HAHN FOR MAYOR
18553 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356

Council Redistricting Must Consider Valley

MAY 07, 2000
OP-ED BY JIM HAHN

As we begin a new phase in the debate over Valley secession, city leaders must begin to look not only at specific ways to provide better city services to the Valley and every other neighborhood in the city, but also at ways to foster and encourage a greater sense of community, so Los Angeles becomes more of a coherent whole instead of a jumble of disparate parts.

In areas of this city that are now considering whether to secede, improving services and bolstering our collective sense of "neighborhood" may be the only real way to convince residents to stay. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and the system of Neighborhood Councils and Area Planning Commissions that have been created as part of the new City Charter are important steps.

Both Neighborhood Councils and Area Planning Commissions will provide real opportunities for residents to actively participate in the decisions that affect their communities and will provide many additional opportunities for residents to interact with each other. While important steps, we can do more to assure that the Valley's interests are addressed.

The 2000 Census provides that opportunity.

The 2000 Census -- the process of counting the nation's residents that takes place every 10 years -- is now under way. Based on the census count, federal, state and local funds are allocated and population figures are updated at every level of government. It is also following each census that political boundaries are redrawn for Congress, the state Legislature and for our local City Council.

Next year, when the boundaries are redrawn, the city should correct a historical wrong which has dissipated the political influence of the San Fernando Valley among seven City Council districts.

In 1987, bowing to pressure of a Voting Rights Act challenge, brought by the Justice Department and the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund, the Valley actually "lost" District 1, represented by the late Howard Finn, to downtown Los Angeles.

To correct that loss of power, the council district should be redrawn, while following the mandates of the Voting Rights Act, to create five "Valley-only districts" and one district with at least 50 percent of its population in the Valley.

How can reducing the number of seats that represent parts of the Valley from seven to five increase the Valley's voice in city government? Let me explain.

Right now, council district boundaries break up communities among various council districts. For example, at least five different members of the City Council claim they represent Van Nuys.

Residents in North Hollywood, downtown and Koreatown, among other neighborhoods, are similarly spread among more than one council district. Being represented by two instead of one council district should be a good thing. But, in terms of political influence, it's just the opposite.

If a community is divided across more than one council district, that community represents, proportionally, a smaller part of each respective district. Population numbers represent political influence and if a neighborhood is chopped up among two or three council districts it will likely have less influence with each council member than if all of the residents were represented by one council member.

The same holds true for the San Fernando Valley. Today, despite the fact that the Valley represents nearly 40 percent of the city's population, only four council districts exclusively represent Valley residents; the 2nd (Joel Wachs), 3rd (Laura Chick), 7th (Alex Padilla) and 12th (Hal Bernson).

The problem is that the remainder of Valley residents are dispersed among three other council districts in which the Valley residents represent a minority of the district. And since population often correlates to political influence, Valley residents in districts in which a majority of constituents reside outside the Valley are at a disadvantage.

Moreover, oftentimes the boundaries of issues are not as neatly defined as the boundaries in City Council districts and we should create districts that facilitate the cooperation of residents and the council members who represent them across district lines.

The Valley's geography -- separated from other parts of Los Angeles by a mountain range -- has always been central to its identity. In recent years, the San Fernando Valley's geographic distinction has led, in part, to a political coalescence, as political and civic groups have become defined not by a neighborhood but by the overall region of the Valley itself.

The Valley has the Valley Economic Development Corp., the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, the United Chambers of Commerce (an umbrella group of Valley-based chambers), the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley and even an award -- the Fernando Award -- that recognizes outstanding community service of Valley residents. One can think of no comparable non-Valley regional community organizations south of Mulholland.

In effect, the Valley as a whole has become a "neighborhood" unto itself with its unique transportation, planning, land-use and business issues. Because the political overlay of the Valley has become more regional in scope, so too must its political representation. Council representatives from throughout the city should work cooperatively when constituencies overlap.

As a city, we have become aware of the importance of neighborhoods in building a cohesive city. This is clearly proven by voters approving, in the new city charter, the creation of a whole new department to help give neighborhoods a greater voice in city government, and the establishment of Area Planning Commissions, which will give local communities increased influence over land-use decisions in their communities.

Nevertheless, because of its size and scope, the Valley needs more than these structures to meet its needs, and thus we should create Valley-specific council districts.

Under this proposal, five of the six Council members representing the Valley would be solely accountable to Valley residents and thus to Valley interests, and the sixth Valley district's residents would represent at least 50 percent of the district, also giving them significant political voice.

By doing this, a cooperative approach among Valley Council members dealing with Valley issues would be greatly facilitated. The recent passage of Assembly Bill 186, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, now allows charter cities such as Los Angeles to give consideration when redrawing districts to "topography, geography, cohesiveness, contiguity, compactness of territory and community of interests of the district." Empowering the City Council to take these issues into consideration will only facilitate this process.

The San Fernando Valley is an integral part of Los Angeles, its history and future. Its tremendous growth and economic vitality are clear signs that a strong sense of community can yield tangible results. As political boundaries are redrawn, this achievement must be recognized and built upon to assure that the Valley continues to thrive in years to come.

-- James K. Hahn is city attorney and a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles.