L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be the speaker at the next meeting of Valley VOTE (Voters Organized Toward Empowerment) at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the second-floor meeting room of Galpin Ford, 1555 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys, near the 405 Freeway.

Villaraigosa's last visit to Valley VOTE was back in February 2005, when he was a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles.

He made a number of commitments at that meeting on his plans for the Valley.

He stated, "For too long, the San Fernando Valley has been treated as the neglected stepchild of Los Angeles. For me, the message is very simple: 'Slow down, take notice, share with us and include us in the City of Angels' ... As mayor, that is just what I will do."

There will be a question-and-answer session after the Mayor's presentation.

Space is limited, so if you're going to attend, please RSVP to either Joe Vitti at javittisr@cs.com or Richard Leyner at rleyner@socal.rr.com or 818-742-1638.

For more information, visit www.valleyvote.org.

Posted by Mark Kellam at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich will be the speaker at the next Valley Vote meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday, April 21.

Next month, the organization will hear from L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at 6:45 p.m. Monday May 12.

Both meetings will be held in the second-floor meeting room of Galpin Ford, 15555 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys.

For more information, visit www.valleyvote.org.

Valley Vote is the organization that led a petition drive to place a measure before voters in 2002 seeking to secede the San Fernando Valley from the city of Los Angeles. The measure did not pass.

Today, Valley Vote's mission is to explore and foster the implementation of programs that empower the people of the Valley and city of Los Angeles in order to improve local governance, education and public participation on policy matters.

Posted by Mark Kellam at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

L.A.Councilmember Dennis Zine and Board of Works Commissioner Ernesto Cardenas will be the speakers at the next Valley Vote meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday in the second-floor meeting room of Galpin Ford, 15555 Roscoe Blvd., near the 405 Freeway.

Zine, who has been on the City Council since 2001, said his priorities as an elected official include improving quality of life, reducing crime and increasing public safety, and addressing transportation issues using common sense and practical solutions.

Since his first election, Zine has contributed over $150,000 from his council salary to nonprofit organizations.

Cardenas has been on the board of public works since 2007.

The commissioners are the chief administrators of the Department of Public Works, a department consisting of more than 5,400 employees who are responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public projects ranging from bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries; curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, sewers, streetlights and street trees.

There is free parking in the Galpin lot on the west side of Orion Avenue. Please do not park in the customer service areas.

For more information, visit www.valleyvote.org.

Posted by Mark Kellam at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky will speak at the next Valley Vote meeting at 7:45 p.m. Monday in the second-floor meeting room at Galpin Ford, 15555 Roscoe Blvd., near the 405.

He will give updates on current issues calling the county and city of Los Angeles.

Yaroslavsky has been a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors since being elected in 1994. He has been re-elected three times, most recently in 2006.

As a member of the County Board of Supervisors, Yaroslavsky quickly emerged as a leader on fiscal, health care, transportation, cultural and environmental matters.

He authored the 1996 Proposition 'A' park bond, which resulted in the preservation of rural open space and the development of urban parks throughout the county.

He authored the 2002 Proposition 'B' trauma tax, approved by over 73 percent of county voters, a measure which is largely credited with stabilizing the county's perpetually unpredictable health care finances.

Yaroslavsky was also the driving force behind the Orange Line bus way across the San Fernando Valley, which opened in 2005 to record ridership (22,000 daily boardings.)

He is regarded as the county's fiscal watchdog, insisting that it live within its means.

A Valley Vote meeting will precede Yaroslavsky's talk, beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Posted by Mark Kellam at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David DeVoss writes about the recent Valley VOTE meeting where L.A. Daily News Editor Ron Kaye was one of the guests speakers:

LA has the best government money can buy. OK, it's an old joke. But laconic Los Angeles Daily News editor Ron Kaye almost turns this unfortunate truth into a tale in which redemption is possible if honest people will stand up and get organized.

As the leader of the city's perennial No. 2 daily, Kaye's Tantalus-like pursuit of the Los Angeles Times affords him the freedom to speak truth to power. And speak he did earlier this week on the tenth anniversary of the founding of Valley VOTE.

There is a “system” to city government, Kaye concedes, but citizens must be organized, well financed and persistent to make it work for them. “The system doesn't work for the people,” Kaye sighs. “The Police Protective League matters more than any of you because it has money.”

Continue reading "Daily News Editor speaks to Valley VOTE; says citizens must be organized, persistent" »

Posted by Mark Kellam at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

California Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (38th Dist.) will be the guest speaker at the Valley Vote meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in the second-floor meeting room of Galpin Ford, 15505 Roscoe Blvd., North Hills.

He will speak at 7:30 p.m.

Smyth is vice chair of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, which oversees issues pertaining to the public health and environment. He seeks to direct the committee toward scientically sound policies that promote a healthy environment and a strong economy and opposes those that needlessly burden the business community and drive our workforce to other states.

He will discuss legislative matters of importance to the residents of Los Angeles.

Valley Vote's mission statement says it is a diverse coalition of San Fernando Valley residents, business people, educators, community activists and organizations. It is committed to exploring and fostering the implementation of programs that empower the citizens of the San Fernando Valley and the city of Los Angeles, to improve governance, education and public participation on policy matters.

Posted by Mark Kellam at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)