Cityhood for East L.A.

Last week our group of committed and informed Cityhood supporters attended the January 25th LAFCO meeting, along with more than 300 letters of support from you. At that meeting, LAFCO decided to delay the vote on whether to disapprove or continue with East LA's Cityhood application until Feb. 8th. Thank you again for helping make this happen! 

Today, we're sending a letter to County Supervisor and LAFCO Commissioner Gloria Molina. Your letters made a big difference last time. Please add your voice to the below message; demand accountability for East LA's finances, solutions for long-term sustainability, and options for Cityhood before denying the residents of East LA the right to vote on local government. 

Three ways you can take action:

1. Add your name to the support letter online
2. Print the letter, and fax or email it to Supervisor/LAFCO Commissioner Gloria Molina at (213) 613-1739, molina@bos.lacounty.gov. Download the letter in Spanish. (Links take you to a Word document you can download) 
3. Call Gloria Molina at (213) 974-4111. Ask that she support LAFCO and the County looking at East LA's options for Cityhood and a path to sustainability -- before denying the residents a local voice and the opportunity to vote on Cityhood.

Please read the letter below and make your voice heard!

A recommendation to deny East LA's Cityhood application was just posted by LAFCO's Executive Officer. 

East LA deserves a full and fair consideration for Cityhood -- make sure to read ELARA's letter submitted earlier this week, outlining why we deserve a continuance and proposal for moving forward. We have yet to see credible financial data, and we have not had the opportunity to explore our options for viability. Please take action now to let LAFCO know that we deserve more time to get real answers for our community. Copied below is a letter we plan to present at next week's LAFCO meeting (Learn more and RSVP to the meeting on Jan. 25th).

Three ways you can take action:

1. Add your name to the support letter
2. Print letter and fax to LAFCO at (626) 204-6507 (link opens a Word document)
3. Call LAFCO at (626) 204-6500 - request that LAFCO grant more time to examine the finances and options for East LA's Cityhood

Thank you for standing up for East LA -- please read the letter and and make your voice heard!

For Immediate Release: January 18, 2012
Contact: Eddie Gutierrez, (323) 401-6332

More Time Needed To Review Feasibility, Awaiting Continuance

East Los Angeles, CA – In response to today’s LAFCO executive officer’s report decision calling to stop East Los Angeles’ voter efforts for self-governance, the East Los Angeles Residents Association (ELARA), issues the following statement:

“East Los Angles residents have waited patiently for 40 years to fully understand the complete financial health of their community. We still do not know exactly how East L.A. taxpayer dollars are being spent. We still need answers to very specific financial discrepancies that could very well show feasibility for East L.A. Cityhood.

“LAFCO is prepared to terminate our efforts without fully reviewing all financial options. We are asking LAFCO for a continuance – plain and simple! There is nothing to lose allowing more time to review the numbers and feasible options. This is unfair to East L.A. taxpayers who are being ignored when clearly this community is paying more than their fair share for “same level” or overpriced services and no clear picture for accountability of how the County is really spending their hard-earned dollars.

“We demand answers to why the L.A. County LAFCO wants to derail this entire process. What exactly is so secretive that East L.A. cannot have more time to review all solutions and funding sources. We are asking the community to join us in protest, and solidarity to let our government know that this is unacceptable. The time has come again for our community to stand together and fight for their right to vote on Cityhood. We will not simply go away because LAFCO has neither seen credible financial information, nor considered our options for feasibility."

Today we’re remembering one of the greatest civic and social justice leaders of our time, who once said:

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you for your dedication to moving the community of East LA forward. With the new year, we are not only at a time for reflection on the past four years and struggle towards Cityhood for East LA, but we’re also at a time for action. 

On Wednesday, January 25th the future of Cityhood for East LA will be at stake. LAFCO is scheduled to deliberate on whether the issue of East LA’s incorporation should be put on a ballot before East LA voters.

In following the effort, you know that community members have been working tirelessly to empower the people of East LA with a local voice, and local control of our own future. We need you in-person on January 25th for this meeting which may determine the future of the Cityhood for East LA effort.

Join us at 8am, January 25th in East LA on 3rd and Mednik – we’ll arrange transportation to County Hall for the 9am meeting. Click for more information and to RSVP. Contact Miguel Haro, miguel.haro@CityhoodForEastLA.org, (323) 380-8148 if you have any questions.