Cyberspace Communication a Net Gain for Valley VOTE

The leaders of Valley VOTE have stepped into the wired age with zeal, conducting an increasing amount of the pro-secession group’s business in cyberspace.

Secession leaders e-mail lists of newspaper clippings about their campaign among one another. They have several Web sites from which the public can download documents about their breakup drive. They’ve even considered a private chat room to discuss strategy.

But it was a recent online collaboration on a blueprint detailing their vision to dismantle the city that caused secession boosters to marvel at their burgeoning technological sophistication.

The document, which was filed in the material world Tuesday, represents the first step in a seven-stage study process that culminates with the Local Agency Formation Commission deciding whether secession should be put to a vote.

A computer expert and secessionist posted a copy of the document last month at a private Internet address, and secession leaders, scattered in various locales, logged on to the Net to debate its contents and offer suggestions via e-mail. Eventually, said Valley VOTE President Jeff Brain, they developed a technique to allow each participant to make the changes in cyberspace for the rest to see.

“I’ve never been involved in anything like that,” said Brain, who chimed in on a laptop computer while vacationing in Las Vegas. “It was pretty incredible.”

Valley VOTE chairman Richard Close, a longtime Sherman Oaks homeowners group leader, remembers back in the 1970s when citizen groups had to mail out news releases to the media days in advance, hoping they would get there in time, and organize meetings for people to meet face to face.

“It’s so much easier now,” Close said. “You can do the work of an entire staff by yourself, and look completely professional.”

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ADD CYBER-POLS: For years, Los Angeles City Council meetings have been accessible in the homes of cable television subscribers through the city’s Channel 32.

The programs aren’t exactly threatening to supplant “Friends” or “60 Minutes” in the ratings wars.

But now, the council is hungering for a wider audience.

On Wednesday, council members voted unanimously to study the feasibility of putting their meetings live on the Internet.

The technology already exists allowing video feeds of rock concerts, news conferences and sessions of the state Senate to be sent live to computer users, so why not council meetings?

Councilwoman Laura Chick of Tarzana, who came up with the idea, says the council ought to do all it can to reach out to Los Angeles residents.

“I want to put some of this high technology to good use,” Chick said, “by providing additional opportunities for the public to get involved with, and tune in to, what their city government is doing.”

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MAILER FACTS: State Sen. Adam Schiff wants to suss out the money behind those slick mailers that clog mailboxes every election season to tout or slam state ballot measures.

So far, his idea has been welcomed in Sacramento. A bill by Schiff (D-Burbank) to require identification of top contributors on advertisements for and against ballot measures cleared the Senate on Tuesday and now moves to the Assembly.

“For too long, misleading mailers and 30-second television and radio advertisements on ballot measures have concealed major financial backers in an effort to deceive the voter,” Schiff said, adding that his bill would “eliminate the loopholes.”

SB 1220 is, in effect, an effort to implement some of the provisions of a statewide ballot measure, Proposition 208, which passed with more than 60% of the vote in 1996 but was shredded in the courts.

That campaign reform measure required mailers, which have become standard in California politics, and other political advertisements to list the names of the top two contributors to the effort, not just the often-deceptive names of the committees involved.

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CHARTER SPLIT: A new City Charter to be considered Tuesday by voters has divided the Valley’s political leadership.

The City Council’s Valley delegation has begun openly squabbling over the merits and drawbacks of the document.

Twice in recent days, council members have criticized colleagues for their positions on the emotional issue.

Among council members who represent parts of the Valley, Hal Bernson and John Ferraro are campaigning against the charter, Chick is neutral, and Mike Feuer, Cindy Miscikowski and Joel Wachs are supporting it.

The differences have caused some tension.

Wachs took his colleagues to task last week, suggesting the powers given to the mayor by the new charter would allow the mayor to hold department heads accountable for problems such as a power outage that struck City Hall that day.

“The reason the elevators are not working is this City Council is not willing to give up enough power,” Wachs told his colleagues.

A day later, Ferraro admonished Wachs during the council meeting for supporting the charter, saying it would water down the council’s oversight powers.

Ferraro made his comments during debate on whether the City Council should use its charter powers to overrule a vote of the Civil Service Commission, which declined to fire two LAPD employees charged with stealing.

“I think we should point out that if the charter passes, and Mr. Wachs is supporting the charter, we won’t have any jurisdiction over these kinds of matters in the future,” Ferraro said.