At the September 17th City Council meeting Council member John D’Amico took aim at former Council member John Heilman, calling him a two-time loser from the council dais.
“As we discussed in early June, though, there are two-time losing council members who seem to be promoting the unsafeness of West Hollywood. I would say directly to John Heilman: You’ve turned yourself into an anemic version of Steve Martin. Crime has gone down. Your need to scare our seniors and our non-English speaking residents with your lies about the crime in our city is pitiful.”
Despite the divisive remarks, all the other city council members sat silent. Council member John Erickson who has endorsed John Heilman tagged along with D’Amico’s remarks. Erickson was John Heilman’s direct appointee to the Planning Commission. Erickson defeated Heilman in the 2020 election but has told associates that he really does not want John Heilman to win, once using the phrase “I don’t want a daddy”. Heilman, who also appointed Mayor Pro Tem Sepi Shyne to the Business License Commission, does not have the endorsement of his former Commissioner. Shyne is said to be working closely with D’Amico to do “all they can to make sure John Heilman does not get elected”.
D’Amico who was first elected to the City Council in 2011 and served alongside Heilman from 2011-2020. Heilman was first elected to the West Hollywood City Council in 1984 and served until 2015, when he was defeated by D’Amico, and the first terms for both Mayor Lauren Meister and Council member Lindsey Horvath. That same year Heilman ran for the open seat vacated by Jeffrey Prang in the June 2015 election and was re-elected after a 3 month hiatus. Heilman was again defeated in 2020 by Erickson and Shyne.
The longstanding feud with Heilman pre-dates D’Amico’s election to the City Council dais. Upon D’Amico’s election to the City Council he and Heilman did not shake hands for a number of years. Their relationship seemed to be cohesive when D’Amico endorsed the re-election of Heilman and John Duran in 2017.
D’Amico’s tags on Heilman calling him a “Chump! , Two-Time Loser,” and to Heilman’s messaging of “The only thing unsafe about West Hollywood is John Heilman and his need to be needed.” In another post D’Amico touted results of a supposed poll saying Heilman was in 7th place and calling him a two time loser again.
The last week’s city council meeting lacked any semblance of decorum. In addition to D’Amico’s rant toward Heilman, Horvath took off her gloves again at Meister. Meister defended herself clearly with facts.
Bullying residents or candidates from the City Council dais is the new normal.
At a previous city council meeting Shyne read a letter she received from a member of the public that she found disturbing. The Council member took to the dais to warn any person who sends her a disturbing letter that they may be outed publicly from the dais. One resident contacted WEHOville explaining that Shyne’s words are an intimidation of the public process.
WAIT!!!!!
There was a local citizen led motion that voters voted and was LEGAL TERM LIMITS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS/MAYOR BY ROTATION.
Heilman, against the term limits was loudly against the term limits based on “his theory” …. “We already have ‘term limits’ and it’s called “VOTING”
Term limits passed & such appropriate irony, Heilman LOST HIS LAST REELECTION before his maximum terms ran out.
He had one term, this last one.
HOW IS HE ABLE TO RUN EVER AGAIN. TERM LIMITS PASSED.
HEILMAN LOST, GOT REELECTED FOR THE ONE LAST TERM OF A LIFETIME OG TERMS ALLOWED.
Only in Wee Hoe: “bitch politics!”
I was less confused trying to keep up with the changing cast of “Bewitched” let alone this cast of characters. When they kept changing Gladys Kravitz and then the Darrens, it was a little confusing but I was to able the keep up with the storyline. This one, I give up on completely.
No vote for Hielman! He gave us his minions – the dreadful Horvath and Erickson!
Agreed. If that’s Heilman’s judgment, he shouldn’t be any closer to the City of West Hollywood than an El Pollo Loco bathroom in Cerritos.
John H. has been the strongest leader since West Hollywood’s incorporation. His guidance and career have only been what is the best for West Hollywood. He is successful, and his ability will raise West Hollywood and its residents as the beneficiaries of his hard work and strong ethic. Years later, when Abbe Land was elected to our city’s Council. John and Abbe became friends NOT partners in crime. Their friendship is not one of questionable value. John’s ethics are stellar. Abbe remained busy building a network, one of which is to get ‘her’ people nefariously into our city’s… Read more »
They’re too old political hacks. Whatever class this city has has been ruined by Heilman and that dreadful woman whose name is like a dead end cul-de-sac. Heilman is not from California, he’s from the Midwest like the dreadful Horvath and Erickson.
We are unfortunately still in the frog kissing phase………no princes on the horizon.
We need adults on our City Council.
West Hollywood is long overdue for someone to end this childish nonsense.
John Heilman and Lauren Meister have my vote on Nov 8!
John D’Amico a wing nut juvenile, grudge carrying tantrum thrower. Folks with that mindset have no place in public service.
Bye, bye can we help you to the door?
D’Amato completely lying about the 137% increase in crime.
1984 – Heilman. 2023 – go away Heilman
I was surprised by councilmember John D’Amico’s statement to John Heilman.It is too bad the current council campaigning has reached the council dais.
I think since John D’Amico is leaving the council at the end of the year,D’Amico feels he has a free hand to say what he thinks of any campaigning.There is no one to object to any of his statements and if there is,it can be argued D’Amico will be gone after the election making any argument moot.
A) Most of them are abusing these offices of public trust to use council time for naked politicking through their preening and performances. B) D’Amico continues to flip his middle finger to all residents as he makes a completely ungracious exit. C) Let’s get adults back on the dais.
Agreed. D’Amico has turned into a lame bellowing and bombastic bully and spewing intolerance. If anything, he’s the anemic version of Erickson (with a touch of Sepi).
I endorse John Heilman and will be voting John back to the dais, also, vote for Lauren Meister. Each is different in their approach yet their life commitment to West Hollywood. There is something for every resident and restoring government, (as it is) to a healthy government.
Everyone, get one crucial fact clear. It was and is the Mother Hen who gave us Horvath and Ericson. NOT John Heilman.
The mother hen I refer to is Abbe Land..
Didn’t you forget the “F”
Barf. Abbe Land isn’t qualified to scrub the floor at El Pollo Loco. “That’s the wrong end of the mop, Abbe, the shaggy side goes on the floor. It’s OK; you’ll get it. These first six months are the hardest.”
Sorry, but who is the mother hen? How did Michael get this so wrong, wouldn’t be fair to pin Erickson and Horvath onto someone who is not responsible for it. Thats a really awful accusation if not true.
Well it is true. Do your homework!
Who says?
John Heilman gave us the dreadful John Erickson and Lindsey Horvath. So when Erickson was elected, Heilman flopped; he dumped the elderly benefactor and decided he didn’t want a daddy, so he got a new mommy. Woke equity obsessed Misandrist Sepi Shyne. Heilman is just one of the elderly Weho sellouts to developers along with Duran. As for D’Amico, he gave us Ed Buck along with being bought off by Townscape. The developers who can’t get a loan on 8150 Sunset, which is an empty lot. They have the million dollar condos on Beverly.Heilman and Duran are streetwalkers for Townscape… Read more »
What vile you spew! Fake, false lies! Your ageist and if anyone is a sellout it would be you. Havenhurst is a beautiful street and has mostly kind people. However, Michael (?) on Haverhurst Drive, you talk trash, and trash has no value.
John Heiman is part of the foundation in the creation of West Hollywood. Accomplished, visionary, leader and is the best candidate for West Hollywood’s City Council. Always has been and wehoians need his professional experience once more.
d Amico is behaving like Trump. Pathetic
D’Amico is history. His service will long be remembered as the one that was clean yet remained a dry drunk.