Activist and journalist William West Seegmiller is throwing his hat in the ring for November’s West Hollywood City Council election.
Seegmiller has a 15-year background as a community organizer involved in anti-war and workers’ rights movements. He has worked in HIV clinical research, advocating for sex workers and transgender people, in human trafficking prevention and as a published policy researcher, contributing to the passage of legislation like SB233. He is also known for supporting the survivors and victims of Ed Buck.
Seegmiller has spoken out against government overreach during and after the COVID pandemic, and has been vocal in his criticism of West Hollywood’s current administration.
He describes the last four years here as highly challenging, with the aftermath of the pandemic leading to closures of local establishments and a decline in public safety.
“The conduct of the current majority on the City Council, characterized by exclusivity and a lack of transparency, has unfortunately mirrored more of a ‘mean girl’ political clique than a body dedicated to serving the public interest, exacerbating issues of corruption and political self-serving,” Seegmiller wrote in his announcement.
In 2021, he founded the Free Weho Coalition, an LGBT medical freedom advocacy and support group. He works as a news producer and on-air journalist at KPFK 90.7FM Rebel Alliance News.
Seegmiller will compete against incumbent Mayor John M. Erickson, running for re-election, and Public Safety Commissioner George Nickle for one of two City Council seats that will be on the ballot in November. Councilmember Sepi Shyne announced this weekend she does not intend to run again.
While I can’t say whether or not I’d vote for this candidate, I’d vote for a moldy piece of bread before voting for John Erickson.
Great that we have some more competition.
I don’t always agree with West but those issues may never come up in legislation. And if they do and he’s a member, there are four other votes.
Thank you for sharing. We can’t always agree with eachother, but West Hollywood deserves a culture shift where intellectually honest debate is encouraged rather than penalized.
Activist, advocating for sex workers..ummm…I want another alternative to Erickson..but I don’t think this is it for me.
Thank you Brandon for running this— and for Weho online for elevating the public discourse and providing an opportunity for us all to learn how to disagree with one another! As a candidate I am committed to honoring diverse perspectives and encouraging robust and honest debate. Learn about my values at West4Weho.com
He lost me at “community organizer”.
His personal compassion may be admirable, but I have a feeling he may make compassion into public policy at the expense of those of us who manage our lives without the need for anybody’s ongoing assistance.
And if it’s true that he is in any way anti-Israel I will actively campaign against him.
While the issues that we face as a City are certainly nuanced, minimizing government’s invasion into our private lives and streamlining bureaucratic red tape for businesses are some of my guiding principles.
You will likely disagree with some of my foreign policy positions around ending US funding for foreign wars, but your criticism and even active campaigning is welcomed and encouraged. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were prolific rivals, but together they crafted history’s most profound living legal document, the US Constitution/Bill of Rights. Disagreement is what makes our nation great!
Better get ready to campaign against, he’s 100% anti Zionist. He has said it over and over on this forum.
Alrighty! It may be a bumpy ride!
I don’t know why any city official needs to get in the weeds of foreign policy issues. It has nothing to do with the job they were elected to do so I can draw the conclusion that they are using their position here as a stepping stone to higher office.
Apparently you’re reading these posts here, West, so how about responding to me?
Council members should be informed about global events, particularly those with potential local repercussions. Our primary responsibility, however, must be to address direct community needs, such as affordability, maintaining infrastructure and ensuring public safety. It’s important to recognize broader issues like a potential escalation of WW3, but our council degrades their credibility with symbolic gestures like altering street lamp colors or issuing absurd declarations aligned with the interests of the military-industrial complex— which are nothing more than pure war-mongering propaganda. I firmly believe in prioritizing local control and strongly oppose using West Hollywood as a testing ground for damaging policies… Read more »
Expand on how WeHo has, or might be used as a testing ground for damaging policies imposed by external think tanks and unelected global entities like DAVOS. Define DAVOS and damaging policies.
A few examples include Weho signing on as a Smart City nearly a decade ago as part of UN Sustainable Development Goals, the erection of invasive surveillance infrastructure central to the Fourth Industrial Revolution pushed by the WEF/DAVOS, multiple attempts to make Weho “cashless” as a precursor to CBDC’s pushed by international central banks, punitive policies intended to discourage car usage and ownership advanced by the National League of Cities, and the outsourcing of working class jobs to automated delivery robots (which as it turns out aren’t automated at all, but rather controlled by invisible, low wage third world workers).… Read more »
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I agree with every word of that!
How do you feel about the Fountain Ave. project and the trend towards bike lanes at the cost to vehicular traffic and parking spaces?
Sorry for the late response. Rezoning to allow high rise microunits without parking in residential neighborhoods is an unacceptable bandaid solution imposed by the State for problems caused by their failed economic policies. Notice that nearly no “progressive” politician in LA has the guts to address the gross mismanagement of homeless funds. To state the obvious would damage their personal brand and be political suicide when sycophancy is the cost of entry into LA’s faux woke political dynasty. This dynamic is how the Erickson’s of the world are created. Locally, we must hold our low income housing developers to a… Read more »
Hi Wes, just a quick update that replies to each comment or commenter are considered restraint of the commenters ability to have their say without being badgered. As a candidate now you will have to let the public have their say while you listen and reply accordingly, when its your turn again.
Got it, just responding to questions as they arise
This is all well and good but it doesn’t address anything I asked. Apply what you have said here to specifics, please.
Thank you for a very civil and informative exchange. If there is a common theme in my comments on WeHoOnline it would be my opposition to government intrusion in our lives and in the free market. What is your position on the minimum wage?
Is your opposition to Israel the same as it would be for any country in a similar circumstance, or are you anti-Israel?
