“Yes on Measure C” has gotten some buzz outside West Hollywood for its campaign to establish term limits for the West Hollywood City Council. The Los Angeles Times published a story today (Jan. 14) in which a reporter followed term limits supporters who knocked on doors this past Sunday to solicit support. Neighbors interviewed for the story were enthusiastic about Measure C. The story noted, however, that most council members are opposed to the measure, which will restrict them to a total of 12 years of service but is not retroactive. LA Weekly also wrote about the campaign, with reporter Patrick Range McDonald critiquing the LA Times story for providing only the “usual, simplified” arguments against term limits offered by incumbent council members. McDonald is infamous at WeHo’s City Hall for “West Follywood,” a story published by LA Weekly in 2010 that called out the contrast between the city’s reputation for progressivism and the council’s close ties with major developers.
The movement for West Hollywood to become an independent city in 1984 was motivated by high rents, uncontrolled development, no parking, traffic congestion among other things. Today, nearly 29 years later, the most pressing issues are high rents, uncontrolled development, no parking, traffic congestion, among other things; none have been improved or resolved. These are just some of the reasons why we need term limts: term limits mean new leadership and new people who will reverse the counter productive direction the city has taken and finally help make West Hollywood the city it was intended to be.