Valley Secession

Re “Valley Emerges From ’97 With a New Sense of Self,” Dec. 28.

The article cites an enormous groundswell by Valley residents in favor of [secession from the city of Los Angeles].

However, skeptics still question whether the issue has really captured the hearts and minds of everyday Valley residents--certainly not mine, nor that of a single one of my Valley acquaintances.

How can this be? Are a great many Valley residents out of the loop or is it media hype combined with the motivation of certain individuals and special-interest groups?

Your article quotes one veteran political consultant, Larry Levine. He states, “I am not sure how much of the political movement is coming from the bottom up, and how much is coming from the top down.” Levine sees a potential payoff for those who jump on the breakaway bandwagon. This group includes “Valley leaders” such as auto magnates, lobbyists and “presidents for life” of various homeowner organizations.

You’ve certainly heard the old saying, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” I suspect that Valley secession is the exception to that rule. In this case, “Where there’s smoke, there’s one or more smokestacks.”

LOU ROBINS

Van Nuys