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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - Placement of "In God We Trust' Text in Council Chambers - CorrespondenceReceived After Agenda Printed April 28, 2015 Item No. 18 From: Denys Oberman <dho @obermanassociates.com> Sent: Monday, April 27, 2015 11:00 AM To: Dept - City Council; Kiff, Dave; Brown, Leilani Subject: Comment for Public Record re. Council session item "In God We Trust' Importance: High Sensitivity: Confidential Council members: We note that it has been requested that the City invest in signage for Council hall at Civic Center with, In God We Trust. We totally respect and support the prerogative of each and every Individual to have his own personal convictions and religious beliefs. It is inappropriate to insert this type of signage or other marking at the City's place of Government. America's foundations are built on separation of church and state. This is particularly important in all communities, including ours, where we have a diverse population having many people beliefs, including various faiths /sects, and some who do not ascribe to personal belief in a "god ". The City should nor exhibit nor demonstrate any favoritism concerning such personal beliefs, and does not need to do so to fulfill its rightful mandate of responsibility. We request that the Council not proceed with approval of this investment, on behalf of our Public at large. Thank you, Denys Oberman Linda Klein Regards, Denys H. Oberman, CEO tou"BERMAN SfrrsleW and Financial Advisers OBERMAN Strategy and Financial Advisors 2600 Michelson Drive, Suite 1700 Irvine, CA 92612 Tel (949) 476 -0790 Cell (949) 230 -5868 Fax (949) 752 -8935 Email: dho(a)obermanassociates.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The documents accompanying this transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender which is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are Received After Agenda Printed April 28, 2015 Item No. 18 From: Kiff, Dave Sent: Monday, April 27, 2015 9:24 AM To: City Clerk's Office Subject: FW: Proposed Placement of "In God We Trust" For the record. - - - -- Original Message---- - From: Laura Curran Imailto:lauracurran @mac.coml Sent: Monday, April 27, 2015 9:23 AM To: Kiff, Dave; Dept -City Council Subject: Proposed Placement of "In God We Trust" Dear Councilmembers: The Proposed Placement of "In God We Trust" in City Hall Chambers or other City locations is inappropriate. When the Council votes to add a statement such as "In God We Trust" at Council Chambers, it implies a prioritization of religious belief systems which is inappropriate and off - putting to many members of the public, including those who practice a religious faith. Just because the Council can do something, i.e. install a statement with the City Seal, does not mean it should. Our religious institutions are diverse and vibrant, with strong community engagement. Residents of Newport Beach profess many religious beliefs, or lack thereof. These beliefs may inform the way our Councilmembers consider specific activities and vote, when acting as a Councilmember. Councilmembers and the public may also express their convictions when speaking at Council. However, the general public relies on the US Constitution, the Rule of Law, and specific legislation such as the Brown Act in the management of public affairs. If any document should be posted at City Hall, it would be the Constitution and the Brown Act, for the public to read and contemplate. Further, it is premature for the City Staff to provide information about font size and installation options. The Council should hear the public's perspective, and consider the implications of this proposed change carefully before any Staff time is expended on this item. http: / /novusage ndapubl ic. newportbeachca .aov /CoverSheet.aspx ?Item ID= 5565 &MeetingID =694 Please do not vote in favor of this change. Thank you Laura Curran Received After Agenda Printed April 28, 2015 Item No. 18 April 28, 2015, Council Agenda Item 18 Comments The following comments on an item on the Newport Beach City Council agenda are submitted by: Jim Mosher ( iimmosher(o)yahoo.com ), 2210 Private Road, Newport Beach 92660 (949- 548 -6229) Item 18. Placement of `in God We Trust' Text in Council Chambers It seems to me that his item, inspired by a prayer breakfast and requested by Council member Muldoon at the March 24 meeting (see Item XIII) is improperly before the Council at this time because in accordance with Council Policy A -6, a list of items the Council wanted staff to spend time preparing reports about was voted upon at the April 14 meeting (see Item 22), and this item was not among them. Nonetheless, staff has, apparently on its own, decided to spend time and money preparing a report and placing it on the agenda, as if the only question now were the size and placement of the lettering, even though the City Manager's authority to place items on the agenda extends only to those items necessary for the conduct of the City's business, and this is clearly not such an item. However it has come before the Council, I think it is a very bad idea. As may or may not be known to the Council, the "in God We Trust — America" movement, advocating the display of this motto in council chambers, is spearheaded and tirelessly promoted by 20 -year Bakersfield, California, Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan can certainly be respected for the success of that