Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment
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14622 Ventura Blvd. #201B
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Valley VOTE is a diverse, Valley-wide coalition of San Fernando Valley residents, educators, business leaders, community activists and organizations who support a LAFCO study (Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission) on the issue of creating an independent Valley City.
Turn in your signatures – We need your petitions now! Over the coming days Volunteers will be calculating the total number of signatures collected with the hope of releasing a revised count early in the week. It is going to be very tight, but as we approach the petition deadline of August 27th we believe with your help the Valley will collect the goal of 185,000 signatures.
Coming Down to the Wire – Valley residents are pulling out all the stops to collect signatures from family, friends, neighbors and business associates. Thank you to the North Hollywood Chamber and the Northridge Chamber for mailing petitions to all their members, Homeowners of Encino and Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association for mailing petitions to the households in their communities and the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization for paying to have the petition inserted into the Daily News and distributed to Woodland Hills residents. The San Fernando Valley is truly united in this effort to explore cityhood.
Non profits Benefit – Valley VOTE is donating to nonprofit organizations $.50 cents for each valid signature turned in by members of the non-profit organization. If your non-profit organization is interested in this fundraising opportunity please contact Valley VOTE (818) 501-5862.
Independent Investigation Still Needed – Valley VOTE has completed its review of the Department of Airports report on the Van Nuys Air Show incident. At the Air Show Valley residents were prevented from circulating petitions. The facts as reported by witnesses and the victims raise serious questions about the City’s findings. Airport police repeatedly told petitioners that they were under strict orders to keep Valley VOTE petitioners off airport property and had clearance from the City Attorney’s office to do so. The report doesn’t answer important questions. Who gave the orders? Did the City Attorney’s office give approval?
The report suggests that the whole incident was merely a misunderstanding by Airport manager Ron Kochevar. However Valley VOTE has learned that Mr. Kochevar was previously head of the City of Los Angeles Elections Bureau and as such find it hard to believe that he could have any misunderstanding about the publics right to petition on public property. Many people in the Valley are extremely upset that even though the city has admitted violating constitutional rights, no one is being held accountable and no disciplinary action is being taken. If the public violates the slightest city ordinance we are penalized and fined. Yet city officials violate constitutional and civil rights yet face no disciplinary action and are not held accountable. Valley VOTE is exploring our options and will keep you posted. Valley VOTE’s comments regarding the airport are only related to the Air Show incident. Valley VOTE is a coalition and has no position for or against the Van Nuys airport expansion or operations.
Proposed Legislation would give the Valley extended time – Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg working with Councilwoman Laura Chick are working hard to get the Valley more time for the petition drive. Hertzberg has introduced AB1951 which seeks to clarify that Valley residents should have the same 180 days that residents throughout the state have. Currently our attornies indicate that Valley residents only have 90 days to complete the petition drive. We are hopeful, but, odds are against us with only a few weeks left before the State Legislature ends this years session. Valley residents must proceed on the basis of an August 27th deadline.
What happens Next? The last day to collect a petition signature is August 27th. Then Valley VOTE has 60 days to collect, organize and deliver the completed petitions to LAFCO. LAFCO then has 30 days to validate the signatures. We need approximately 135,000 valid signatures which is 25% of the registered voters. If the Valley collects enough valid signatures, LAFCO will study the feasibility of the Valley becoming its own city. This study will give voters the facts about cityhood before they are asked to vote on it.
Need more petitions? – Call (818) 501-5862 if you need more petitions Please carry around your petitions with you and ask the next 10 people you see to sign If you can’t circulate petitions then please contribute to help pay the cost of professional signature collectors.
Newsletters – If you want to receive newsletters by FAX please contact us. If your fax is in your home and you want only daytime faxes. We can arrange that. If you receive the newsletter by mail, give us a fax number for faster delivery.
SUPPORT THE PETITION DRIVE
Please help and contribute to support this Valley-wide effort: