The San Fernando Valley Secession Movement Essay — страница 2

  • Просмотров 247
  • Скачиваний 6
  • Размер файла 16
    Кб

public members. Two seated members of LAFCO are very familiar with this issue. Hal Bernson is a commissioner, representing the City of Los Angeles, and Larry Calemine is executive director. Both Bernson and Calemine have said that they must stay neutral on the issue of valley secession because their role on the state agency demands it. LAFCO must determine whether or not Valley City would be able survive financially based on revenues from property taxes and business licenses. LAFCO will then be required to make sure that if the Valley were to secede, that there would be no adverse effect on the City of Los Angeles Treasury. If there is a difference, Valley City would have to pay the City of Los Angeles, every year to offset the loss. If LAFCO finds that secession would not harm

Valley City or Los Angeles, it would go to a citywide vote as soon as the election of November 2000. In May of 1998, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) decided to support a Valley VOTE s petition drive and a LAFCO study. VICA, which was founded 50 years ago, represents some of the Valley s largest companies. The organization wants a study of secession s possible pros and cons, said Bob Scott, a Vice Chairman of VICA. He continued, We were very active in supporting the people s right to vote, and I think this about the people s right to know. Most of the parties interested in this movement share VICA s ideas and are not die-hard, secessionists. Most want the valley to have the opportunity to look at the possibilities and the feasibility of secession. A poll of

voters in the San Fernando Valley illustrated that if a vote on Valley Cityhood was held in March 1998, it would have won by a 2 to 1 margin. According to state law, 25% of registered voters in the San Fernando Valley must sign the petition. There are 526,000 people on the voter rolls. On November 17, 1998, Gloria Compton a Valley VOTE volunteer stated: We have collected 186,000 signatures, that s roughly 36%. There is overwhelming support in the valley for cityhood. Valley VOTE is not stopping here, our goal is 200,000 signatures by November 25. We will then have 15 days to verify the names, and submit them to the Los Angeles City Council. The city council will then re﷓verify the names and if we have the required 25% of registered San Fernando Valley voters, the City

Council will commission LAFCO. (Compton, Gloria. Personal Interview) If the San Fernando were to secede from Los Angeles, it would be the sixth largest city in the United States, with 1.5 million residents. Valley City would rank as the safest city of the nations 10 largest cities. With 40% of the valley residents being of a minority community, Valley City would be very ethnically diverse. Theoretically, secession would improve Valley public schools by keeping tax dollars from valley residents in the valley. It will be easier for residents to be heard in the community. More people would move to the Valley, benefiting business, real estate, and ethnic diversity among other things. By no means is this battle over If the LAFCO study finds that valley secession is beneficial, it will

take years to complete, perhaps even 10 or 15. There is no precedence for the split-up of a city the size of Los Angeles. Many questions would arise in a secession debate such as, how will the city s assets be broken up, how will the valley get water, what about shared assets not located in the valley, such as LAX and the LA Harbor, which bring significant revenues. Some experts believe that the split-up will end up looking like a nasty divorce. Others have more faith than that, citing that the valley s secession will be so clearly beneficial to all of Los Angeles that these issues will be quickly worked out. Works Cited Aitchison, Robert B., and Gerald A. Silver Valley Independence. http://www.lawcomp.com/robert/valleysecede (15 Nov. 1998) Baker, David R. VICA supports petition

drive on secession. Daily News 12 May 1998 Brian, Jeff S. Telephone Interview. 16 Nov. 1998. - – -. More Reason why San Fernando Valley Residents want to explore Cityhood. http://www.valleyvote.org/reasons.htm (13 Nov. 1998) - – -. Members and Committees. http://www.valleyvote.org/members.htm (15 Nov. 1998) - – -. July 16, 1998 newsletter. http://www.valleyvote.org/080716.htm (15 Nov. 1998) - – -. October 29, 1998 newsletter. http://www.valleyvote.org/102916.htm (15 Nov. 1998) - – -. October 21, 1998 newsletter. http://www.valleyvote.org/102116.htm (15 Nov. 1998) Cohen, Danielle Former assemblyman speaks on ramifications of Valley secession. Daily Sundial Online http://sundial.csun.edu/sun/97s/022497nel.htm (13 Nov. 1998) Compton, Gloria Personal Interview. 17 Nov. 1998