EDITORIAL : POWER OF THE PEOPLE; POLITICIANS ARE STARTING TO LISTEN TO WILL AND VOICE OF CITIZENRY.MAKE no mistake about it: The San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and its neighboring suburbs are no longer wallflowers at the political dance. A groundswell ground·swell n. 1. A sudden gathering of force, as of public opinion: a groundswell of antiwar sentiment. 2. of activism has made the Valley an attractive partner. That activism began three years ago when then-Assemblywoman Paula Boland of Granada Hills challenged the reigning power elite by demanding restoration of the Valley's right to self-determination. Since then, politicians at the local, county, state and federal levels have begun listening to the needs of the community. A lot of that attention has been little more than a bow to the newcomers on the political floor, without much consequence. But newly formed organizations such as Valley VOTE, which is fighting for a study of secession, and the broad-based Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, which is providing leadership for the area's five cities, have helped to spark a renaissance in community activism. Politicians have begun addressing the rising voice of the community and its concerns. Consider just a few of the issues now on the radar screen: Airport noise and safety - the Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control is focusing on bringing resolution of the nasty fight over expansion of Burbank Airport's terminal. LAX expansion is no longer a foregone conclusion. Palmdale has real opportunities as a major regional hub. The 101-405 interchange is now being studied by state and local agencies, and may soon catch the attention of federal officials. Charter reform, to address inequities in city government, could mean real power for local communities. A Valley secession study, which was pronounced DOA (jargon) DOA - Dead on arrival. A piece of hardware that has never worked. by the downtown power elite, is close to happening. Everyone's talking Everyone's Talking, actual name Everybody's Talking, was a game show which aired on ABC February 6 – December 29, 1967. Former dance-party host Lloyd Thaxton was the host, and Wink Martindale and Charlie O'Donnell were the announcers. about a potential breakup of the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. as a way to restore competence, accountability and a quality education. Brakes are being applied on the MTA's runaway money train. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's November ballot initiative enjoys broad support to stop the transit agency from using sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. revenue to build new subways. These are just a few of the critical issues that are now being addressed, studied, debated or at least talked about. Now that we have their attention, it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to kick it up a notch. Register to vote. Write your congressman and your state lawmaker each a letter. Call your council member and let him or her know how you feel about the job they're doing and the needs in your community. Vote, participate, get involved in the process. Raise your voice. Raise a racket. Make a difference! Now that you have their attention, make the politicians dance to your tune. |
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