2 Groups Seeking to Split Valley From L.A. Split on How to Do So

A frank discussion this week failed to resolve a rift between Valley VOTE, the activist group that worked for the secession bill, and a newly formed board of five that has declared itself in charge of advancing the secession movement.

At the core of the problem are bruised feelings among some Valley VOTE board members, who expected to be consulted about and involved in the next secession phase, only to be preempted by a news conference Monday.

On Monday, a group of five civic leaders formed as a steering committee called the San Fernando Valley Secession Board.

Its members are former U.S. Rep. Bobbi Fiedler, former Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland and homeowner association leaders Don Schultz, Harry Coleman and Richard Close. All five have been involved in the fight for the secession bill, which awaits action by Gov. Pete Wilson. It could also become law without his signature.

One of the five, Close, is co-chair of Valley VOTE. And after agreeing to be on the new secession board, Close appears now to be torn between the two groups.

“My goal is that both groups will work together--if not merge,” said Close, who plans to stay with both groups.

Close likened the breach to a distressing family feud. “These people worked side by side to get this moved forward,” he said.

But Boland said the new board wouldn’t have been formed at all unless Valley VOTE co-chair Close had agreed it was the correct step to take.

“He didn’t express any objections about going forth,” Boland said.

Valley VOTE co-chair Jeff Brain, backed by some board members, does object, calling the new group both exclusive and divisive.

But then, some close to the situation say privately that Brain had his own agenda to head whatever group took the movement to the next step.

Brain denies self-interest is motivating his efforts on behalf of Valley VOTE.

“It’s not about any individual,” Brain said. “It’s about a difference of opinion on how to move forward.”

Others involved in the issue, including attorney and civic leader David Fleming, call the dispute “counterproductive,” especially while the governor is deciding the fate of the bill.

“It’s like splitting up the treasure before you get it,” Fleming said.

Standing on Ceremony

If former Assemblyman Richard Katz is not elected next year to replace state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Van Nuys), who is being forced out by term limits, he may consider switching to a more ceremonial job. It seems that Katz has taken advantage of a little-known provision in state law that allows elected officials, among others, to perform marriage ceremonies.

Thus far, Katz has performed seven such ceremonies. Katz is not the only locally elected official to take advantage of this obscure law. Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon has performed a couple of ceremonies. Councilman Richard Alatorre performed the marriage ceremony for his chief of staff, Hilary Norton Orozco.

Katz said the law does not require that he recite any special verses or memorize any ceremony. He said that as long as the couple agree on the ceremony and all the key players sign the marriage certificate, the deal is binding. “It’s nice that you can do it for friends,” he said.

One of the marriages performed by Katz was held in the Japanese Gardens in the Sepulveda Basin for his friend Irwin Rosenberg, vice president of Laidlaw Transit Service.

Katz recalled that the authority to perform a marriage also came in handy when two of his closest friends were planning to get married but were fighting over the ceremony because they were of different religions. The feud ended when they agreed to have Katz do the honors.

“I was a real good compromise,” he said.

Child’s Play

It’s often difficult to get the attention of the Los Angeles City Council if you are an average citizen speaking at a council meeting.

Council members have been known to eat lunch, talk with staff, gossip with other lawmakers and even read the newspaper during the public-comment period of the meetings.

Perhaps that is why David Morgan, an activist from Hollywood, brought props when he spoke to the council about the proposed extension of the North Hollywood Redevelopment project. The extension would allow the project to continue fighting blight until 2019 and increase spending by an additional $446 million.

Morgan objected to the extension, saying it would divert city taxes away from important city services such as the police and fire departments and street paving.

To demonstrate, he showed the council a toy police car, which he then threw into a trash bag. He also held up a toy firetruck, a toy bulldozer and a toy cement mixer, all of which he also threw away.

The props certainly got the council’s attention, because Council President John Ferraro piped up: “Don’t throw those away. (Councilman) Rudy Svorinich would like those for his child.”

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QUOTABLE: “It’s been a very, very difficult fight. The bill clearly hit a nerve.”

Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg, on the passage of the so-called Valley secession bill.