UPDATE: Stephen J. Post wrote WEHOville in response to this article. His message is reprinted below:
A senior associate at a high-profile prison reform nonprofit has applied for a position on West Hollywood’s Public Safety Commission.
Stephen J. Post is the senior communications associate of the Last Prisoner Project, which raises funds to help secure the release of people convicted of marijuana-related crimes. A lengthy piece from 2020 in POLITICO detailed controversy surrounding the group:
The star-studded group known as LPP has amassed major financial commitments from cannabis companies by arguing that an industry dominated by white businesspeople is flourishing while tens of thousands of disproportionately Black and brown people remain in prison for marijuana-related crimes. Many Cannabis industry insiders and social justice advocates claimed that the organization failed to follow through on commitments to support preexisting groups while doing little to reduce the level of incarceration. They described an organization good at promoting itself, collecting celebrity endorsements and raising money from the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry, but less willing to put in hard work to help get people out of prison.
Many residents in West Hollywood remain wary of special-interest influences on the city’s boards and commissions in the wake of anti-police activist and billionaire heiress Nika Soon-Shiong’s term on the Public Safety Commission. Soon-Shiong, daughter of the Los Angeles Times’ owner, used her vast resources and professional network to lead the push to defund the Sheriff’s Department, upending public safety in the city and leaving WeHo with fewer deputies on patrol in the midst of a crime wave.
Post’s LinkedIn profile lists West Hollywood as his location, but he did not appear to have voted in WeHo’s most recent elections. Residency in WeHo is a requirement for the Public Safety Commission.
The city will review new applications at City Council’s Monday night meeting. Those wishing to submit an application may do so here: https://weho.granicus.com/boards/forms/364/apply/3330805?code=dc00a865-2760-45d2-b19f-0a6290f4ab28
Walked right in this morning to pick up my Christmas present! pic.twitter.com/9AUhzUGlzu
— Stephen Post (@stephenjpost) December 23, 2021
I hope this email finds you well and staying dry with all the rain. My name is Stephen Post, and I wanted to follow up with you about this recent article that was written in WEHOville.com. I appreciate you covering the City Council meeting and believe independent journalism is important to keeping our community informed and holding our government institutions accountable.
That said, I wanted to point out some inaccuracies and offer a few corrections mainly concerning this line: “Post’s LinkedIn profile lists West Hollywood as his location, but he did not appear to have voted in WeHo’s most recent elections. Residency in WeHo is a requirement for the Public Safety Commission.” I did vote in the most recent November election as well as the June 2022 primary. This line has a connotation that I am not a resident of West Hollywood, but I have been living here since August 2021. I also wanted to flag that the Politico article was a factually incorrect piece from before I began working with Last Prisoner Project in January of 2022.
I am hopeful that the West Hollywood community will welcome me with open arms as I still feel like a new resident, having moved here during the pandemic. I was heavily involved with community activism back in Ohio and hope to serve my newfound home in a similar fashion. I think there should be room for new voices and would be happy to speak with you further about why I really applied for the Public Safety Commission.
Update on my previous comment: we still don’t want you on the commission.
Ignorance is bliss?
The fight to whitewash US history: ‘A drop of poison is all you need’ | Race | The Guardian
He just told us who he is with that book, “The 1619 Project”, so believe him. It’s bad enough that he would even have that book, but to post it on Twitter is outrageous! The book has been totally debunked by all prominate historians, including black historians. It is about as America-hating as any piece of propaganda can be.
Word.
After all the victims of crimes committed by marijuana stoner addicts have been compensated, I’ll pay attention to this out of touch wannabe. I’ve got news for you: people in prison for drug crimes probably should be there, if they were rightfully convicted. Let’s stop rewarding druggies and junkies. He makes the L.A. Times heiress seem like a combination of Albert Einstein and Marie Curie.
this guy has a very strange look about him.
People like this style themselves this way for two reasons, 1. Signal to others that they’re part of the right group, and most importantly, 2. Get attention.
He’s excited about the book, “The 1619 Project”?
Are you kidding me?
That’s all we need to know about this guy!
Absolutely not!
No, nope, nada, nyet!
I’m with George Washington:
“Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company”.
Folks should drill down and learn the facts, warts and all, other than attempting to revise them after the horse has left the barn.
Looks like the brother of George Santos.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🐌🤣😳🥲🙃
Are people aware of what Post has done outside of what this article says? From what I read, he’s a noble guy, freeing people who shouldn’t be in prison. That doesn’t make him soft on crime and anti-police..Even headlining “high-profile prison reform” mischaracterizes what he’s doing — for prison reform look at what Governor Newsom is doing with San Quentin. Why are people opposed to him?
I’ll tell you Suzanne. People are still traumatized by Nika Soon-Shiong. Like Nika, this guy will likely be focused on his own non-profit work, rather than the people’s concerns. People want to feel “seen and heard”, and how can business owners or residents feel like their concerns are addressed by someone who lives in the non-profit bubble of privilege. Looking back on everything Nika said, I don’t recall that she said anything about the community of West Hollywood, or why she wanted to be here. She simply didn’t care, and I doubt this person from Ohio does either.
“…the non-profit bubble of privilege”? There is no such thing. Most people involved with non-profits do it to help and it isn’t where major money is in play. Also, everyone has a career where his wouldn’t interfere with his service to the city more than anyone’s would. Actually, I’d think what he does would be seen as an asset rather than a liability.
Clearly, you’ve never worked at a non-profit. I have, and it’s a bunch of people who can’t relate to people who slave away in Corporate America, and relate even less to people who own small businesses. It would be much better for a commissioner to work in the real world where they understand the challenges and risks that normal people have to face. The only asset this guy has is that he’s not a billionaire (I’m assuming). The people of West Hollywood deserve to have someone on this commission who understand their needs and concerns.
Sometimes people who work for non-profits want that on their resume because they have plans for the future to use that experience as a way to get positions like this … and beyond from there; like Lindsey Horvath and Sepi Shyne.
Agreed, Nika came in and did way too much damage playing around with our well being, we cant take any chances and need people who are known, transparent and that we can trust.
Traumatized?
A little hyperbolic, perhaps.
Please G-d, NO.
Another defund the police advocate. The last thing we need is more of that in West Hollywood, Hard pass on this guy.
Any reform would be great to prisons. They are not about rehabilitation. They are just about creating more crime. Of course they’re running by slimy bureaucrats and political hacks. This is not the greatest country in the world it’s the most corrupt. Starting with West Hollywood.
I rarely comment, but I’m concerned about these questionable think tanks taking over public positions in our community. As a local resident, I believe it’s important for our voices to be heard and for us to have a fair chance at these positions.
Agreed, we need more individuals from the community inspired “to give service” with honor, to their community without advancing themselves through questionable outside entities.
Many people in this community do “give service.” Just not the type you’re referring to.
You nailed it!
Dysfunctional thoughtless Think Tank people. No Bueno! No Mas!