Others that I won't be voting for in the WeHo March 3, 2015 election

I’m the first person to say that one of the wonderful things about living in America is the right of the people to vote on their elected officials. I do, however, believe that there should be a higher threshold in West Hollywood than having less than 30 verified registered voters sign a nomination paper. Having done it, 30 may seem easy but it does take time and some effort. While I wouldn’t discourage folks from running, I hope that they understand the time and work it takes to campaign, and to serve. Sometimes I think it’s like the difference between a wedding and a marriage. Often, people put an extraordinary amount of energy, time and money into creating “the wedding of their dreams” and little to no time into creating the marriage of such. With that said, I offer my thoughts on other candidates currently in the mix.

John Allendorfer: John seems like a good guy who cares about West Hollywood but I don’t think that he has the name recognition to get much traction in this crowded field.

Larry Block: I see Larry Block as a great activist who cares deeply about the city but is limited in his scope. I think Larry is someone who fights for what he believes in but I have seen him over the years take a slanted approach that seems more self-serving. I think Larry’s focus is more on what may or may not be best for the gay entertainment district (I will never refer to it as others do) than what is good for the entire city. I think Larry is great advocate for many but I think he is too much of a loose cannon to be someone who makes decisions on the critical issues that face West Hollywood.

Brian Funnagan: I don’t get it. I don’t know why he is in the race. It seems like someone might have put him up to it to spread the numbers. He is clearly a D’Amicoite and had challenges answering the questions at the forum. It is troubling when people waste our time, and take away votes from serious candidates.

Joe Guardarrama: I am not voting for Joe because I have little idea what he actually stands for since he has not been involved in the community for the last five years, many of which have been tumultuous. There are the issues of raising parking rates and adding more hours to the parking meters or the Restoration Hardware development. Hindsight is 20/20 (sort of), so any opinions now about the aforementioned issues are moot. Another matter that gives me serious pause is Joe’s close association with Mr. D’Amico. Joe jumped into the race later than others, it begs the question was he recruited by Mr. DAmico, and to what end? For me, there are too many unanswered questions that I cannot recommend voting for Joe Guardarrama at this time.

Christopher Landavazo: I know and like Chris, who ran in 2013. Since that time we hadn’t really seen him around West Hollywood or taking a stance on critical issues. He does have an impressive resume and seems to have a good heart but what has he done for West Hollywood? I want someone on council who is here and attending neighborhood meetings, commission and advisory board meetings and city events.

Matt Ralston: Like most, I had never heard of him before. I don’t know much about him. I think if he is serious about serving the city of West Hollywood he could be more active prior to an election season.

Tristan Schukraft: Seems like a smart guy but I’m not sure why he is running. He ran in 2013 and got a respectable number of votes but other than being on a committee that helped usher forward the PickUp Line, what else has he done for the city, in and around the city or taken a stance on some of the key issues that have come up in the past few years?

Again, these are my opinions but in this important time in West Hollywood, I hope that you will give them some thought.

I hope that my commentary informs your voting decisions. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Stay tuned for my thoughts on other candidates and more information on who I am supporting and why.