As someone who has dedicated a great deal of time to encouraging women to seek elected office, I am disheartened by what I found in my mailbox yesterday: a campaign mailer sent out by an Independent Expenditure campaign attacking
candidate Lauren Meister. This mailer underscores one of the reasons why we have so few women in elected office. Female candidates want to talk about issues, not be fodder for exaggerated, personal attacks that have no place in politics.
When I read the attacks on Lauren, I was reminded how I felt when I was attacked in my 2011 campaign for City Council – disgusted and sad. I immediately called Lauren to offer sympathy and to reinforce my commitment to running a campaign focused on what should matter to voters: my record and positions on the issues.
In the past years, elections in West Hollywood have taken a turn for the worse. Unwarranted, vicious attack mailers discourage voter participation, which unfortunately already is below 20% in West Hollywood municipal elections. Even worse is the proliferation of Independent Expenditure campaigns, which are by law, uncoordinated with the candidates they support and oppose. As a candidate supported by one such effort, as is Lauren by another, I wish Independent Expenditure campaigns would stick to the issues that encourage voters to ask: Who will protect renters from unfair evictions & improve the habitability of rent-stabilized housing? Who will create a sustainable future & protect our quality of life? Who will maintain services for residents of all ages, defend our human rights, and build bridges among diverse constituencies to make sure the needs of ALL residents?
It’s time for the petty politics in our community to come to an end. It’s time to usher in a new era of campaigning that is responsible, transparent, and focused on the issues that matter.
Lindsey Horvath, a former West Hollywood City Council member, is a candidate in Tuesday’s Council election.
Lindsey – you hired an awful woman to make your cold calls – didnt get her name but she called and had such an attitude, made me not want to vote for you. Wish i read this earlier than my mail in…
Weho resident
It’s your PAC Lindsey
Thanks so much for your very thoughtful feedback.
Tom,
No one is being a bully but you and Steve. Honestly, I don’t think you’ll never realize how you come across. That actually makes me feel better because I’ve always thought your intentions was to tear people down. Not I realize you aren’t self aware.
LOL
Of course, I’m trying to squelch your freedom of speech. Recently
you claimed I was stalking you. Nothing like a little levity. LOL.
Lynn, are you trying to squelch our freedom of speech??? Sheesh. You vote your way, I’ll vote mine. Try not to be a bully.
Pardon me for dipping my toe in the sludge, but this is getting to be infantile. If you have a legitimate concern ask about it. If not, please move on.
Steve & Tom: please try to contain yourselves and try not to continually paint black clouds over everyone you don’t care for. It’s possible they had other commitments. Call and ask them, otherwise, just don’t vote for them. Simple!
Matt: why not let each of them speak for themselves? Skepticism is one thing, projecting abject cynicism is another.
E X A C T L Y Steve Martin, WHAT are they afraid of indeed??? By not attending, they also totally disrespected those who live on the Eastside too.
If they win on Tuesday, we can expect to see the bulldozers rolling out again all over to continue destroying our beautiful city —–more backroom deals with their development bosses to erect even more massive and ugly concrete mammouths that are built right out to the sidewalk and property lines on all sides and causing gridlock 12 hours per day.
Perhaps if we had more opportunities to see and compare the candidates, all of this silly junk mail would be rendered less effective. Too bad Horvath and Heilman didn’t appear at the last candidate forum. What are they afraid of?