SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. -- For years, Chicago used to call itself "the Second City" -- second in population only to New York. A famous improvisation theater there took the same name. But then came the mushrooming growth of Los Angeles, taking over the second ranking.
Well, if some folks in the San Fernando Valley towns that now make up the northwestern edge of Los Angeles have their way, Chicago will be able to reclaim its old position and nickname. These valleyites want to break away and form their own major city of 1.4 million souls.
The move, together with a much smaller but similar secession movement by Hollywood, would take away 40 percent of Los Angeles' current population of 3.7 million. The new San Fernando Valley city would become California's second-largest, ahead of San Diego, and would rank sixth in the nation.
More is at stake, though, than numerical bragging rights. A successful secession here could lead to other breakaways that could imperil the complex network of police, fire and public utilities services that is at the heart of Los Angeles as a thriving and functioning metropolis.
Dissatisfaction with those services, as well as confidence that a smaller municipal entity could improve quality of life in various ways at lower cost, is the driving force in the secession movement in what is known here simply as "the Valley," which is north of Mulholland Drive and south of the Santa Susana Mountains.
To go its own way, the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 5 must win voter approval from 50 percent plus one ballot in separate votes in the affected region and in sprawling Los Angeles itself. The proponents argue that local control would result in better and cheaper services after years of perceived second-class treatment from downtown Los Angeles officialdom.
The push poses a political challenge for Democratic Mayor James Hahn soon after taking office. "He will unfortunately be tagged with the dubious distinction of having the city broken apart under him," says Jeff Brain, a leader of Valley VOTE, the pro-secession organization. "He's fighting hard. I don't blame him."
Joining Mr. Hahn is former Mayor Richard Riordan, a Republican, and much of Los Angeles' political establishment. Secession by the valley has been brewing for more than 40 years. Five years ago, the secessionists won the right to vote on it from the state legislature and then raised $2.3 million for a feasibility study recently approved by a Los Angeles commission charged with deciding whether to put the issue on the ballot.
Secession by law must be predicated on a finding that Los Angeles would not be harmed financially by the move. The new city, if successful, must agree to make compensatory payments to L.A. of $128 million a year for 20 years -- popularly known as "alimony" -- out of tax revenue.
The valley plan, Mr. Brain says, is to take over from Los Angeles all public services, from police to water and electric power. The probable exception would be fire protection, which would be contracted for with the Los Angeles Fire Department, because, Mr. Brain says, "they're good." Los Angeles, however, is "underpoliced," he says, and the new city would establish its own police force.
Kam Kuwata, a veteran consultant working for the anti-secession forces, says the uncertainty of such a new venture will persuade voters to stay as part of Los Angeles. Voters unhappy with the regional school system may be under the impression, he says, that voting for a valley city would take their children out of it, but it won't. But, he says, there is no certainty that such city protections as rent control would remain in a new city. Mr. Brain, however, insists that rent control would continue if the valley were to break away.
In any event, the drive to secede from Los Angeles has gotten the attention of the downtown establishment, which treated the idea lightly for a long time.
If Chicagoans could vote here, they'd no doubt cast ballots that would make their town "Second City" again. Instead, it will be up to Angelenos, who have seldom indicated in their lifestyle that they think smaller is better.
Jules Witcover generally writes from The Sun's Washington bureau. His column appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.