Breakup Foes Gain Support of 3 Groups

The campaign against San Fernando Valley and Hollywood secession picked up the support Thursday of three minority business organizations and a new committee that will target Latino voters in East Los Angeles.

Councilman Nick Pacheco, who represents the Eastside, filed papers to form One Los Angeles for Everyone, nicknamed OLE, to raise money for the anti-secession fight.

“The Eastside has one of the largest pockets of Latino votes in the city, and I really believe that we are going to be the margin of victory in this anti-secession effort,” Pacheco said. “So I want to make sure these Latino voters understand the pitfalls of being a smaller city.”

The councilman said that if the city is made smaller by the loss of the Valley and Hollywood, Los Angeles will have a more difficult time winning federal money for anti-gang efforts, low-income housing and other programs. Secession measures for the two areas are on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The business groups will announce today that they are joining the anti-secession campaign headed by Mayor James K. Hahn.

The Greater Los Angeles African-American Chamber of Commerce, the Latin Business Assn. and the Asian Business League of Southern California say they are concerned that new cities will bring more regulations and higher taxes.

“A lot of our members are immigrants--they came here because of the opportunities that this city provides,” said Curtis Jung, chairman of the Asian Business League. “We just want to keep the status quo.”

If Los Angeles were made smaller by the secession of the Valley, “people would be laid off and services would be cut,” said Gene Hale, chairman of the African-American Chamber. He also said that a splintered Los Angeles might have a difficult time persuading major corporations to open stores and other businesses in inner-city areas.

Hale said he thought it “ludicrous” that some African-American voters were considering supporting secession because Hahn opposed Bernard Parks’ bid for a second term as police chief. “We have to transcend emotional politics and get down to the basics of what’s really good for the African-American business community,” Hale said.

Political consultant Kam Kuwata, who is running the mayor’s campaign, said Thursday’s developments were the result of months of work by Hahn and his allies to reach out to minorities.

But Richard Katz, chairman of the pro-secession campaign, said that the three business groups were close to downtown interests and could be expected to support the mayor’s campaign. “There are lots of good people who belong to those groups, but in those organizations you’re going to find leadership groups that are heavily involved with City Hall,” he said.

Ray Durazo, vice chairman of the Latin Business Assn., said his group’s 800 members are mostly small businesses throughout the city.

“We have members in the Valley, we have members in East L.A., and we have members in Hollywood,” Durazo said. “Our headquarters are in East Los Angeles on Olympic Boulevard near Atlantic [Boulevard]. That’s a long way from downtown.”

Also Thursday, a lawyer for the city’s largest municipal labor union filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court that seeks to halt the secession election.

Robert Hunt, general counsel for Service Employees International Union’s Local 347, served notice Wednesday that he would file the suit. Hunt claims that the Local Agency Formation Commission, which put the secession measures on the ballot, did not fully consider the environmental impacts of a breakup. Secessionists say the suit is groundless.

The union opposes secession, but its leaders say Hunt is acting on his own.