effort, trumpeted on her website. According to one tax filing she spends 70 hours a week on this, leaving, one assumes, relatively little time for her councilmanic duties. In 2012, Newport Beach was thrice honored — on March 13, May 8 and September 11 — by the presence in our Council Chambers of John Carr, the Southern California Volunteer Representative for her organization and the founder of Charitable Giving Foundation. Perhaps we will be honored by his presence again at this meeting. In 2012, the Council was thrice wise enough to ignore Mr. Carr's entreaties, perhaps moved by Newport Beach co- Citizen of the Year Nancy Skinner's reaction captured at 38:16 in the May 8 video. One can only hope the Council will be so wise again. Out of all the inspirational and patriot words that could be inscribed on a public building one has to be incredibly naive to believe Ms. Sullivan's wish to promote this particular phrase — which expresses no uniquely American patriotic sentiment I can detect — is not religiously motivated. By her own account her inspiration came to her while listening to Christian radio, and she is described on Mr. Carr's website as being "known in her community as a committed Christian and a dedicated patriot, promoting love and loyalty to both God and Country." As Ms. Skinner suggested, loyalty to God is a personal matter. According to the tenets of many religions, faith, to have any meaning, has to come from within and cannot be successfully imposed by external force. Ms. Sullivan's mission seems disturbingly similar to that of the San Diego County high school math teacher who, in an effort to force his belief system on others, unsuccessfully attempted to defend his "right" to make his students sit in a classroom festooned with outsized banners reciting snippets of otherwise patriotic phrases chosen only because they contained and April 28, 2015, Council Agenda Item 18 Comments - Jim Mosher Page 2 of 2 emphasized the word GOD or CREATOR (Johnson v. Poway Unified School Dist., 658 F. 3d 954 (2011)). Should the Council proceed with this, I would wonder why they see this motto as a proper phrase to emphasize in the Newport Beach City Council Chamber? If they view it as an admonition to the citizens entering the Chamber that they should trust in God, then many will see it as a betrayal of the First Amendment (and California Constitution Article 1, Sec. 4) promise that American governments will not attempt to impose religious belief systems on them. If they view it as a promise that, whatever the beliefs of the public in general, those who serve in the Chamber on the Council, now and in the future, will trust in God, then it is a violation of the Article VI (and similar California Constitution Article XX, Sec. 3) promise that ,.no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." If they view it as a rote patriotic( ?) phrase of no religious significance, then many of faith could take such casual and non - meaningful use of God's name as an affront to their faith. And finally, if the public are left to take it at its literal meaning, then many will take it as a message that the American system of government is so untrustworthy that our faith (and trust) needs to be placed, not in our elected and appointed servants, but elsewhere. In short I see no civic or municipal purpose in the display of this motto. Instead, I see it as demonstration by the majority who hold political power that they can use that power to exult in the triumph of their religious belief system over that of those who may not hold it, contrary to the most basic principles of the inclusionary political system America is supposed to embrace and they are sworn to uphold. I would hope the Council and staff could find better uses for their time, but should they choose to proceed with this matter, then I would strongly support staff's alternative 1: to put the lettering high up in the rear of the chamber where it will be seen only by those who have ordered its placement. As an additional alternative, I might suggest that the Council members who feel a personal need to be reminded that their decisions should be guided by their private religious beliefs could simply keep a copy of this motto at hand in their private area behind the dais. Received After Agenda Printed April 28, 2015 Item No. 18 From: City Clerk's Office Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:29 PM To: McDonald, Cristal; Mulvey, Jennifer; Rieff, Kim Subject: FW: In God Some Trust From: Kiff, Dave Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:29:21 PM (UTC- 08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Clerk's Office Subject: FW: In God Some Trust For the record. From: Tom Moulson rmailto:tjmoulsonO)cox.net] Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 10:42 AM To: Dixon, Diane; Duffield, Duffy; Selich; Edward; Curry, Keith; Muldoon, Kevin; Peotter, Scott; Petros, Tony Cc: Kiff, Dave Subject: In God Some Trust Dear Council: Having been away I've just learned about the idea of putting "In God We Trust" in the council chamber. Why would the city consider such a divisive move? Who exactly is "we "9 You or us chickens? Nobody asked me. And then what is God entrusted to do: Preserve our beaches? Protect us from earthquakes? End the drought? If the phrase is definable, please define it. But if it's merely a statement of personal faith or a political bumper sticker it has no place in an inclusive, contemporary community facility. Tom Moulson Corona del Mar I