Secession-Related Disclosures

* In response to your article “Bill Signed on Secession Disclosures” (Sept. 28), the San Fernando Valley Mexican American Political Assn. (SFV-MAPA) would like to go on record and state its strong support for a bill recently signed by Gov. Gray Davis and written by Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg requiring disclosure of contributors and spending of groups pushing secession or secession studies.

SFV-MAPA concurs with the Assembly speaker and LeeAnn Pelham, deputy director of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, that the public has the right to know who is bankrolling efforts to break up the city. We agree that it is in the public interest to understand what forces are behind these political efforts.

We disagree unequivocally with the position expressed by Richard Close, chairman of Valley VOTE and an alternate on LAFCO [the Local Agency Formation Commission], that the disclosure rules should not be too stringent for fear that contributors might face retaliation from City Hall opponents of secession movements. Bert Boeckmann, David Fleming and others have been placed on key city commissions by Mayor Richard Riordan. They have not experienced retribution but, indeed, have benefited quite handsomely from their involvement in the breakup movement. More importantly, the need for the public to know, in our view, outweighs the need to protect those who may possibly suffer retribution.

Valley VOTE can act to calm the apprehensions of the Valley Latino community and leadership. For several years, we have expressed our concerns that a significant amount of secession support is derived from divisive factions whose motivation is to stymie or dilute Latino political power in the Valley. Valley VOTE has an opportunity to prove and demonstrate that they do not receive monetary or other types of support from groups such as Voice of Citizens Together. They would do well in supporting strong rules that would ensure full disclosure. If Valley VOTE has nothing to hide, then let the books be open for all to see.

ROSA CHACON

President, SFV-MAPA

XAVIER FLORES

Treasurer, SFV-MAPA