Secession: Let Voters Decide for Themselves

Re “Hahn Assails Breakup Effort at Fund-Raiser,” June 26: Why is Mayor James Hahn fighting so hard to keep the citizens of Hollywood, the Valley and L.A. from having our voices heard by way of a democratic vote on secession? Why is he trying to deny his constituents’ rights to have a say about our destiny?

What he and City Council members Tom LaBonge and Eric Garcetti have had to say about Hollywood and the Valley functioning as independent cities has been overwhelmingly negative and dire. They are telling the citizens and businesses of Hollywood and the Valley that we are less capable of coming together to make successful cities than those in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Culver City or Beverly Hills.

Do they seriously believe that those cities would have been better off had they been part of Los Angeles all this time?

Clearly they have benefited from their more manageable size and independence. It’s time to vote for secession.

Steve Scott

Hollywood

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Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. and a leader in the Valley secession movement, reported that the association backs the split. He even quotes the number of families in the organization who back dismemberment of the city. As members of the SOHA, I and my family were not polled for our opinion. We do not support secession. I hope that others will voice their opposition to what appears to be a very arbitrary decision.

Michael Halperin

Sherman Oaks

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What is Assemblyman Keith Richman (R-Northridge) thinking (June 27)? He is on the record as supporting Washington Mutual’s Ahmanson Ranch project. How can he run for mayor of the Valley and take a position opposite that of the majority of Valley residents, who know that this disastrous development will cripple our road system, worsen our air and water quality and destroy our quality of life? If we are hoping for better representation in a Valley city, we wouldn’t get it with Richman.

Terry Oxford

Woodland Hills