Valley Secession and Charter Reform

Re “Neighborhood Power Is Key to Charter Debate,” March 19:

The charter commissions are trying to solve L.A.’s problems by starting from the premise that secessions must be stopped at all costs. This reminds me of medieval astronomers trying to explain planetary motions by placing the earth at the center of the universe. They kept having to plug the geocentric theory’s holes with more and more far-fetched orbital oddities. Similarly, the commissions put forth ideas that have not been tried in any American city, such as giving decision-making power to neighborhood councils.

It is time to examine the idea that a city with 3.5 million diverse people and a mountain range cutting it in half may not be able to function as one city.

RUSSELL STONE

Westchester

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Re “Valley Survey Indicates Support for Secession,” March 17:

Your article said 1,205 “likely” Valley voters participated. No one asked me!

I have been a resident of Studio City for 16 years. I feel the secession movement is totally unrealistic, unnecessary and unresearched. I feel sorry that Mayor Richard Riordan, who is making countless special efforts on behalf of the Valley, has this “mutiny” on his hands while trying to build a better Los Angeles.

I’m proud to live in part of the city of Los Angeles. The benefits are numerous. Remember the 1994 earthquake? The North Hollywood bank shootout?

PATRICIA M. ALCORN

Studio City

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I hope that this article will put to rest the question of what the majority of Valley residents want: to secede from the city of Los Angeles.

As a city resident, I plead with the powers that be that we of the city be separated from these denizens of the “the Valley.” After decades of banditry, outright thievery and applied Marxist economics that this bottomless pit of subsidies wants to leave of its own accord, brings tears of joy and boundless hope to this resident.

In order to also rid ourselves of the ubiquitous “Westside” and if they so wish, the San Pedro and Wilmington areas, I am now engaged with a project to establish the means to separate the city from these areas. Future projects include jettisoning the Los Angeles County burden, as well as bringing to heel that tax-robber-baron cow town also known as Sacramento. Also, the demise of the LAUSD in order to bring sanity and superior-quality schools to our city is now in the process of development.

MARK LEHMAN

Director, LAUrbanScope

Los Angeles