🚀 go-pugleaf

rlm@netcom.com (Robert McMillin) wrote:
>As a sometime visitor to the Valley (a place I would never, ever live,
>BTW -- too hot and smoggy) and an OC resident, I can well understand
>the Valley cities' wish to wrest political control from downtown.
>It's especially understandable when you consider the finger-pointing
>and even occaisional name-calling (as exhibited here) that Angelenos
>south of the Santa Monicas engage in when dealing with their northern
>neighbors.
>
>I'm generally cynical about politicians and their ability to do
>anything truly useful.  But my understanding is that a lot of the
>sentiment for secession comes from having to deal with the hopelessly
>bureaucratic LAUSD; secession would place the regional school
>districts under direct local control. 

The LAUSD breakup efforts are a separate (although somewhat related)
issue. But it's not just the Valley that wants to break up the LAUSD.
There have been similar movements in other parts of the city, most
notably South Central . . . 

[...]
>
>There's a lot of sneering from the left about Valley residents trying
>to avoid urban problems.  My answer to this is that there's plenty of
>cravenness going around, and them what live in glass houses oughta
>check their stones at the door.

For some of these people, I'd recommend a quick MTA bus trip from
Westwood to Van Nuys, Panorama City and Pacoima. Their stereotypes about
a "lilly white Valley" will melt away fast . . .or they're beyond help.

>  You will note that, from my
>perspective (again, what I've read in the funny papers),

Such as? LA Weekly?

> the
>Westside's political silence over rooting out egregiously racist LAPD
>cops is thundering.  In other words, maintaining the LAPD at the
>status quo is not such a bad idea, so long as the cops keep away the
>unrulies east of the 405.

Most of what they seem to be concerned with is bashing Riordan, and
guilt-tripping efforts to build public transit that people would
*want* to ride, rather than just serving folks that have no 
alternatives.