Obituaries - May 14, 2000

SACRAMENTO —  Are you a senior citizen? Congratulations! Gov. Gray Davis has declared May Older Californians Month.

Did you fight in a war? Give yourself a hand! May is Veterans Appreciation Month as well.

If you’re a trilingual marathoner, you’re really in luck. May is also Physical Fitness and Sports Month, World Languages and Culture Month.

In most things, Davis has proved himself a most cautious man. When it comes to proclamations, however, he’s like a teen with a new hot rod: pedal to the metal.

Davis is by no means the first chief executive to bless various groups and causes with what amounts to a gubernatorial attaboy. But he does seem to have a particular fondness for the practice.

May is barely half over, and the governor already has used the month to highlight 16 issues and organizations. On top of that, there were Guide Dog Day (May 4), Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 8-12) and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day (May 5).

“There’s no downside,” says Steve Merksamer, whose former boss, George Deukmejian, issued a steady stream of proclamations when he ran California. “It’s a great way for a governor to signify his support for a particular cause--and it doesn’t cost any money.”

In short, it’s low-risk, feel-good politics. And while critics may gripe that it’s a big waste of paper and staff time, Davis spokeswoman Hilary McLean insists the costs are “minimal.”

The payoff can be substantial for honorees, she says: “I think there’s an appreciation that the governor recognizes the efforts of people who work on behalf of all Californians to accomplish important public policy goals.”

Perhaps, but Wayne Johnson, a Sacramento political consultant, wonders: Does the value of commemorative proclamations begin to fade when there are so many? “Not to demean the good work of deserving groups, but everybody gets a trophy nowadays,” Johnson says. “How about ‘your name here week’?”

Cynicism aside, most proclamations have a noble intent: usually to praise the worthy person, publicize a pressing issue or commemorate an important anniversary.

A scan of the governor’s Web page (www.governor.ca.gov) suggests that they fall into several categories: health (as in Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Day), victims (Missing Children’s Month), heroic groups (Organ/Tissue Donor Week) and downright puzzling (Kids Cooking Week).

Those who receive them say proclamations are coveted: “Of course it’s valuable; it’s honoring us,” Richard Holober, political director of the California Nurses Assn., quips when asked about California Nurses Week (May 6-12).

He adds that while the gesture is purely symbolic, it’s “an important measure of recognition.” It’s also a nice reminder that “we have a friend in the governor’s office.”

While Davis is churning out proclamations at a blistering rate, the ritual is not confined to government’s executive branch. The Legislature is routinely clogged with resolutions about everything from a constituent’s 100th birthday to the war in Kosovo. In the last year and a half, the Assembly and Senate have introduced a whopping 420 resolutions, most of which passed with no debate.

On top of those are resolutions that a lawmaker can issue without a floor vote.

Obtaining such recognition appears to be easy. One capital public relations consultant, Doug Elmets, says it’s simply a matter of will: “You don’t have to be particularly deserving. You just have to make a phone call.”

Odds are that the governor or a legislator would be delighted to help: “It keeps the politician’s name visible and proves he’s engaged in actually doing something,” explains political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe.

In the governor’s office, proclamation requests are screened by a four-member “executive writing team.” This is tricky work, says Dan Schnur, who was press secretary to former Gov. Pete Wilson.

“You have to be careful you’re not honoring potential enemies on the same day,” he notes. “You wouldn’t want to have California Dog Day and California Dogcatcher Day at the same time.”

Every so often, screeners goof and a governor lands in hot water because of such a proclamation. This happened in Virginia, where the declaration of April as a month honoring Confederate soldiers didn’t sit well with the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.

In Indiana, Gov. Frank O’Bannon proclaimed March 20 as Great American Meatout Day and quickly regretted it. While he might have won some vegetarian votes, O’Bannon was attacked by Hoosier farmers and his political enemies, who staged an in-your-face hot dog cookout on the statehouse lawn.

President Clinton also knows the sting of a proclamation that is not embraced by all. He issued 93 proclamations in 1999, including one designating June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

The Baptists, among others, weren’t crazy about that idea: “It was a little more controversial than, say, Leif Erickson Day,” recalls Delia Cohen, deputy director of White House correspondence.

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Special Days for Everyone

Gov. Gray Davis has issued a large number of proclamations in the past several months, including:

Submarine Veterans Day: April 11

Call Before You Dig Month: May

Guide Dog Day: May 3

Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 8-12

Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May

Safety Seat Checkup Week: April 2-8

Spring Break Safety Awareness Week: March 22-28

Greek Independence Day: March 25

Land Surveyors Week: Feb. 13-19

Drowning Prevention Month: May

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Source: Gov. Gray Davis Web site: www.governor.ca.gov