Secession and Blind Faith

What was left out proved more revealing than what was included in the proposal presented Tuesday by the group advocating San Fernando Valley secession. When it came to the city’s most complex--and basic--asset, Valley VOTE’s blueprint for municipal divorce called for Los Angeles and a new Valley city to jointly own and operate the Department of Water and Power. But the terms of this joint agreement wouldn’t be negotiated until after a public vote on secession.

In other words, secession backers found the crucial issue of water too tough to tackle, so they sidestepped it. That’s hardly a surprise. Water, after all, is what brought the Valley into the rest of Los Angeles more than 80 years ago, and water could be the biggest obstacle to the Valley leaving. Valley VOTE’s silence on the DWP is an argument against secession, not for it.

Granted, the proposal, submitted to the Local Agency Formation Commission, is preliminary, the first in a lengthy seven-step process in which the commission will decide whether to place secession on the ballot. But it’s hardly encouraging that Valley secessionists’ first attempt at articulating their vision of a new city asks voters to accept this solution on blind faith, a dumbfounding request from a group that holds itself out as an advocate of open and accountable government.

Valley VOTE’s request for closed negotiations with city officials is another troubling sign; LAFCO made the right call Wednesday in ordering that all meetings be public.

That Valley residents want government fixed is apparent in the number who cast their votes to force this study of secession. But rather than in this vague proposal for a new city, they can find a far more specific blueprint in charter reform, Measure 1 on the ballot next Tuesday. Reform should have its chance to better the city we already have before the divorce lawyers are called in.