It was about 14 years ago when an aspiring candidate named John D’Amico popped his head into the BlockParty store to introduce himself. He was running for City Council. Told him, “I do not want to get involved.”
The vocal outsider was running against the Heilman-Land-Horvath machine. The three then teamed up to form a slate. The power trip seemed wrong for our little city. I decided to back D’Amico. That day, I walked over to Koontz, bought supplies, and proceeded to paint a giant “D’Amico” on the store windows. It went viral. The rest is history.
D’Amico beat Horvath in that 2011 race. In 2014, Horvath came over to me at Transgender Awareness Night and said, “I’m thinking of running again.” I replied, “You go, girl! Get up there and show them what you got!” Horvath won. D’Amico and Horvath became close colleagues. When Horvath ran for County Supervisor, she voted against the Sheriff and didn’t listen to the cry’s from the business community. I accused her of selling out the city. We fell out. Politics makes strange bedfellows, and egos and issues can push people to sleep on both sides of the bed.
Brother D’Amico — yes, always a brother — but his political beliefs are like a cuttlefish changing with the mood. D’Amico ran against John Heilman in 2011, calling him a racist and for an end to the regime. Seven years later he endorsed him 2018 and went back the other way in 2020.
D’Amico propped up Lauren Meister in her first run, but by the end of his term, they were on opposite sides. D’Amico’s seething rebuke of Shyne’s vision made headlines, but then he joined that anti-sheriff push and joined hands with all of the Heilman-Land disciples — Horvath, Erickson, and Shyne.
John Duran touted D’Amico in his first run, and that took a turn when D’Amico called out Duran’s Grindr use during the City Council meeting. John Duran was firmly against Lauren Meister, mailing out one of the nastiest hit pieces during that 2015 election. It backfired. Now they are bedfellows too. In this game, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Meister came to power on the backs of ‘term limits’, calling for an end to the entrenched power interests of Heilman and Duran. After Heilman was defeated Meister supported his re-election. Meister also supported Duran’s re-election in 2022. Meister was with Shyne before she was against Shyne. Political allies can change quickly even among the best of us.
Danny Hang called a month or so ago. Danny is one of two UNITE HERE candidates in this year’s race for City Council. Danny thanked me for an article exposing a candidate in a photo shoot with the WeHo PAC consultant. “That guy was in my interview,” he said. Danny introduced himself, saying, “I’ve known you for years — I went to college with Tiffany, Shirley’s daughter.” My heart sank. Shirley Fong was my business partner and co-founder of YMLA. Shirley passed two years ago. I vow to always watch over her kids. Danny became family in a split second. The friend of my friend is my friend.
The gregarious Mayor John M. Erickson surprised me on the street as we were opening the WeHo Town Hall. He popped into the cart and got a first view of the campaign headquarters. We have differences on some issues, but as long as we respect each other, we can find common ground. Politics is also about working across the aisle and moving past the differences.
Well, the political season is here. Silly season, some say. When I opted into this race and pondered the future, I thought of Sepi Shyne and then texted her, “Hey — I sent in papers yesterday. Must be crazy to, but still have some love left for the city. If I would be lucky enough to win, I hope you would accept an invite to swear me in. Because I think you would be the first choice to show all we can have a peaceful transition and move forward together. But probably crazy for doing it. Have a great day.”
Sepi didn’t reply, but the offer still stands. You see, sometimes a person needs to swallow their pride, extend themselves, and find common ground for the good of the family. You and I — we are WeHo bedfellows, and it’s our time to move WeHo forward, all of us, together.
There is a clique on one side, and maybe the pendulum will swing to a clique on the other side. I’m not in any clique. Some are afraid of little old me – afraid of letting go or new ideas..
Politics makes strange bedfellows. This saying is adapted from a line in the play *The Tempest* by William Shakespeare: “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It is spoken by a man who has been shipwrecked and finds himself seeking shelter beside a sleeping monster.
Or put another way, when it comes to politics…be careful what you wish for.
As always, very well-said Larry.
I have suggested here that you run a number of times over the years and have contributed to your campaign but I am confused by this. So because Hang knows someone you care for you’re promoting Hang? Because of his alliance with Unite Here Hang is the enemy of all of us!
I need some clarification.
I don’t know anything about George Nickle but people who I trust have spoken well of him. Maybe I need to give him more consideration.
But, really, Hang and Erickson would end the city as we have known it and they are not nice people who would do that. They are our enemies.
‘cuz he’s smart.
Larry must have been looking in the mirror when he wrote this piece that is highly critical of the shifting narratives and alliances of a bunch of provincial egos with parochial interests. I do think it’s cute that Larry thinks that Sepi Shyne, the most divisive person to ever hold office in West Hollywood (although the jury is out on Erickson and we await the intransigence of Chelsea Byers) could be seen as a bridge builder in the symbolic act of swearing him in. I predict that Sepi has the U-haul already reserved for her departure from the city that… Read more »
I’m always impressed by your evenhandedness, Larry. Looking forward to having you on the West Hollywood City Council. You will get this city going in the right direction.
Larry – you are supporting Danny Hang because he knows someone you knew?
That sounds more like nepotism than supporting someone’s proposed policies.
Where is your New Yorker’s kop?
SEPTIC Shyne didn’t respond? What a surprise! You should know better. “DON’T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH POWER I HAVE??!!”
ROFL. Quuuuuuunt.
Why would anyone want to be sworn in by such a person? Calls your judgement into question.
Larry, you are not Switzerland: you oppose the Fountain Re-Design and the efforts by the current Council majority to de-fund the Sheriff. By attacking Lauren Meister might have gained you some points with the Erickson-Hang crowd but lost you some support you might have enjoyed otherwise. This commentary left me confused: is it Block/Hang in 2024?
You are better when you stick to issues…..
Truer words… you see a broader picture and know the outcome can override the bumpy journey: Actions with words. Thank you. I will cast my vote for Larry Block.
Thanks, Larry. I guess you didn’t notice. I’m not on the ballot this time. And you also didn’t notice that I backed the winners. So is helping the winners win your complaint?
Congrats on backing Unite Here candidates? I voted for you previously thinking you were moderate, but you seem to have moved progressive. While ok to change, it is important to be who you say you’ll be if you run in the future.
He’s neither nor, just a populist and a really sad case of a council person.
Please do us all a favor and always stay off the ballot.
Sometimes backing winners is not a good thing. Did you also back Donald Trump in 2016? He was a winner too. He might even be a winner again thanks to idiotic policies like defunding the police, sanctuary cities and unaffordable housing. BFD that you backed winners. If Larry Block can get under your skin then you need help. Who the hell cares what Larry Block says! This is an opinion piece and that’s it. The real winners are supposed to be the people who live in WEHO. Please try not to forget that.