The WeHo Pride festival along Santa Monica Blvd was a free event for all. The kickoff to the Community Stage at noon Saturday was the Women’s Freedom Festival, a six-hour concert produced by the L-Project.
The L-Project received $75,000 in city council dollars for the event which featured LGBTQ+, BIPOC women and non-binary artists. The 3-year contract totaled $225,000.
Two things are extraordinary. The organization has had no significant operations other than this event. And, the total of $225,000 was tied with the JJ-LA contract for a 3-year commitment. An ususual bequest of public funds for an organization with no significant operations or following.
It’s a long-standing tradition for council members to be introduced at the start of any event. But not this time: The billboard-sized graphic behind the stage only featured Mayor Sepi Shyne, a not so subtle message erasing the rest of the council.
The City of West Hollywood is the presenter of proclamations and funds to groups and organizations. It is not a solo act. Social media posts featured only Mayor Sepi Shyne’s name from the Women’s Freedom Festival Stage.
WEHOville reached to Madonna Cacciatore, President of the L-project about the use of only Shyne’s name to begin and end the evening. The Dyke March also featured only Mayor Sepi Shyne, and not the City Council or the City of West Hollywood logo. Cacciatore replied that ‘only the speakers name would be featured’.
One would think the L-Project would be grateful to the City of West Hollywood and the entire City Council for its support, but a recent interview with Chris Baldwin in a local publication suggests otherwise:
QUESTION: What are some of the unique challenges you are facing as you put together this event?
CHRIS BALDWIN: Let’s scratch this question for now… I can’t answer this publicly without it negatively impacting the city and JJLA.”
The L-Project lists a number of Shyne’s friends as members of their Board of Directors, including its founder Elizabeth Sandberg who served on the Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board for 11 years. Other members of the board include its founding President, Chris Baldwin, as well as the current President, Madonna Cacciatore. Their website is www.theL-project.com.
Two city officials spoke ‘off the record,’ saying “They were given money to produce the event and that should have never happened” and “I don’t know who put all those graphics together but it should represent all of council.”
If this is how Shlepi acts, imagine what will happen when Erickson takes on the superficial title of Mayor. God Save WeHo!
Commendable reporting.
#RecallMayorShyne
“Do you know what kind of power I have”? Shyne is apparently oblivious to the “power of the people”.
RECALL SHYNE!! She doesn’t went to be here, let’s help her leave.
Yes! Best call of the day.
Amen. Let’s get those petitions done!!
This repulsive person has hurt the residents of West Hollywood in so many ways.
Sign and Distribute Recall petitions!
At the risk of being pedantic this headline should read “upstage” rather than “outshine.” The latter implies greater talent or worth, while the former is a cheap actors trick to draw attention to oneself. Which one sounds more like the Mayor?
And I was feeling so good today, finally evicting a long term troublemaking tenant in another city. Then this news. This group should never receive another cent from the City. Having what is clearly a free campaign event for Sepi only, courtesy of the taxpayers, drunks and potheads who pay taxes around here. And shame on the 4 other Councilmembers, who stood under this banner, that they all knew was just wrong. Terrible judgement. No one has any backbone of any kind on our City Council. Great reporting, Wehoville.
I don’t think the other Council members are so superficial as to make a huge deal about what was clearly an immature and ill considered bid for self promotion. Rather than throwing tantrums over silly slights, they carried on and presented the City in a professional manner. By ignoring the issue they proved that there are still a few adults in the room.
How many times should the Council look the other way with Sepi? She has gone through life with no consequences for her behavior. An obvious bully needs to be told “no” once in a while, or they will continue with their bad behavior, and even get worse about it. She is the Trump of Weho. This organization needs to be de-funded, so others get the message too. Something must be done, it can’t simply be ignored. Sacred taxpayer money is being used to promote an obvious bully. There needs to be an investigation to find out who exactly made the… Read more »
I wonder how many of her “friends“ are really friends or just people who are using her and who she is using. But yes, she is Trumpian AND she’s a big phony who tells people she “hears them,”and is on their side, and then goes ahead and screws them!
I hope there will be an audit of how that money is spent!
People like this do not have friends. They maintain a circle of users and enablers, people of the lowest character to facilitate their vile behavior. The first person Shyne glommed on to was Lindsey Horvath, an equal troubled person, who she factored into her plan in order to climb the slippery ladder.
Self centered to the extreme
Can she spend that kind of money without getting the approval of someone else in the city gov’t? Doesn’t the rest of the Council have anything to say about the details of events that the city is paying for or contributing to? No matter what she does, Sepi’s behavior doesn’t pass the smell test. She shamelessly flaunts her sociopathic symptoms, but I guess that’s what sociopaths do.
This is the product of a city with a laughably non-existent ethics program and a city manager and city attorney who are mere apologists for the bad (ethically challenged!) behavior and abuse of office of some on council. I look forward to the word salad bullpucky that comes out of the mouths of the city manager and city attorney when I meet with them on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. about the “process, policy, or practice” (they can’t decide which word applies) to the misinformation attendant to the social media flyer that advertised Sepi Shyne’s “personal” invitation to all West Hollywood… Read more »
What is equally unpalatable is the inability of the remaining council members to demand ethical behavior. Lauren Meister who purports herself to be the face of high standards wilts in the face of this egregious behavior despite her otherwise terrier disposition. John Erickson, equally as problematic as Shyne preoccupied with his offensive, supercilious behavior while planning to swim upstream to higher office, Chelsea Byers cheerleading herself forward with problematic ideas not grounded in good governance for the residents and John Heilman who could possibly wonder what his original ideas and choices have wrought while attempting to keep his head above… Read more »
It is no surprise that the city manager and city attorney refuse to enforce our codes of conduct or challenge council members on ethics violations. Though they are responsible to the residents, they serve “at the pleasure of” council who hold control over their employment. Why would they rock the boat and risk our city’s outrageously generous salaries and pensions? But the council also has the right to censure Ms. Shyne’s behavior and they fail to do so. When the city manager and attorney responded with complete disregard in response to my formal complaint citing the violations of three our… Read more »
It Lauren’s defense, it cant be easy dealing with he co council members. The make up is extremely toxic, very bitchy and manipulative
Ethics should take priority and consequently provide the pathway when folks are able to find their courage……but that is also an ethical determination.
Shyne’s attacks on Keely Field and vindictive refusal to re-appoint her to the Women’s Advisory Board, coupled with her attempts to silence Keith Kaplan by demanding he be removed from the Board of the Chamber of Commerce, reflect a serious ethical blind spot on the part of the Mayor. But we should also be concerned about selective outrage given the recent history of scandals the City has weathered. We have to hold all Council members accountable, not just the ones we don’t like or don’t agree with.
How many more law, policy and monetary irregularities must occur before the city attorney opens an independent investigation in tandem with the district attorney into everything Sepi Shyne? This crook has got to go.