State of the Valley -- The Reaction

Now that the Mayor finally delivered the State of the Valley address to VICA, let's digest the reaction:

Comments on Mayor Sam - To all the above posters, the Mayor did show up to VICA. His speech was uninspiring and very old. The response was tepid, the number that showed up in the audience to hear him was DISMAL. The worst turn out for a Mayor in VICA history !!! Maybe 75-100 people, including Richard Alarcon and all those that Hahn brought with him. He talked about past successes(trivial at best)and provided no vision of the future. It was uninspiring. Going through the motions.

Boi From Troy posts - All of which reminds me of an old song from the soundtrack to "My Best Friend's Wedding"..."Wishing, and hoping and thinking and praying; crying and dreaming each night of his charms; that won't get you into his arms!" I think the Valley feels that way about City Hall...The time for "trying" and "hoping" has passed; it's time for action.

The Daily News reports - VICA President Martin Cooper said he was pleased to see the mayor appear before his group -- even on a delayed basis and despite differences on issues....Cooper said he understood Hahn's desire to stress what he had accomplished, but would have preferred to hear more on what the mayor would like to see done for the Valley in the coming years.

The Daily News Opinion Section - Realizing that support in the San Fernando Valley is what got him elected mayor of Los Angeles -- and the loss of it could cost him re-election -- James Hahn is trying to mend fences he broke unnecessarily. Too bad he's trying to do it by taking credit for other people's accomplishments.

The LA Times: Hahn was supposed to deliver the "State of the Valley" speech last Dec. 9 at the Sheraton Universal during the Valley association's annual membership meeting but canceled, citing illness. Cooper said that the business tax reform was a "positive step" but that overall, the state of the Valley was mixed. "It's slowly and marginally better," Cooper said. "We still need more public safety personnel and attention to infrastructure."

Other mayoral candidates offered dissenting views in the times articles:

"The promises made during the anti-secession campaign have gone largely unfulfilled," said Alarcon, who attended the speech. "The Valley still has far too few police officers on the streets. The high school dropout rate is abysmal. Valley communities are having trouble getting city services."

"If the mayor was giving an accurate speech it would be called 'State of the Valley: Neglected,' " Ace Smith (Villaraigosa) said.

Hertzberg accused Hahn of paying "lip service" to the Valley without improving services. "The state of the Valley is that the Valley needs a new mayor," he said. They also posted on their blog today...Jim Hahn gave a State of the Valley speech this week -- and the results are crystal clear. We need new leadership, not failed leadership.