‘God’ motto causing stir

Four little words Costa Mesa Councilwoman Wendy Leece wants to add to the Council Chambers at City Hall are causing a stir.

The phrase “In God We Trust” is stamped on pennies and inscribed in gold letters behind the House speaker’s rostrum in the U.S. Capitol building. Now Leece wants to add the motto to the wall behind the council dais.

“We’ve got wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more people are facing economic difficulties,” Leece said. “During hard times, we should remember that we can trust in God.”

Leece said the display isn’t meant to force a particular religious viewpoint on anyone, but rather to celebrate the United States’ national motto and promote patriotism.

“It’s not a coercive effort,” Leece said. “It’s not forcing anyone to believe or not to believe.”

Fourteen cities in Orange County have placed the “In God We Trust” motto in their city council chambers: Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Seal Beach, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda.

The growing movement to add the “In God We Trust” motto to city halls across the country was started by Bakersfield City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan in 2001.

Sullivan encourages other cities to adopt the motto through a nonprofit she founded called In God We Trust-America.

Since Sullivan persuaded the Bakersfield City Council to adopt the expression in 2001, 59 other cities in California have followed suit.

“We have to teach patriotism to our younger generations and value the history of our country,” Sullivan said. “We want to pass on the true history of our country. Freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion.”

There has never been a legal challenge to any of the cities that have adopted the slogan, Sullivan said.

The Supreme Court has upheld the motto, ruling the expression has “lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.”

Most, if not all of the California city councils who have taken up the issue over the past eight years, end up voting in favor of using the motto, Sullivan said.

“I’m supportive of it,” Mayor Allan Mansoor said. “Our founding fathers mentioned trusting God often, and so I think our heritage as Americans is something we can be proud of.”

Councilwoman Katrina Foley said she had not yet made up her mind on how she felt about the “In God We Trust” motto, but she has received numerous e-mails from constituents who are opposed to putting it up on the Council Chambers.

“Please do not spend any more of your council-related time on the issue of adding the motto ‘In God We Trust,’ to any city property,” wrote Costa Mesa resident Andrew Barnes in a recent e-mail to Foley. “As a homeowner and resident of Costa Mesa that motto does not reflect my religious or patriotic views. This is a divisive issue and unnecessary for the proper functioning of our city.”

Foley has suggested adding a wall display of patriotic documents to the Council Chambers as an alternative to the “In God We Trust” motto.

The cost of adding the four 3-inch-tall words to the wall behind the Costa Mesa dais would range from $677 to $851, according to a city staff report on the issue.

Leece has committed to raising the funds through private donations. She has already received several offers from people interested in putting up the money for the display.