California Assembly Bill ACR50 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 50AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Garrick APRIL 7, 2011 Relative to  the Ronald Reagan Coronado Bridge   Irish American Heritage Month  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 50, as amended, Garrick.  Ronald Reagan Coronado Bridge.   Irish American Heritage Month.   This measure would designate March 2012 as Irish American Heritage Month in California, and call upon the people of the state to observe Irish American Heritage Month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.   This measure would redesignate the San Diego-Coronado Bridge as the Ronald Reagan Coronado Bridge. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing the designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.  Fiscal committee:  yes   no  .  WHEREAS, Millions of Irish people, faced with severe hardship due to famine and poverty in their nation, immigrated to the United States over the last several centuries in search of a more promising future for themselves and their families; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans initially suffered prejudice and discrimination upon first arriving in the United States. As the years went on, Irish Americans became very involved in the community and made numerous contributions in all aspects of American society and culture, especially in California; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans played vital roles in the development of the United States. Nine Irish Americans were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and 19 Presidents of the United States have been of Irish heritage, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama; and   WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have played critical roles in federal politics, including George Murphy, United States Senator, and John Tunney, United States Senator; and   WHEREAS, Many people of Irish descent have contributed to great movements that have helped to shape our country and its role in the world, including Mother Jones, labor activist; Lucy Burns, activist in the Women's Movement; and United States Senator George Mitchell, negotiator of the Irish Peace Accord; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans have also played a major role in California politics. Many governors, legislative leaders, city mayors, and other public officials who have shaped the development of California over the years have been of Irish descent; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans were very involved in the development of infrastructure throughout the United States, especially in California. This included work on railroads and bridges that connected the west to the east. The Irish were also instrumental in the building of dams, roads, canals, and buildings that expanded greatly in the late 1800s; and   WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have made their mark in the pursuit of public safety and have risked or lost their lives carrying out their duties; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans have served with distinction in every war that this nation has fought. Many of the outstanding soldiers who fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War were of Irish descent. Since then, Irish Americans have sacrificed their lives in every war that the United States has fought; and   WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have contributed greatly to the United States economy in business, including Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company; Alexander Stewart, the inventor of the American department store; Cathleen Black, president of Hearst Publishing; Jack Welch, former president and chief executive officer of General Electric; and Herb Kelleher, cofounder of Southwest Airlines; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the field of science, including: Michael Collins, astronaut; Eileen Collins, first female commander of a space shuttle; Charles Townes, physicist and Nobel Laureate; and James Collins, bioengineer and MacArthur Fellow; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the American literary tradition through great authors, including Flannery O'Connor, Eugene O'Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, Tom Clancy, and Frank McCourt; and   WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to American entertainment through such stars as actors Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, and George Clooney; actor and comedian Bill Murray; actress Grace Kelly; actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell; actor and singer Bing Crosby; actress and singer Rosemary Clooney; and actor and director Edward Burns; and   WHEREAS, Today, over 44 million Americans claim Irish heritage, and they continue to contribute to the American and California political, economic, and cultural landscapes; now, therefore, be it   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to make this a better country and state for all people, designates March 2012 to be Irish American Heritage Month in California, and calls upon the people of the state to observe Irish American Heritiage Month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities, especially on March 17, since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day; and be it further   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.   WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois in 1911 to John Edward "Jack" Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan, and arrived in Hollywood in 1937. In December 1941, right after the United States entered into World War II, Reagan was drafted into the army. His nearsightedness kept him from the front line so he spent three years working for the motion picture army unit making training and propaganda films. Over the next three decades, he starred in 53 films and was the host of General Electric Theater; and   WHEREAS, During his time in the entertainment industry, Ronald Reagan served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 through 1952 and again in 1959. In 1957, the film "Hellcats of the Navy," which featured Ronald Reagan and his future wife Nancy David, was filmed in San Diego. It was the only film that starred both Ronald and Nancy; and   WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966, serving two terms until 1975. In 1980, he was elected President of the United States and was reelected in 1984. Ronald Reagan won the majority of votes in San Diego County in the 1966 and 1970 gubernatorial elections, as well as the 1980 and 1984 presidential elections. He ended both of his presidential campaigns in San Diego. With these victories, Ronald Reagan became the first and only person to serve as Governor of California and President of the United States; and   WHEREAS, Dealing skillfully with Congress, President Reagan pursued legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and government expenditures. During his two terms as President, he successfully moved a nation, whose national spirit had been low, toward greater prosperity and a sense that better times were ahead; and   WHEREAS, The excellent speech delivered by President Reagan in Berlin on June 12, 1987, was not only the most important speech of the entire Cold War, but also a turning moment for the East German and Eastern European opposition. His message, a straightforward call for freedom and democracy along with a proposal for several more initiatives that should not be forgotten, encouraged all those behind the Iron Curtain who hoped for a better future. The Berlin Wall came down 10 months after President Reagan left the White House, but his boldness in calling for its demolition two years earlier plainly deserves much of the credit; and   WHEREAS, San Diego has played host to many of the significant events that marked the life of Ronald Regan, including events at the El Cortez Hotel, University of California, San Diego, the Embarcadero, and the San Diego Concourse. On August 2, 1969, Governor Reagan gave the dedication speech for the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. He was quoted in 1988 stating that when he was in San Diego, he felt he was with family and friends and that he loved San Diego; and   WHEREAS, It is appropriate to redesignate the San Diego-Coronado Bridge for Governor and President Ronald Reagan to commemorate his deep-rooted connection with San Diego; now, therefore, be it   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is hereby designated as the Ronald Reagan Coronado Bridge; and be it further   Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is hereby requested to determine the cost for appropriate signs showing the designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it further   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit a copy of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author for appropriate distribution.