ON THE BALLOT: CON ON MONDAY, SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED NEW SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CITY RELEASED THE ARGUMENTS THEY SUBMITTED FOR THE SAMPLE BALLOT WHICH WILL BE MAILED TO VOTERS BEFORE THE NOV. 5 ELECTION. HERE ARE THE ARGUMENTS AS SUBMITTED BY EACH SIDE, INCLUDING WORDS THAT APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS:.LOS ANGELES Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. IS STRONGER WHEN WE ARE UNITED AND WEAKER WHEN SPLIT APART. VOTE NO ON SECESSION. When the Northridge earthquake devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. our City, we pulled together and rebuilt our community. Los Angeles was hit again with $69 million in emergency costs to meet threats posed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. While Los Angeles maintains disaster and catastrophe reserve funds of $101 million, the proposed cities in 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 Hollywood will lack financial protection against disaster, economic recession, and major public safety threats. In fact, the proposed new Valley City would maintain a reserve fund originally estimated at only $1 million. The effects of the Northridge earthquake would have been dramatically worse had the San Fernando Valley not been supported by the resources of the entire City of Los Angeles
FINANCIALLY, SECESSION MAKES LITTLE SENSE. The new Valley city will have to pay additional annual fees for the next 20 years, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. An independent financial analysis shows that secession could cost taxpayers of the remaining City of Los Angeles $3.9 billion dollars over the next 20 years, resulting in tax increases and cuts to essential services, like police and fire, to cover these losses. As brownouts and price increases hit the rest of California, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving 3.9 million residents in 2006. It was founded in 1902 to deliver water and electricity supplies to residents and businesses in Los Angeles. provided reliable service at reasonable rates. Secession's impact on DWP's finances is likely to result in higher water and electric costs for everyone. Secession is just too risky. Together, we have overcome many challenges. Separately, we face a financially risky future. The League of Women Voters League of Women Voters, voluntary public service organization of U.S. citizens. Organized in 1920 in Chicago as an outgrowth of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, it had as its original nucleus the leaders of the latter organization. , L.A.'s Firefighters and Paramedics, The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce is southern California's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing over 1,500 businesses. Mission "By being the voice of business, helping its members grow and promoting collaboration, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of , and business, religious, and community leaders from across Los Angeles oppose dividing Los Angeles and urge you to VOTE NO ON SECESSION. Signed: Mayor James Hahn Former Mayor Richard Riordan Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson Supervisor Gloria Molina Former Congresswoman Bobbi Fiedler |
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