Valley Secession
“Secession Watch tonight posted its take on a fascinating and revealing profile in the September issue of Los Angeles magazine on Ron Kaye, managing editor of the L.A. Daily News. Kaye takes pride in inventing and stoking the paper’s tabloid-style crusade on behalf of San Fernando Valley secession, even as he wonders if cityhood would be any improvement and questions if Valley VOTE is too white. Over Marlboros and martinis with writer Charles Rappleye, Kaye explains that promoting secession and the paper’s Valley-first credo is an expression of his personal idealism.
Kaye, described as a reformed radical who left Santa Monica for Van Nuys, insists without irony, “This [the Valley] is the dream of mankind.” A job applicant, however, says Kaye told her the paper’s ethic was narrow: “We’re not interested in the problems of the poor people in the San Fernando Valley, we’re interested in the problems of the middle class.” Secession Watch suggests that Kaye’s and the Daily News’ shrill persona, which makes some minorities in the New Valley uneasy, may prove to be bad for business as the fast-changing Valley becomes ever more like the rest of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles magazine issue is on newstands but not yet on-line. The full Secession Watch item is here