Secession Rhetoric

As a Valley dweller and proud resident of what I consider one of the world’s great cities, Los Angeles, I am frustrated to see pro-secession quotes and opinions by Richard Close appear without a balancing opinion. He is not a neutral pundit or observer; he is the driving force (or at least most vocal mouthpiece) behind the ridiculous secession movement. Moreover, he and his cronies’ personal agenda is obviously driving the movement--an agenda that undoubtedly involves the usual suspects of money and a drive for political power.

As the latest urban planning school of thought is regionalism, to further break up and divide the planning and governmental structures of the massive L.A. area is absurd. Close and his ilk are selfishly pursuing their narrow and not-well-disguised agenda at a cost to us all. The argument that a new city will create a more closley knit community (of 1.3 million people!) is laughable.

I find the whole process deeply offensive, but thankfully, once a public debate actually ensues, secession will certainly fail, as the realities of dismantling the country’s second-largest city (imagine being smaller than Chicago again) and the exposure of the secessionists’ true motivations hits home with L.A. residents.

EDDIE DUNLOP

Valley Village