Starr suggests borough system for Valley
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 7, 2002 9:00 p.m.
NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Staff State Librarian and historian
Kevin Starr talks to UCLA faculty about the
benefits of a borough system in L.A as an alternative to separating
the San Fernando Valley from the rest of the city.
By Robert Salonga
DAILY BRUIN STAFF
[email protected]
Los Angeles could take a cue from New York City to cure its
secession ills, a historian said at UCLA on Tuesday.
California State Librarian and unofficial but popular state
historian Kevin Starr gave a lecture to 50 people at the Faculty
Center about the possibility of creating a borough system as an
alternative to separating a significant portion of the city.
Talks of secession are up in the air with the San Fernando
Valley seeking independence from Los Angeles.
Valley coalitions and action groups are pushing for a ballot
item in November to effectively establish the Valley as a separate
city, and Starr said it’s time the general public begin to
take this seriously.
“Citizens in L.A. could become the first worldly city to
voluntarily deconstruct itself,” Starr said. “The
plausibility of the movement has led to the need to address the
issue.”
If voters approve the measure, they will create the sixth
largest city in the United States, with a population of 1.4 million
people.
The negligence of L.A. in addressing Valley problems ““
with public education at the forefront ““ has forced the
region to consider such a drastic move, said second district
Councilwoman Wendy Greuel.
“There is a lack of attention to the San Fernando Valley.
So much happens and we don’t see it,” Greuel said.
She added that the Valley needs its fair share of resources,
alleging that residents do not see the return on their taxes in
public services. Greuel said secession could add needed services to
the area.
A new city would need new civic leaders such as a mayor and city
council, which some argue would hold officials more accountable
than current representatives who serve from downtown L.A.
But instead of seceding, Starr said Los Angeles should consider
the five-borough system currently employed in New York for more
than 100 years. The change, he said, improved transportation, water
services, roadways, and sewage systems.
Though Brooklyn was the size of an individual city at the time,
Starr said joining New York’s 1898 charter helped create a
support system that withstood the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center.
“It allows localism and unity simultaneously,” Starr
said, referring to the boroughs having distinct governments within
the broader city government.
Greuel acknowledged the possible benefits of a borough system,
but emphasized that things need to change ““ soon.
“We need to see alternatives and ensure that they will
work,” she said.
Former city controller and UCLA alum Rick Tuttle said voters
need to think long and hard before dividing a city that
hasn’t changed in jurisdiction since its 1925 charter.
“They need to determine if they value the concept of being
part of this great city,” Tuttle said. “Will they be
confident in building (a new city) without the redundancies in
bureaucracy?”
A lighter note in the controversy includes the claim of the
famed “Hollywood” letters that stand in Griffith Park,
mostly on whether it is included in the secession, said fourth
district Councilman Tom LaBonge.
But Starr said the consideration of secession is a result of
people’s “tendency to adhere to localism.”
“Had ““ God forbid ““ the (Sept. 11) terrorists
hit L.A. instead, no one would be talking about secession,”
Starr said. “They would be pushing moral unity and supporting
each other.”