I, too, have an issue with the funding of foreign wars so we can find some common ground there, but I absolutely fully support Israel in this current conflict.
Larry’s analyses on these pages have provided meaningful real world insight into this issue. What’s the value of higher minimum wages when affordability consistently outpaces it? I’m not an economist, but when higher operating costs are passed onto consumers, it seems those that benefit the most are ultimately the corporate investors that replace local mom and pop’s.. It’s not as simple as local business owners being greedy monsters. This also creates an economic landscape oversaturated with tax commodity industries like luxury pot shops and overpriced eateries, at the expense of locally owned businesses serving local residents and families everyday needs.
You haven’t responded to two questions I have presented here; what is your position on Israel and what is your position on deferring to bicyclists at the cost to parking spaces and drivers, namely Fountain Ave.?
Bicyclists should be rerouted to lower traffic routes and we should maintain residential parking, I’m opposed to converting heavily used thoroughfares like Fountain to bike lanes.
On Israel, my position is similar to principled anti-war politicians like Ron Paul and UK MP George Galloway— demand ceasefire and diplomacy, withdraw support for the anti-Democratic Netanyahu admin, and end all US funding of weapons to IDF (which eventually find their way to Hamas).
Israel is being blamed for atrocities that in fact Hamas is doing to its own people. These protesters don’t have a clue what it is they are protesting. Hamas are masters at PR and manipulating the media with a false narrative to a public who does not take the time to consider that with anything other than what they want to believe, ’cause protesting can be fun! Israel sends a warning to the people in Gaza before they strike a specific area but Hamas won’t let those people leave to safety. Hamas has pulled up water pipes to use as… Read more »
Have you noticed the provincial mindset of many commenters?
Provincial?
Thank goddess. Many Jews are anti Zionists.
Ah, I see West needed a new grifting hobby. Everyone is tired of the whining about vaccines from 3 years ago.
The medical freedom “grift” is still close to my heart, but I must say GEG that your presence in these public forums has always been provocative. It makes the handful of issues we DO agree on that much more meaningful 😉
Agreed. Being a one trick pony helps no one. I’ve been in weho a very long time and I don’t know if I have ever seen a less qualified, divisive, lying. More dangerous candidate than this. His antics have always served one person. Himself. What he didn’t think ahead about was that all of his lies and vitriol, that he made in public forums, are available and saved to haunt him. Karma is a bitch West, and yours is coming full speed ahead.
Asking for a friend, ok, asking for me: what is his occupation apart from “activist” and “journalist”? I might consider voting for him, but I like the people I vote for to have real world experience, similar to the people they represent.
My primary paid work has been in HIV clinical research and human trafficking policy, currently I am working at UCLA as a Research Associate on a study for male sex workers. As a former sex worker myself, I am grateful for these opportunities and hope to inspire people that there is always hope for a brighter future!
George Nickel it is for the win!
👏👏 we just need another…
Has he created any jobs or run a small business? I’m sure he didn’t say a word when Hamas murdered all those young people in October. He works for Rebel Alliance news. NO THANKS.
While he has stood up to many good causes, he isn’t very fond of the right of a Jewish state to exist, so this will be a hard NO for me. Dont need a council gearing up to be fully empowered to speak out and against Jews and Israel. We have one already that shouldn’t be there, for sure dont need another and start of another “mean girl” clique.
Wes is not tied to political orthodoxy and his “lived experience” is genuine, so we can expect him to make all of the debates interesting and thought provoking. He has a very adult and healthy respect for open debate and the market place of ideas. Unlike the “mean girls”, Wes may not like your position but he is very broadminded in his friendships. That is a maturity that is currently missing on the City Council.
Not convinced he would demonstrate these attributes when it comes to Jewish And Israeli topics. Seen in it here in discussion, his passionate disdain for Israel allows him to forgo that which you say. He also was opposed to Weho adopting the definition of anti semitism, don’t need this anti Zionist radical on CC.
Thank you Steve for your thoughtful words. Eric, while we may strongly disagree on some foreign policy issues, I am committed to protecting everyone’s right to speak their mind and to be genuinely heard with respect and dignity.
That’s great, and I’m sure you would, but you are no friend to Jews or Israel, not looking to be heard, looking for actions. Sorry, but given your extreme anti Zionist position, not your foreign policy issues, I hope you don’t make it Anyway, you and most likely anyone else will have a less than zero chance unseating Erickson, so hopefully with the other seat a candidate such as Nickles makes it through.
I appreciate your honesty. If you ever want to discuss these issues personally, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at (323) 421-4235.
Agreed!
Dear Steve…..Are you kidding? Call me for some info on the lies he has spewed. I am however curious to know what job he has actual gotten a paycheck for. I will, of course be telling anyone who will listen the hateful lies he had made in print about others. This candidate has burned more bridges than he can ever repair. Never have I met such a backstabbing gadfly in my life.
Jimmy, while I took you to task for your reactionary rhetoric you delivered while co-chair of the human services commission against people declining experimental therapies marketed as vaccines for religious or medical reason, I did so in a way that acknowledged and honored your contributions to this City.
Three years later, and countless lawsuits, investigations and government inquiries later that have vindicated many of the issues I raised then, I sincerely hope yourself and others have reflected on the harms done out of fear during that time.
Your horrific lies about me and others show who you are. My first partner died of AIDS. Your sick minded comment that I said all people with hiv belong on an island is absolutely unforgivable. Your comments weren’t snarky, they were absolute lies and hurtful. Not to worry. I have all of the receipts. The public will see you are not a community organizer , but a divisive, lying mean girl that you claim to despise. Again. I HAVE THE RECEIPTS. Of all of your posted lies, no one believed a word you said and thought perhaps you were tantruming… Read more »