STEVE MARTIN: At 40 years old, malaise infects WeHo

It is official: The City is going in the wrong direction.

A poll taken by a respected polling consultant, Richard Bernard, found a majority of the 440 WeHo registered voters who have a high propensity to show up at the polls, believed the City was moving in the wrong direction. Their concerns were crime, homelessness and cleanliness, in that order.

The poll was taken as the City wanted to see if there was local support for a ballot measure that would “re-capture” a quarter cent sales tax increase that Los Angeles County has placed on this November’s ballot. In his presentation Mr. Bernard said the poll indicated a bare majority for the City’s proposed measure but that a “education” campaign by the City might increase support for the tax. Council member Lauren Meister then asked a rather awkward question; does the public find the City Council to be credible? There was a pause and then Bernard indicated he had asked that question, and the majority of poll responders said the City was “going in on a wrong direction”.

Sadly, with my involvement in the Eastside Neighborhood Watch, residents consistently express frustration with the disconnect between the community and City Hall. Many feel the City Council is not just unresponsive to the concerns of the residents, their priorities are often completely disconnected to the reality’s residents confront every day.

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of West Hollywood, this is not the situation the founders on the City envisioned.

In the summer of 1984, I was one of scores of local volunteers who knocked on doors to encourage people to vote for Citihood. I was motivated by a number of factors: I have been hit by a hefty rent increase, that having our own city would mean local control and the notion that having our own City might open avenues for gay empowerment. Ron Stone, the soft-spoken head of the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee, talked about creating a unique “urban village” democracy, a small town where City Hall was close to the people and represented community concerns.

West Hollywood was going to be that “City on a Hill” where residents would be fully empowered and would be an example of open, participatory local government.

We’ve come a long way since 1984 and the lofty aspirations inspired by Ron Stone. Yesterday a solicitor knocked on my door, circulating a proposed ballot measure sponsored by Unite Here. In our conversation she admitted she was being paid and living in Los Angeles, but that did not prevent her ending her spiel with a recommendation of who I should vote for City Council in November. Outside power brokers using paid canvassers to influence West Hollywood’s elections seems to make a mockery of our dreams of a locally empowered electorate.

The arrogance and narrow ideological focus of the City Council majority is directly responsible for the loss the City’s credibility. Their blind insistence on imposing their paternalistic vision of this City without considering for the opinions of the residents, or is some cases, even basic facts, has created a widening gap between City Hall and West Hollywood’s citizens.

The malaise at City Hall runs deep. The City Manager recently called a meeting of City employees at the Council Chambers to implore them to not contact local press but to use the City’s discredited whistle blower procedures. The current City manager is not the result of a national talent search but was a product of a rather exploitive process where the City Council looked internally and publicly announced three contenders, like some sort of DEI beauty contest. Our current City Manager was selected for his pliability; he is clearly not in the charismatic mold of his predecessor. The City Council was not looking a partner whose professional opinion they valued; they were looking to a City Manager they could bully.

The City is still reeling from the unholy deal cut by then Council Mayor, Linsey Horvath, and privileged billionaire LA Times heiress, Nika Soon Shiong, a dedicated “De-Fund” the police advocate. Nika got appointed to our Public Safety Commission and immediately hijacked the body, which lead to a recommendation to immediately cut ten Sheriff’s deputies. Mayor Erickson’s appointee to the

Commission was part of the majority that voted for the de-funding.

Predictably, Horvath was endorsed by the LA Times in her bid to become County Supervisor. West Hollywood residents paid the price for Horvath’s ambitions.

Although the City Council did not enact the full cuts recommended by Nika Soon Shiong, the City has been plagued by a rash of violent assaults and robberies which have often involved victims being terrorized by criminals toting assault rifles. The City Council majority does not seem to share the publics concerns; “I feel safe”, Mayor Erickson quipped during one discussion of public safety. Indeed, only a bare majority voted to fund security cameras and a “rapid response” drone recently requested by the Sheriff’s department. Vice Mayor Byers expressed concerns that this request represented a “militarization” of law enforcement, reflecting a disconnect from reality.

As residents and victims of crime have come to City Council meeting to alert the Council about violent crime, Mayor Erickson recently stated his larger concern was “fearmongering” about public safety. Erickson’s attempts to marginalize and minimize the public’s legitimate complaints about crime are outrageously self-serving and do not reflect the sort of mature leadership West Hollywood needs. People have a right to come before their public officials without having to have their experiences trivialized.

Recently the City blindsided residents of Gardner who were surprised to discover that the installation of “protected” bike lanes, would result in the loss of dozens of parking spaces. Although the City never formally notified any of the impacted residents of the loss of parking, the Council went ahead an approved the plan. Mayor Erickson said residents should have figured out that creating bike lanes would come at the expense of parking spaces. He essentially blamed the residents for the City’s failure to notify them: “They have to care”, meaning if they had come to a presentation they would have learned the plan’s full impact. Outrage by the residents of Gardner have put this plan on a temporary hold, at least until after the November election. But city staff’s admission that they failed to notify residents specifically about the loss of parking spaces only reinforced the notion that the City has little regard for inclusionary public process.

The plan to install “protected bike” lanes along the length of Fountain Avenue is also conveniently on hold until after the election. There is a growing opposition to this half-baked plan as residents realize that reducing Fountain to one lane in either direction will create chaos and gridlock as well as severely impact the response times for ambulances and fire trucks. While one Council member indicated she did not care if the Fountain plan “inconvenienced” motorists, inconveniencing first responders could be fatal for residents awaiting first responders. Funding for the nearly ten million dollar project will be heard at the next City Council meeting.

In the forty plus years I have lived in West Hollywood, change has been a constant. Most of that change has been for the better. But seldom have we seen such a disconnect between City Hall and the residents it is supposed to serve. The City does not drive using GPS; the City Council members need to listen to where the residents want to go. If City Council is not responsive, then it is time to change drivers.

If you want to view video of the August –, City Council meeting, this presentation took place under Item 5C of the City Council agenda