Secession Petitioners

Before the Valley VOTE (Voters Organized Toward Empowerment) enthusiasts get too excited about having collected 200,000-plus signatures, they should consider the source of the signatures.

My experience when accosted by clipboard-holding petition signature collectors has been less than satisfactory. Many know little about what they are petitioning for, and since they depend upon income from the signatures, they--and I am generous in saying this--either leave much out or are significantly uninformed. Furthermore if they would devote the time to explain thoroughly what is in the petition, they may not be quite so successful in getting people to sign on.

It seems to me that as complex an issue as secession is, the majority of signers really don’t know what they are signing. Even the people proposing this issue are not totally aware of all the areas of change that they are pushing for and the consequences that lie therein. I would hope they tread lightly as they go forward.

As to the question of costs, i.e., verifying etc., I would suggest that all that signed the petitions bear at least some of the costs and not burden the nonsigners.

AL COHEN

Sherman Oaks