How Does "The Emperor Norton Bay Bridge" Sound?

[Subdeacon Joe]

RE-NAME THE BAY BRIDGE "THE EMPEROR NORTON BAY BRIDGE"

 

 

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge should be renamed to
honor its original 19th-century visionary — not turned into a modern-day
political spoil.

The San Francisco eccentric, Joshua Abraham Norton (1819–1880)
— the self-styled "Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector
of Mexico" — was indeed an eccentric. Some considered him certifiable.

But Emperor Norton also was a visionary. He was a champion of racial
and religious unity; an advocate for women's suffrage; a defender of the
people; and a general ambassador of San Francisco who embodied the
values that came to be known as "San Francisco" (and, for that matter,
"Bay Area"). And he was beloved by San Franciscans, in return.

In January 1872, Emperor Norton issued a proclamation that declared, in part:

"Whereas, we observe that certain newspapers are agitating the project of bridging the Bay; and whereas, we are desirons of connecting the cities of San Francisco and Oakland by
such means; now, therefore, we, Norton I, Dei gratia Emperor, do
hereby...order that the bridge be built from Oakland Point to Telegraph
Hill, via Goat Island [now Yerba Buena Island]."

In a second proclamation, in March 1872, the Emperor specified that the bridge should be a suspension bridge [emphasis added]:

"The following is decreed and ordered to be carried into execution as soon as convenient: That a suspension bridge be built from Oakland Point to Goat Island [now Yerba Buena Island], and then to Telegraph Hill; provided such bridge can be built without injury to the navigable waters of the Bay of San Francisco."

He repeated this decree with a third proclamation, in August 1872

"ordering the citizens of San Francisco and Oakland to appropriate funds for the survey of a suspension bridge from Oakland Point via Goat Island; also for a tunnel...."

History should trump stroking political egos.

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

I don't understand. The bridge goes from Oakland to San Francisco, so whose political ego does the name stroke?

[Utah Bob #35998]

Huh?

[Subdeacon Joe]

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_24080421/willie-brown-bay-bridge-name-is-approved-but

 

SACRAMENTO -- Ready to drive across the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Bridge?

The state Senate on Thursday voted 26-7 to give final approval to name the older, western span of the Bay Bridge after the celebrated but controversial former San Francisco mayor and state Assembly speaker. The Assembly had previously voted 68-0 to approve the plan.

 

But whether the name will actually come to pass remains a mystery.

Gov. Jerry Brown is opposed, saying he wants to keep the "iconic" name the bridge has had for 77 years. Normally, Brown can veto legislation, but because the bridge-naming plan is a nonbinding resolution, it will not
reach the governor's desk.

 

Mr. Brown is one of the slickest operators ever to come out of the Burton Machine and grace the Hallowed Halls of our Legislature. An old school wheeler-dealer, but charming as all get out.

I'm all for just leaving it as The Bay Bridge, but if it's going to be named for anyone, Emperor Norton should be first in line for the honor. A real work of art, that guy. http://www.sfhistoryencyclopedia.com/articles/n/nortonJoshua.html

In 1859, everything was not going harmoniously. California
was caught up in the great debate over slavery that would
lead to the nation's darkest hour - the Civil War. In a fiery
speech in Sacramento attacking abolitionists, California State
Supreme Court Justice David S. Terry denounced and ridiculed
United States Senator David C. Broderick, political boss of
San Francisco. Broderick was outraged, and called Terry "the
damned miserable wretch," which outraged Terry. In California's
last formal duel, Terry shot Broderick dead.

On September 17, 1859, climbed the stairs of 517 Clay Street
to the office of the San Francisco Bulletin newspaper.
George Fitch, editor of the Bulletin, was sitting at his desk
when a man he described as "neatly dressed and serious
looking" handed him a piece of paper. The next morning,
Fitch ran a headline: "Have We An Emperor Among Us?"
and printed the following proclamation.

"At the pre-emptory request of a large majority of

the citizens of these United States, I Joshua Norton, formerly

of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last nine

years and ten months past of San Francisco, California,

declare and proclaim myself the Emperor of These United

States, and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested

do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different

States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall of this

city, on the 1st day of February next, then and there to

make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union

as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring,

and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and

abroad, in our stability and integrity."

It was signed: "Norton I, Emperor of the United States."

[Utah Bob #35998]

Okay, now I see.

[Harvey Mushman]

I'll support this. Willie Brown is one of the prime movers responsible for the economic decline of the great state of California (aided by low information voters, of course).

 

I remember when McDonnel -Douglas when to him (speaker and major power broker) in the late '80s to ask for limits on increasing taxes against the corporation and their skilled labor an management employees. He threw them out and they left the state, as have more and more of our high tech and production companies since then. Death spiral.

 

CA was once the AeroSpace capital of the US (and World). The last Aerospace company to move their headquaters out of CA was NG in 2011 - there are no more left..........

[Subdeacon Joe]

Yep, likely the first true documented nutcase in CA. And an appropriate symbol for the Bay Area.

[Eamon Chute]

Norton was crazy....crazy like a FOX!

 

Willie Brown actually came out against naming it after him. The proposal was brought forward by the NAACP, and the state senate had to "suspend" their rules in order to allow the proposal to move forward. The senate sub-committee in charge of such nonsense did have a public hearing, scheduled waaaay too late for anyone to be in attendance other than those in favor of the proposal. They then held the final vote on private to move ahead with the naming.

 

Brown said he was "honored" to have the span named after him

 

Who was it that said.....the only way to look at a politician is down?

 

 

EC

[Trailrider #896]

It'll still be known colloquially as just "The Bay Bridge", I'd bet. When MileHi Stadium had the naming rights sold to various sponsors, folks still pretty much abbreviate the title to just "MileHi". GO BRONCOS!

[Wolfgang, SASS #53480]

.. . . that makes as much sense . . . . as all the other stuff that goes on in California . . . . .