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Patricia Nell Warren running
again
"The Front Runner" author running for West Hollywood City
Council
By
Cyd Zeigler jr.
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Photo by Greg Zabilski |
Patricia Nell Warren,
author of "The
Front Runner" and "The
Lavender Locker Room" and
regular
contributor to Outsports, has filed papers to run for a
position on the West Hollywood City Council. There are three
seats open on the city council and
10 candidates are running. We talked with Warren about
her decision.
Outsports:
Why have you decided to run for West Hollywood City Council?
Patricia Nell Warren:
My friends and family are not surprised by this decision.
For years I've been getting more politically active. Not
just writing political commentary, but working on
legislative projects, doing some canvassing in West
Hollywood, serving as a commissioner in the Los Angeles
Unified School District. A natural next step is running for
office in a local election. The logical choice is West
Hollywood, where I've been active since arriving in southern
California in 1991.
OS: What prompted
this decision?
PNW:
For years I've been encouraged to go into politics, so it's
been on my mind a while. I made the decision in early
December when I heard that filings were still open for the
WeHo election. Three of the five seats are up for
re-election. The three incumbents -- John Heilman, Abbe Land
and Sal Guarriello -- are running again. There are six other
candidates besides me. The election is March 6.
OS:
Why are you running in West Hollywood instead of Los
Angeles?
PNW:
In fact, at one point I was encouraged to run for L.A. City
Council, after my stint in the school district. But West
Hollywood is a better fit for my experience.
OS:
What are the most important issues to you in the race?
PNW:
WeHo's 25th anniversary is ahead in 2009, and the
city faces some big decisions. It calls itself an "urban
village," yet it's now the sixth most densely populated city
in the U.S. Meaning 37,000 residents crammed into 1.9 square
miles. And the population spikes to maybe 80,000 on
weekends. Growing density has caused growing pains --
scarcity of parking, traffic snarls, and need for affordable
housing, especially for seniors and young workforce people.
There are challenges around development and culture. So the
people of West Hollywood, and its government, will be
deciding how "urban" we want our city to be.
OS:
What past political and leadership experience do you bring
to the position?
PNW:
As a writer I've learned to listen to people. Politicians
need to listen to voters, not just tell them what they're
going to do in office. I bring leadership experience from my
work in the school district, as well as legislative and
activist involvement that I've had. For instance, the
Just
Dissent legislation here in California was launched
because of some investigative reporting I did.
OS: Some people might ask, "Why is an author running
for city council?" What would you say to that?
PNW:
All kinds of people run for public office. Athletes,
astronauts, movie stars. In my own family, the
politicians were also ranchers and doctors. Why not authors?
OS:
Would a better question be, "Why has it taken you so long?"
PNW:
Not really. Everybody has their own timetable. Some people
go into politics young. Others go into politics later in
life. I've written a lot of editorials chiding people for
not caring about issues, not voting, not participating in
the democratic process. I've always voted and been an
activist and spoken out on issues. So it was time for me to
take the next step.
OS:
Should people outside of West Hollywood care about this
race?
PNW:
Yes, they should. The population of WeHo is 40 percent GLBT,
so our rights have always been important there. Gay men and
lesbians have served in government from the city's very
beginning in 1984, not only on the city council but
commissions and other posts. This was at a time when few GLBT
politicians could be seen anywhere else in the U.S. The
city's small size, its diversity, its struggle for
individuality while being landlocked in the middle of Los
Angeles, can make its solutions noteworthy. Hey, if West
Hollywood can solve its gnarly parking problem, any city
can!
OS:
How would you handicap your chances?
PNW:
If this was a horse race, I'd be viewed as a long shot. But
a long shot
can always surprise everybody.
To
contribute to Patricia's campaign:
Your contribution will help raise the vital "seed money" to
launch Patricia's campaign. Her campaign's goal is to raise
$50,000 by mid-January. Local law limits contributions to
$1,000, but any amount is welcome! (Couples and partners can
contribute up to $2,000 as long as they both sign the
check.)
If you
can help, make your check payable to: Committee to Elect
Patricia Nell Warren #1293283. Mail it to her at: 7985 Santa
Monica Blvd. #109-408, West Hollywood, CA 90046.
State law requires that this information be collected from
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