EDITORIAL : KEEP UP THE PRESSURE; VALLEY RESIDENTS CAN SUPPORT POLITICAL REFORM BY SIGNING THE SECESSION PETITION.

THE re-education of Los Angeles' ruling establishment has made some progress but still has a long way to go to make sure the San Fernando Valley is never taken for granted again, that its people have a seat at the table of power.

The Valley has made it clear to the powers that be that it is fed up with being shortchanged, overcharged, gerrymandered and forced to play second fiddle to the special interests long accustomed to calling the tune at Los Angeles City Hall. Discontented Valley residents, from Tujunga to Woodland Hills and Chatsworth to North Hollywood, have the insiders on the defensive.

Leading the way is Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment, or Valley VOTE. Valley VOTE is preparing to circulate petitions calling for a formal study of Valley secession from the city of Los Angeles.

The organization is planning to begin its drive by circulating petitions - it will need 135,000 valid signatures - at polling places Tuesday.

There are two overriding reasons why Valley voters should sign these petitions.

One, of course, is to obtain an objective study from the county Local Agency Formation Commission to determine whether secession is feasible and in the best interests of the Valley.

The second is to keep the pressure on the city to enact meaningful reform.

The current City Charter reform movement is, to a large extent, the product of the secession movement. There is a real danger that reform will lose momentum if the petition campaign fails.

The fact of the matter is that the petition campaign is the only game in town for residents who believe the Valley deserves better local government. Here's why:

If it fails, there will be no objective study to determine the pros and cons of forming a new city.

Likewise, failure of the petition campaign would be a blow for those who sincerely believe that the best course for the city is to mend it, not break it. The failure of the petition campaign would give aid and comfort to City Hall insiders opposed to meaningful change.

Indeed, the City Council might interpret defeat of the petition campaign as a signal to gut any recommendations by its own appointed charter commission to reduce the council's excessive powers or strengthen the authority of the mayor and empower the neighborhoods

It's obvious that the current system of government in Los Angeles has failed.

What's less clear is the best way to fix it.

And that's why the Valley needs a successful petition campaign - to keep charter reform alive and get the facts about secession on the table so the people can make informed decisions.