08-28-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF tOfoanization. State! ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DECLARATION OF A COUMUNICATtON EMERGENCY TO REaoLVE. that our common language be our governing language WHEREAS, t cofnrnon language m the United States enables communtcabon between peoples of many divsfse languages vM to creM and mamtam a high standard of Kvmg and. WHEREAS a common languaga m govamment anows fu« commumcMion nacassary to conduct daity govamment busffitss such as attandmg public school, rtcaiving county haailh care a siatt dnv#f*s ficansa. and crW sarvanl amploymant and WHEREAS a common languaga m govammant providas a rnafhod for commumcafion batwaan divarsa trnJivtduals. uniting citizans and eUrwrtfting misundtrsttnding. separation and discord and. WHEREAS though multifingual citcans are an asset to our natter a go^'amment withal a common languaga is impractical pMK policy costing milhons of fadarH and state taxpayar doOars to provida govammant tarvicas. for exampla. the federal govammant mandates 375 voting oistncts m 21 states to provide voting ballots m foreign languages California gives dnvars licansa exams m 27 languages and Cai forma puttie schools teach immigrant students m at least 42 languages arxJ WHEREAS, no heavity industrialized n^ion of ma)or significance »n terms of communication tedership and standard of living has been muititmgual and support for English has come from 22 STATES from coast to coast and border to border, 41 COUNTIES and 15 CITIES and WHEREAS 70% of Amancans favor designating English as our n^ions official lar>guaga of govammant (US English/Gallup poll. January 1991) and WHEREAS, the tasiglatura of the iname gf itatf) has voted to request State officials to support and implenfitnl the English Language Proposition and endorses our state and nation to have one common language- ENGLISH THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED hat the (name of it^ej hereby adopts ENGLISH as the official language of (nt®SjSf state) and supports adoption of comr ehensive specific and seif-executing Language of Government legislation that will a) Save taxpayers costs of duplicating every government function m many languages b) Establish sensible public poiicy on government use of multiple languages allowing for essential services of emergency health safety and lustice while stipulating that official acts records and citiizenship ceremonios be cof>ducted in English c) Place the communication focus //here it belongs on empowering new American adults and children by teaching them our common language English m a short term profioency program with an employer tax credit and d) Transfer the responsibJif/ and ultimate cost for teaching English on the federal government which controls and regulates the admission of non English speaking persons BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this txxly suppons state bills and competing federal bills m Washin^on National English Campaigns HR 1006 (King R-NY) with X cosponsors HR 124 English Firsts HR 739 (Roth R-WI) which has 61 cosponsors m 10 states US Englishs HR 123 (Emerson R-MOi which has 207 sponsors in 30 states HR 2850, HCR 12. HJR 171 in the House of Representatives US English s S 366 (Shelby R AL) which has 17 cosponsors in 10 states. S 1670 in the Senate and supports efforts of other organizations designating English as the common governing language of the United SUtes BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Cierx of the Board is hereby directed to disseminate copies of this resolution to Governor Lt Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Treasurer Controllef Public Instruction Superinlenaent insurance Commissioner Senate President pro Tempore Speaxer of the House President William Clinton. Vice President Albert Gore former Presidents Ford Carter Reagan and Bush former Vice Presidents Mondale and Quayle U S Senate President Dole Speaker of the House Gingrich U S Senators and_______ and the entire U S Congressmember delegation Mr Thomas Brachxo and other offic.ais as the Board may deem appropriate PASSED. APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS _DAY OF 1995. Clerk.President (List of governments/organizations supporting English is on reverse ) ENGUSA I