BILL NUMBER: ACR 50 AMENDED
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.