After doing my homework on the four candidates for LA County Supervisor for District 3, I have decided to officially endorse California Senator Henry Stern. Here’s why…
Henry Stern is a policy guy. I prefer policy over politics.
Stern’s first job as a lawyer was as junior staff counsel to U.S. Representative Henry Waxman, West Hollywood’s former congressman, during his chairmanship of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. That committee was responsible for the Affordable Care Act (2010) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Having policy experience in both of these areas, at a high level, should be a prerequisite for any person running for LA County Supervisor.
Stern knows that three of the issues people are most concerned about in West Hollywood are homelessness, public safety, and housing affordability.
Like me, Stern thinks it is a false narrative to suggest that we can’t have public safety officers and also have a compassionate response to those on the street with mental health issues, or that to achieve social justice, we need to defund the police. He understands that we need a multi-faceted approach to many of the challenges the County is currently facing. He believes in innovative training programs for our public safety personnel, not cuts that will impact community safety.
Stern has a plan to guarantee mental health and drug treatment services for people living on the streets, which he is currently working on in Sacramento.
He is also working on legislation focused on the conversion of unused public and commercial buildings for affordable housing. This is something I tried to get our current Supervisor to look at when we first formed the Homeless Initiatives Subcommittee.
Stern has worked on LGBTQ+ issues – upping funding for free STI testing with Planned Parenthood, protecting trans youth with Equality California, and helped get funding to make the LA LGBT Center more secure.
He’s worked on protecting animals by building a wildfire corridor and keeping precious open space out of the hands of developers.
Stern has been recognized for his voting record by Planned Parenthood, the California Environmental Justice Alliance, Equality California, Smart Justice, and the California Labor Federation. He was also awarded Legislator of the Year by the Sierra Club and the Clean Money Campaign. All of these causes are important to me and our city.
As a fellow Jew, I’m impressed that Stern worked with Governor Newsom on establishing the Governor’s Holocaust and Genocide Education Council for which Stern received the Humanitarian Award from the Museum of Tolerance.
I also appreciate that he brought his elderly father-in-law to live with his family. Like me, he understands the fun and the challenges of having a multigenerational household.
Lastly, I found it very promising that Henry Stern contacted me to ask me questions about West Hollywood, solicit my opinions, and listen to my responses. That is something none of the other candidates have done to date. He’s accessible, relatable, and can go deep on a wide range of policy challenges that we’re facing. You can follow him @HenrySternCA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Meister’s endorsement says a lot about what she thinks of Horvath (& Shyne & Erickson). Bravo, Lauren. Don’t know if I support your choice, but I do know that I WON’T be giving support to Horvath. She’s waded into the woke deep end.
He lost me at, “….. responsible for the Affordable Care Act”.
The article states that Stern was a junior staff counsel for Waxman’s committee foundational to the Affordable Care Act. he wasn’t taking credit for the ACA.
I got that. I object to him having had anything at all to do with advancing the unAffordable Care Act.
Please take it up with Stern, there seems no basis for a noninformation nonsense complaint here.
I could ask you what you mean by “noninformation nonsense”, but I have a feeling your response would be misinformed nonsense which would result in a waste of my time.
Voted for Lindsey and not for Lauren, this time around I’m for Lauren and would not vote for Lindsey again.
I’ll take this as a resounding NO to Horvath from one who knows her best! I can only imagine the level of disrespect that Meister has endured from Horvath and her flying monkeys.
I didn’t know anyone was waiting to hear Lauren Meister chime in, but wasn’t it John Heilman who gave us Lindsey Horvath, and she came back to bit him in the a**? And now Lindsey Horvath has decided she is much too important to be bothered with pesky residents in a small city. I would support anyone over that dummy Horvath. But for Ms Meister to think Henry Stern has all the answers is more dumbness. Remember, Ms. Meister, he’s “proposals” are just that. Proposals that will never happen. If you want to get rid of the homeless problem, consider… Read more »
Why should Horvath be reprimanded for seeking higher office? She’s not married to the City of WeHo. Nor were Paul Koretz or Jeffery Prang, both former Councilmembers who left their seats in WeHo to seek higher office. That’s what some politicians do.
Regarding the homeless, who is providing them tents and free food? Your answer is to just let them die out in the desert? Do you know how hot it gets out there during the summer? That’s a new one. Very heartfelt of you.
Meister is right on this one. Stern is the candidate with the character, experience that our new Supervisor requires. Stern is resolute and will take on the challenges facing the county and deliver the results that are needed.
OMG Mayor Meister has fliped the finger at the SHE ( Shyne, Horvath & Erickson)! For the last year, Ex-Mayor Lindsey Horvath has been schlepping all over Los Angeles County. From Cucamonga to El Segundo, Horvath is the Streetwalker for developers to get the endorsement of every political hack. She impresses them with her creepy Barbie Doll Spiel and performs with her pet dog. With Mayor Meister endorsing Stern for LA County Supervisor, it’s also payback time against Horvath and her middle aged boy toy John Erickson. As fellow city council members, they betrayed Meister. Instead of backing Meister up… Read more »
Wait, who doesn’t live in West Hollywood?
The problem is had Councilwoman Meister truly done her research, as in looked at how Stern has voted on legislation during his time in the CA Senate, she’d realize that Stern is not a policy guy, and that he is very much a politics guy. Despite portraying himself as a Moderate, he has helped pass a series of soft on crime bills that are now causing a major crime wave in the State, specifically here in LA, because that’s the way the political wind started blowing in the Sacramento bubble. Hertzberg is the same, and Horvath is just appalling. In… Read more »
Happy to see Mayor Meister won’t be bullied into endorsing Horvath.
As much as I believe many in West Hollywood would like to see Horvath take her grandstanding elsewhere, voting for her is not the answer. There are so many issues at the county level that need addressing. IMO, Horvath does not have the skill set or the ability as demonstrated by her time on WeHo city council for a mere town of 35K let alone a county of over 10 million.
I too will be voting for Henry Stern for LA County Supervisor.
Lauren, thank you for solidifying my choice for Supervisor with Stern’s public service history and facts appertaining to his suitability. His record is one of public service, rather than self service.
“Policy Over Politics”.
Always the right choice.
Wow! Extremely impressive résumé, reflecting just about all of my values.