And a good divorce would make good neighbors. So what's the problem? I haven't understood the hysteria of the anti-secessionists. You'd think with all the problems L.A has and the Valley's resentment, you'd think they'd welcome separation. Then again politics has a way of trumping common sense and good judgment in otherwise intelligent people.
One thing is that the unions apparently think the new city won't honor their contracts. Last time I looked, I seem to remember RTD bus drivers earn a lot more than bus drivers for more independent agencies, even though I've always gotten way better service from the independents than the RTD.
The new city would certainly want to run its own public transport system, just as Santa Monica does. Santa Monica runs much better lines than the RTD, on cleaner busses, with friendlier drivers, and charges less than half the fare.
But if you notice, the bulk of the protests and activism come from Union members who know they've given the city a raw deal, and know the new city won't do nearly as well for them (and quite rightly, too, from a taxpayer point of view).
D