Valley VOTE Petition Drive

Re “The Rest of Us Pay,” Nov. 22.

More than 200,000 San Fernando Valley voters--that is more than one in four--have signed the petition calling for a study of Valley independence.

In spite of this extremely broad and deep public support, the Los Angeles Times and its downtown friends continue to do everything in their power to keep from addressing Valley independence on its merits. The Times actually goes so far as to support imposing an unconstitutional, quarter-million-dollar poll tax that would stop the Valley independence study before it starts.

Wake up, Times. Supporters of the study are not “zealots.” They are reasonable people from all economic, cultural, ethnic and geographic backgrounds who are tired of having the downtown interests--not least of which is The Times--dictate to them. They deserve an honest, unbiased LAFCO [Local Agency Formation Commission] study addressing the merits of Valley independence. They will not tolerate an unconstitutional poll tax.

STEVEN G. PEARL, Member, Executive and Legal Committees, Valley VOTE, Encino

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There is no more fundamental right that U.S. citizens have than the ability to petition their government for grievances.

The San Fernando Valley has decided to petition the government to determine whether Valley cityhood would be appropriate and whether a vote should be established to determine whether this is the right path. The residents of the Valley did not establish the procedures necessary to complete this task or determine which levels of government should review the process.

To state that a financial barrier should be established to inhibit this process is akin to suggesting a poll tax should be reestablished in the South to deter certain citizens from voting. It is as undemocratic a proposition as can be imagined.

One has to question the Los Angeles Times’ motivation. They refer to us as zealots when more residents signed the petition than voted in the last municipal election. The Times puts forth such silly suggestions as collecting $20 from each petition signer to cover the cost of the study. It has become blatant that the Times has financial motivations of its own that has caused them to resort to name-calling and innuendo.

There is no other reason to explain why they are so fervently against the will of the people to know the facts about their government.

BRUCE L. BIALOSKY, Treasurer, Valley VOTE, Studio City

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I take very strong exception to your editorial, where you make the statement that taxpayers from Lancaster to Long Beach will have to pay for the cost of verifying signatures for VOTE (San Fernando Valley secession). The cost of this action will range somewhere between $20,000 and $270,000. That amount is chicken feed to just about any government agency in Southern California, especially Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District. . . . Yet you have the gall to tell us that there is no reason to consider paying the cost of verifying signatures for VOTE [Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment]?

If $270,000 is all it takes to move the process along of tearing down this sick government structure, please let me know where I can send a check. I have plenty of friends who will gladly do the same.

KENNETH W. KELLER, Valencia