Frank Sheftel… Time for a Grassroots Citycouncilperson?
In case you didn’t know, tomorrow is a special election day if you live in the valley and vote in City Council District 2. The seat was left vacant by Wendy Gruel getting elected to City Comptroller and tomorrow 10 people are up for the post. The area spans from Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills to Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, Verdugo Hills, North Hollywood to Tujunga.
I’ve only met one of the contenders… Frank Sheftel… a down to earth guy who was born and raised in the Valley and has run several businesses there his whole life, and I like him for several reasons.
For the past twenty years, Frank has owned and run The Candy Factory located smack dab in the district, so he knows the area well. He also owns a couple of rental properties in the area, so is familiar with property ownership issues. But what I really like, is that he’s also a strong community activist… for everyday concerns most people have. He’s not a life-long career politician, firmly planted in the system. He actually seems to want to represent normal people concerns, not big businesses or paybacks to downtown cronies.
But what really catches my fancy is that Frank Sheftel has been a strong voice for services for the valley that benefit the people who live there AND he’s nbeen an educated advocate on the medical marijuana issues that LA County has faced for the past several years. We need someone who has this experience and viewpoint on the City Council. Because heck, as far as I can see, the City Council is slowly but surely eroding and crushing all the rights voters have endorsed to have safe access to medical marijuana dispensaries.
From everything I know and have read about the other contenders, one of the biggest problems is that several others, Christine Essel and Paul Krekorian aren’t locals to the area, (both got addresses in the district in May, perhaps to qualify for this election?) so how can they properly represent the people who live there? They also both happen to be the best funded, so are mowing down their opponents with well financed campaigns.
I know it’s a small election… but getting out there and voting is the only way to get your voice heard… so I’m urging you to get out there and vote if you live in the district.
Related posts:
i live in no ho.. where do i go vote?
I think if you go to this website and put in your address, it will tell you where your polling place is: http://www.smartvoter.org/
He makes candy?! SOLD!!!
[...] Tammara inspired me to chime in about the election for the 2nd District City Council seat, not because I favor her candidate so much (I don’t–I think I’m for Sanchez, myself) but because it is an important election and I know the turn out will be low and that always makes me sad. Here’s how the City Clerk’s site explains the job of the city council: The Council is the governing body of the City, except as otherwise provided in the Charter, and enacts ordinances subject to the approval or veto of the Mayor. It orders elections, levies taxes, authorizes public improvements, approves contracts, and adopts traffic regulations. The Council adopts or modifies the budget proposed by the Mayor and provides the necessary funds, equipment, and supplies for the budgetary departments. The Council confirms or rejects appointments proposed by the Mayor and prescribes duties of boards and officers not defined by Charter. [...]
[...] la.metblogs.com Author: Tammara Copyright: 2009 Metroblogging Contact: Metblogs: Contact Website: Frank Sheftel… Time for a Grassroots Citycouncilperson? | Los Angeles Metblogs __________________ 420 Magazine News Team Creating Cannabis Awareness Since 1993 [...]
Yay Frank! I use to rent an apartment from Frank. Nice guy, great landlord. If I still lived in the district, he’d have my vote.
I attended high school with Mr. Sheftel, who was very much in the drug scene. It is great he has apparently turned his life around, albeit with connections. However, Mr. Sheftel, under your definition of a local, I would no longer qualify.
You went to drugs and had to be bailed out by your parents. I enlisted in the Army, served 18 months, attended college (graduated mgana cum laude) and ROTC, was commissioned. By the time I was 24, I was commanding a platoon. In Desert Storm, I was a Company Commander.
The crud you gave those of us unpopular b’tards in High School will earn no kudos from me Mr. Sheftel. You lack of morals, and self respect espcially with your drug habit makes me question whether you have really gotten off of drugs.
There are far better candidates for office.
Michael McCue was a grassroots candidate in this race. He is an awesome person with advanced political philosophy, very supportive of real community issues and straight-from-the-people democracy. He’s a member of the Green Party, and will be running for this council seat again when it comes up for reelection in a year and a half. He’s currently on the Studio City Neighborhood Council. I recommend checking out his website for his positions…. http://www.mccuefor2.com