Opinion: Assembly Speaker John Perez on unincorporating Vernon
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The Times’ Dec. 13 editorial ‘Reining in Vernon’ said that although the tiny Los Angeles County city may be corrupt, the Legislature is overstepping with a bill that would dissolve it. Below is a response from the bill’s author, Assembly Speaker John A. Perez.
The Times has clearly demonstrated that Vernon operates like a racket benefiting a few wealthy families with no independent electorate to hold leaders accountable. I have introduced AB 46 to remedy this situation by disincorporating Vernon. This is the only viable option. Any other option would take years to complete, and will ultimately be futile as it culminates with a vote of the people, as the LAFCO process does. As your reporting clearly shows, there is no independent electorate in Vernon, so an election defeat is a foregone conclusion. My bill establishes uniform standards for a population floor to California cities, and even though it will only affect Vernon, it is sound constitutionally. The issue here is one of transparency and accountability, and the complete lack thereof in Vernon. The situation is intolerable, and AB 46 is the only viable pathway to ending the abuse of power in Vernon. Sincerely, John A. Perez Speaker of the Assembly