Write a Letter Today to Make It the Emperor Norton Bridge in 2018
Alas, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign can't claim credit for this excellent sign that went up next to the Bay Bridge's Fifth Street, San Francisco, onramp in February 2014. But we absolutely endorse the sentiment. Photo © 2014 by Aaron Muszalski.
When — not if — "Emperor Norton Bridge" is added as a parallel / second / honorary name for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge system, this will be done via a joint resolution of both houses of the California state legislature.
To give state legislators everything they need to embrace this idea and sell it to their constituents, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign* has proposed that the resolution be introduced, authorized and enacted in one of two symbolically potent years.
The second is 2022 — the 150th anniversary of the year, 1872, when Emperor Norton set out the original vision for the Bay Bridge with three Proclamations in the Pacific Appeal newspaper.
The first is 2018 — next year! — the 200th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Norton on 4 February 1818.
We can't think of a better bicentennial birthday present for Emperor Norton than naming the Emperor's bridge for...the Emperor! But, making this a possibility means that state legislators (and their influencers in local and state government and media) need to hear from California supporters of the Emperor Norton Bridge naming — and hear from them a lot! — between now and two key dates in 2018:
January 3 — Legislature reconvenes
August 31 — Deadline for most legislation to be passed in 2018
To assist California supporters with this outreach, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign has prepared a model letter that includes all the key messages that the Campaign has been using to advocate on this issue.
The letter — together with supporting information about who should receive the letter and a particular request about what not to say — is at
EmperorsBridge.org/bridge/letter
The initial goal of this letter is to help secure one or more lead legislative sponsors for an Emperor Norton Bridge naming resolution in early 2018.
But, not just any legislator is supposed to be the lead sponsor of a naming resolution.
It is the Transportation committees of the Assembly and the Senate — each house has its own committee — that drive the naming resolution process. According to the internal policies of these committees, a naming resolution is required to be lead-sponsored by one or more legislators that represent the district(s) where the bridge — in this case — is located.
Which means that we need to persuade one or more of the following to sponsor an Emperor Norton Bridge resolution:
WESTERN (SAN FRANCISCO) "SIDE" OF THE BRIDGE
Senator Scott Wiener — Senate District 11 — Member of the Senate Transportation Committee
Assemblymember David Chiu — Assembly District 17
EASTERN (OAKLAND) “SIDE”
Senator Nancy Skinner — Senate District 9 — Member of the Senate Transportation Committee
Assemblymember Rob Bonta — Assembly District 18
Others that we need to make strong connections to — and secure meaningful support from — include:
Other members of the California State Senate and California State Assembly — including other members of the Transportation committees of each body.
Mayors of San Francisco, Oakland and other Bay Area cities.
Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and of the Oakland City Council.
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of California.
Candidates for California governor and Oakland mayor in 2018 — and San Francisco mayor in 2019.
Influential editors, reporters, bloggers and others with big soapboxes.
Close friends of all of the above.
In fact, write 10 letters. Write 20 letters.
Hell, write 50 — what is needed right now is a flood!
Let's make this go viral, shall we?
* In December 2019, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign adopted a new name: The Emperor Norton Trust.
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