County supervisors approve "In God We Trust" display
BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer
Kern County will raise the words "In God We Trust" on the walls of the Kern County Board of Supervisors chambers.
All that's left to figure out are the logistics.
Supervisor Zack Scrivner, who proposed displaying the motto as his first public act in office, made a motion Tuesday to direct staff to come up with an installation plan and a bill to be paid by private donations.
The other four supervisors voted to support his motion.
Supervisors, who were warned by their attorney that any display of religious motivation in their actions could land Kern County in court, said very little about why they supported the motto.
But public speakers offered their interpretation.
Lamar Kerley, a county employee who took vacation time off Tuesday to speak, said supervisors were trying to push forward their Christian faith. Scrivner, he said, was trying to further his political career by "pandering" to Kern County conservatives.
Lynn Rosenstein, who attends Temple Beth El, said the motto has the power to exclude people when it is put forward by a board whose members are Christians, as Kern County's board largely is,
"Those of us who are not (Christians) feel like outsiders because when we see that (motto), we know you're not thinking of us," she said.
But several voices spoke out in support of the motto.
Retired correctional officer Robert Anderson said that after years of seeing what God has done in the prisons, he believes any symbol that motivates people to be better people is good.
Bakersfield City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan, who runs a nonprofit that promotes the public installation of "In God We Trust," said cities that approve installation of the motto remind people of the nation's history of faith and the values the country is founded on.
It's not meant to exclude people, she argued.
When it was their turn to speak, supervisors kept largely quiet.
"The underlying purpose is patriotic ceremony," said Supervisor Jon McQuiston.
"You are never in a position where you are not welcome here," Supervisor Mike Maggard told the speakers who said they felt excluded.
Scrivner, who talked about faith and religion in the context of the motto an e-mail to his constituents last week, simply read part of the statement he made when he first proposed the idea in January.
County Counsel Theresa Goldner, first in an opinion released Thursday and in comments to the board Tuesday, made it clear that how supervisors conducted themselves during the consideration, approval and installation of the motto could have a huge impact on whether it was legal for Kern County to raise the motto in a public place at all.
If, she told them, the predominate reason for displaying the motto was based on their faith and not some other, secular purpose, putting the motto in board chambers would violate the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state clause.
Most CommentedMost Popular
We need an outside agency to investigate the attempted rescue of logger Bill Bennett, who died Sept. 23, 2011 in the mountains south of Tehachapi after being hit by a falling tree.
Rinna Johnson, 35, majored in liberal studies in college, got a master's degree in education and is about to receive her teaching credential. She's not exactly your stereotypical food stamp recipient.
In an attempt to address Kern County's alarmingly high rates of sexually transmitted disease and teen births, a new health initiative will let local teenagers order condoms online and receive the free shipment in the mail.
Petra Villanueva lives in Arvin and just like a good deal of its residents, she speaks mostly Spanish. A stay-at-home mom, Villanueva has become a well-known figure at school board meetings where board members cringe when she gets up to speak on issues important to the community.
UPDATED, 8:51 p.m.: Here are team scores after Day 1: Clovis 184.5 Bakersfield 152.5 Lemoore 100 Madera 96.5 Buchanan 93.5 Clovis West 91 Frontier 86 Madera South 80.5 Porterville 72 Sanger 66 Foothill 65.5 Edison 60.5 Central 51.5 Centennial 51 Bullard, Clovis East 50 And, finally, tomorrow morning's semifinal matchups: 106: (1) Miguel Martinez, Madera, vs. (5) Julian Gaytan, Clovis; (2) Adrian Camposano, Central, vs. (3) Matt Gamble, Monache 113: (1) Mason Pengilly, Porterville, vs. (5) Seth Hood, Monache; (2) Jonas Gaytan, Clovis, vs. (6) Jason Delacruz, Buchanan 120: (1) Daniel Gaytan, Clovis, vs. (5) Matthew Ontiveros, Central; (2) Brandon Rodriguez, Clovis West, vs. (6) Oscar Marin, Bakersfield 126: (1) Vicente Hernandez, Clovis, vs. (4) Izaiah Ozuna, Frontier; (2) Michael Knoblauch, Clovis West, vs. (3) Bryce Martin, Bakersfield 132: (1) Patrick Phaysamone, Clovis East, vs. (4) Martin Sandoval, Porterville; (2) Micah Cruz, Bakersfield, vs. (3) Matt Gay, Clovis 138: (1) Natrelle Demison, Bakersfield, vs. (4) Jason Ladd, Clovis; (3) Racelis Cardenas, Buchanan, vs. (7) Jose Hernandez, Madera South 145: (1) Maxx Ramirez, Bakersfield, vs. (4) Tyler Hartsfield, Liberty; (2) Oscar Corona, Foothill, vs. (3) Osamuyimen Osunde, Lemoore 152: (1) Isiah Martinez, Lemoore, vs. (4) Colby Thompson, Clovis; (2) Coleman Hammond, Bakersfield, vs. (3) Kyle Perreault, Clovis East 160: (1) Adrian Salas, Clovis, vs. Sebastian Suikowsky, Hoover; (6) A.J.
Rinna Johnson, 35, majored in liberal studies in college, got a master's degree in education and is about to receive her teaching credential.
UPDATED, 3:58 p.m.: The rest of the medal-round results, including a fourth meeting in 11 days between Frontier's John Popek and Centennial's Carson Crawford, this one with third place at heavyweight on the line.
Modesto-based Save Mart Supermarkets has acquired East Hills Mall from the lender that foreclosed on it late last year, according to county property records.