7 October 2009
Fortuna Officially Trusts in God
Posted by Terrie Soberg under: Constitution in Peril .
This is a piece of good news that will drive the left-wing liberals nuts! I hope the decision stands unchallenged!
In God Fortuna Trusts
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
The Fortuna City Council on Monday adopted the motto “In God We Trust,” which will likely be displayed in the council chambers in the near future.
The council voted 5-0 to display the motto, and answered some concerns over whether the city should pay to have the sign or plaque made. Councilman Dean Glaser, who brought the motion, said that he has offered to pay for the display and that fellow Councilman Mel Berti also offered financial support.
”This was a long time coming,” Glaser said.
Glaser said that it is a freedom of speech issue, and that the council is in no way trying to force religion onto people. Glaser said he believes that previous councils thought it was politically incorrect to post such a motto, but now a nonprofit group promoting the motto’s display has offered to provide free legal support to any city who does.
Glaser introduced the motion after attending a League of California Cities conference in San Jose that hosted a booth by “In God We Trust-America, Inc.” The group asks elected officials to display the national motto “In God We Trust” in city halls.
The motto has been displayed on some U.S. currency since 1866 and was approved for all U.S. currency in 1955.
While one could try to argue that posting the motto is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment’s establishment of religion clause, said University of California at Berkeley constitutional law expert Jesse
Advertisement Choper, it’s unlikely the courts would take up such a challenge — especially given that it’s the national motto. He said that unless the council were to feature the motto so prominently as to make it overwhelming, any legal challenge to it “would face a severe uphill battle.”
Fortuna City Manager Duane Rigge said that while the motion was amended to remove any reference about where the motto would be displayed, it’s envisioned that it will be placed on the back wall of the chambers on a redwood burl similar to the one that holds the city’s mission statement.
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