Would a Valley City Serve Residents Better?

Since I can see no practical difference between a Valley city of well over 1 million and L.A. as it now exists, I can only speculate that the people driving this issue intend to make personal gains if the split is voted in. If it’s reasonable for the Valley to pull out of L.A., then it’s equally reasonable for the West Valley to remove itself from the proposed Valley city.

I suggest that those of us in the more affluent west--bounded by Mulholland Drive on the south, the mountains on the north and the 405 Freeway on the east--form our own ridiculous, separate city. We can manufacture more ego-satisfying political jobs and duplication of municipal services and can assure ourselves of more conflicting problems with services and transportation than ever before.

S.J. Baer

Woodland Hills

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My wife and I have lived in the Valley for 48 years. We have never had any difficulty with the Police Department or, God bless them, the great Fire Department and paramedics who have taken care of me, I’m sorry to say, too many times. All this propaganda about secession is a bunch of hogwash that’s being fed to us by a group of wealthy individuals who are egotistical and power-hungry.

What would we, as an independent city, have done on May 24, the day of the apartment-building explosion and fire in Encino? Would we be able to muster 40 units of equipment and 200 firefighters in such quick time? I don’t think so. Forget secession and be thankful for what we have in this city. Be careful what you wish for.

Robert Ratner

Tarzana

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I propose a deal: I promise to vote for Valley secession if the Valley promises to take Jim Hahn and his asinine football stadium with it.

Carmen M. Rogers

Los Feliz