Breaking Up Los Angeles

"The commission's decision opens a debate whose outcome will determine the shape and identity of Los Angeles. With the stakes high for the Valley and the rest of the city, the campaign already has begun to attract top civic leaders and dominate the agenda of Mayor James K. Hahn, who is spearheading the fight against secession... In some ways, a Valley city would always rely on Los Angeles. After almost nine decades together, the two regions were found to be so intertwined that certain systems, like water, power and sewer lines, would be impossible to untangle. So LAFCO decided that the old city would be forced to provide utility services to the Valley at the same rates Los Angeles customers pay."

Thanks to Laura Kranz