It’s a Big Valley; L.A., Let It Go

Re “Scouting a Main Street for a Valley City,” Oct. 7: What use does the Valley’s vast low- income population have for cafes and boutiques? For the concentration of working poor in the northeast Valley, Ventura Boulevard might as well be downtown Los Angeles.

Likewise, the solidly middle-class homeowners “north of Rinaldi” might not match their upscale “south of the boulevard” contemporaries in income, but I’m sure there are cafes and boutiques that don’t require them to face traffic on the 405. The lovely communities of Chatsworth, West Hills and Tujunga probably don’t consider Ventura their lifeline either.

While Van Nuys Boulevard at least cuts a swath through some of the area’s finest and coarsest neighborhoods, its discount department stores and 24-hour notaries aren’t exactly the hallmark of Valley life either.

Any realtor will tell you that Sepulveda Boulevard is the true fulcrum of the Valley, the place where east meets west.

The secessionists of Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks and Studio City might want to take a drive north on Sepulveda to decide whether the densely packed apartments, used car lots, contractor supply centers and motels advertising day rates are what they want to face in their Camelot.

Kezia Jauron

Sherman Oaks

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People who don’t live in the San Fernando Valley should not get any vote on whether the Valley secedes from Los Angeles. It should be solely a decision for the folks in the Valley and nobody else’s business.

Furthermore, if it’s so much better to be part of Los Angeles, then how come Burbank and Glendale and other independent cities aren’t rushing to become part of Los Angeles? That’s because they know they’re better off not being part of L.A.

It’s crystal clear that Valley people would be far better off being responsible only to themselves rather than staying subservient any longer to a morbidly bloated L.A. city bureaucracy. L.A., please, set us free! We want out! Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. You can bet your last political dollar on it.

Hugh Jeffries

North Hollywood