Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment
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14622 Ventura Blvd. #201B
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þ Valley VOTE Just the facts . . . June 2001
A 350-page report prepared by LAFCO consultant's found that an independent Valley city could do just fine without the rest of Los Angeles, and vice versa. The report found that a new Valley City is feasible, that there will not be any new or increases in taxes, residents could receive the same level of services they are currently receiving and even after paying an annual subsidy to Los Angeles to meet the revenue neutrality requirement, the Valley City will have an annual budget surplus. That news will come as little surprise to the Valley's 1.3 million or more residents, but it has sent a loud and clear message to City Hall: Time is running out. The study found that the Valley does not get a fair share of the services just as residents of the Valley have long believed. Additionally, LAFCO has indicated that the Valley will continue to receive Electricity and Water from DWP at the same rates as the rest of Los Angeles pays. A the LAFCO report was released on March 28th, and it was placed at the Valley VOTE website. LAFCO has tentatively scheduled the vote on Valley Cityhood for November 2002, just over a year and a few short months from now. See ValleyVote's response to the IFA .
Religious leaders from the San Fernando Valley along with leaders of organizations that service the Valley’s needy and poor met with a committee set up by Cardinal Mahony to review the moral and ethical implications of Valley Cityhood. The concern is whether Valley Cityhood will take money away from programs that benefit the poor. State law however, provides that Cityhood must be structured to be revenue neutral which means that Los Angeles will not loose any money and no money will be taken away from the poor. Those attending on behalf of the Valley included Rev. Zedar Broadous, President of the SFV NAACP, Scott Bauer, pastor of the Church on the Way, Rev. Ron Culmer, of St. Martins in the Field Episcopal Church, Ellen Michael, Executive Director of the West Valley Development Corp. which provides low income housing, Barry Smedburg, Executive Director of the SFV Interfaith Council which provides meals to the poor and homeless, Benny Bernal a north east Valley activist, Richard Katz who represented the north east Valley in the State Assembly and Jeff Brain, President of Valley VOTE. Rabbi Steven Jacobs could not attend but submitted a letter to the committee. See ValleyVote's media release.
Through the course of the meeting it was demonstrated that Los Angeles City is failing the poor by spending only 1% of its total budget on such programs and the committee was asked to examine the morality of how the Los Angeles City Council functions. By comparison Burbank spends 13% and Glendale 20% on programs for the poor. It was pointed out that through Valley Cityhood, Los Angeles will not loose any funds, and the poor along will all residents will be empowered, they will have greater access to services which will be closer and that the Valley will be able to directly obtain Federal and State funds for Valley programs. Currently little State or Federal funding received by Los Angeles ever makes it to the Valley. Joining the Valley leaders was Adrian Dove of South Central, who is President of the Congress for Racial Equality. He argued that Valley Secession would be good for his community and the poor because they would have a larger voice in a smaller Los Angeles which thus far has been failing to address the needs in his community. Valley VOTE asked that the hearing being held by the committee be opened to the public and that the committee spends time in the Valley meeting with Valley leaders and participating in a Town Hall meeting where they could here from Valley residents. So far they have said no to both requests.
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Contact Eunice McTyre at (818) 700-1101 to arrange a speaker from Valley VOTE to inform your community group about Valley Cityhood or to host a neighbor party that helps generate interest in Valley VOTE.