Heilman’s direct appointee to the Planning Commission. Heilman supported Erickson’s run for City Council in 2020 and they ran alongside each other. The protege defeated his mentor. Erickson finished second with approximately 7,300 votes and Heilman finished third with approximately 6,200 votes. Heilman’s loss was thought to be the end of a storied career at the helm of West Hollywood City Government.
A former city hall staffer, Erickson served as deputy to former Councilmember Abbe Land. After serving as Land’s deputy Erickson became a full-time city hall employee and eventually served as head of the city employees’ labor union.
Both Erickson and former Council member Land attended Heilman’s kickoff at the Chapel last Sunday April 3rd. Heilman was introduced by Land but Erickson never publicly spoke at the event. Councilmember Lindsey Horvath told WEHOville that she was not invited.
Land introduced Heilman. Erickson sat in a booth off to the side. Erickson was the only current City Council member in attendance at the time, (Mayor Meister showed at the end).
Heilman spoke: “For all my time on the city council, people generally felt safe in West Hollywood, we had crime, and sometimes serious crime so we shouldn’t ignore that but people more and more are telling me they don’t feel safe. One of the basically responsibilities of local government is to make the community safe”.
Erickson has been pushing for defunding the police and has had rifts with law enforcement. Erickson voted against restoring the dollars to the EPT, Entertainment Police Team, to pre-Covid levels.
Heilman continued “We succeeded because we had a strong partnership between the city and the business community. And in the last couple of years that partnership has frayed, and we now see the city and business at odds with one another. We are always going to have disagreements; disagreements are healthy in any community. But we cant have disagreements that make people feel like that are not on the same team.”
Shortly thereafter someone next to me uttered the words, ‘Erickson is not really happy about this, he told me “I don’t want a daddy”. Later that day I spoke with Councilmember D’Amico and told him the story. He replied that he also heard the same expression. D’Amico allowed us to go on the record with the following statement. “John (Erickson) and I have a good working relationship. John has asked me to run again on many many occasions. He also said that if I don’t run he is going to start a write-in campaign on my behalf”! D’Amico does not intend to run. Erickson is not excited to have Heilman back on the scene.
An off-the record comment from another Erickson, Horvath, Heilman ally: “How can he be happy about this, Heilman is coming back to clean up the mess he created. Erickson thinks he is the big macher (yiddish word for ‘big shot’) and he doesn’t want John (Heilman’s) advice.
Shortly thereafter we posted a story about the event. A comment came in quite quick. Someone was gunning for Heilman. A quick IP address check showed a direct match to John Erickson’s xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx. xxxxxxxx is an appointed commissioner who represents the City of West Hollywood on behalf of John Erickson.
Holloway Janet I heard no one showed up to his event. 34 years in office and he couldn’t get more than 20 people to show up to his event?? How sad for John Heilman.
Holloway Janet Is this the one that was accused of SEXUAL ASSAULT?? And being on Grindr at meetings?!? Sorry weho but we can do BETTER
The attempt to discount Heilman’s kickoff and smear Heilman by connecting him to previous allegations against Duran is clear. Soloman has been pushing the candidacy of Robert Oliver.
This was not the first time Soloman acted as a surrogate for Erickson. When Erickson sounded off at the Chamber of Commerce and tried to pull funding Soloman stood up and towed Erickson’s line against the Chamber.
A week prior WEHOville began a new system to monitor the message boards. Ironically after input from many of you including Holloway Janet.
The hypocrisy of it all.
Erikson is the dangerous type of indoctrinater that is going to be voted out massively in November by the overwhelming populace of America that hates everything it stands for.
I’m sorry I can’t hear the baby murderer over his failures, they are so loud.
John Erickson is the number one candidate for a new reality show called… They should have been aborted!
How about we fire them all and put in some people with radical philosophies like “not being a rabid Marxist” or “America is a good country” and the like…
No?
In all fairness the council member should be addressed as Dr. Erickson. This article is a bit gossipy and high school.
Doctor of what? I ain’t going to get a checkup from him.
Erickson works for Planned Parenthood and said any girl wanted an abortion could stay in his one bedroom apt on Fountain. Called himself Dr! With a major in gender studies. It’s amazing this arrogant fraud works for PD! Or anyone would hire him.
if these non-news pieces with deceptive titles continue, you will lose the subscriber
I’m confused why the “I don’t want a daddy” quote is the title of this article, implying a direct quote from John Erickson, when in the article it looks like him making that statement is only hearsay? That’s pretty misleading
Sigh, if we could only clone Lauren Meister. She’s displayed a consistent balance of opinion and integrity. I am deeply disappointed in the City’s overall direction. This thread expresses why.
I strongly concur. Lauren Meister is FANTASTIC as she thinks OF THE CITY. The other’s think by how much are donated to their campaign chests!
Responsible governance and not launching into social justice disasters is *checks notes* transrace-ophobic?
Dunno. But running a government that doesn’t interfere with the daily lives and ruin the lives of dissidents is bad, I was informed.
To resident: I would say that If John Erickson has a middle name, he should change it to: “John Cronyism Erickson” It fits him quite nicely! Also, backstabbing the Daddy is soooo unbecoming!
But that’s how the Sith apprentice becomes the Sith lord…
John Erickson, as President of West Hollywood National Organization of Women, took thousands of dollars in West Hollywood funds donated to produce the Vagina Monologues, and donated it to Planned Parenthood, where he is and was employed.
A most curious individual. So focused and entrenched in gender identities to have received degrees in the convoluted world of gender studies. Seems a manipulation technique disguised by a PhD and intellectual double speak. Aren’t these techniques simikar to those used by pedos of different stripes?
He’s one strange dude.
That’s a good way to put it, homie.
How is a dude the head of NOW?
Have a look at Erickson’s Twitter page. What a clown. This weirdo could only get a job in government. Vote this idiot out.
EXACTLY!!! He’s a Fools FOOL!!!
What does that say about the electorate…
Is anyone going to ask Erikson why he bleached his hair like daddy? So creepy and narcissistic. Heilman should also have to answer for unleashing his large mini me on us.
Sorry, you are wrong to assume it was Heilman. He rises above this crap! If you must know, and you should want too, It is and always is the cronyism machine, Abbe Land.
He dyed his hair white in memoriam of Betty White. I can’t imagine how fast she’s rolling over in her grave, though.
Who is Soloman? In the last paragraphs? Freudian slip? Did you mean Holloway?