Schwarzenegger signs Ronald Reagan Day into law

What do Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk and Ronald Reagan have in common? They each get a day named in their honor under California law.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills Monday honoring the conservative icon, one declaring Feb. 6 as Ronald Reagan Day, the other establishing a state commission to plan celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Reagan’s birth in 1911.

Schwarzenegger also signed a bill naming Jan. 23 in honor of Ed Roberts, a quadriplegic who became the first severely handicapped student admitted to UC Berkeley and went on to become a well-known activist for the rights of the disabled.

Reagan is the lone conservative among other Californians honored with official days. The list includes farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, gay rights crusader Harvey Milk and environmental icon John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club.

Only Chavez is recognized with an official state holiday; the others get days of “special significance” on which the governor issues a proclamation about their greatness.

-- Jack Dolan in Sacramento

Comments

[Tornadoes28]

Chavez should NOT have a special day assigned to him. He was a labor union leader, not a civil rights activist like some people claim. At the very least it should NOT be a day off for government workers.

[wtaguy]

If this is what CA's come to, then no one there should have an "honor day." Reagan. Cripes.

[AJM]

@Tornadoes28 - Here's some enchanted learning from you. He wasn't just a leader, he actually founded one of the biggest unions in the country. Where do you get your information? Fox News?

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/hispanicamerican/chavez/

[Mike]

Love my Chavez day holiday!

[3825You]

No way...no way...
reagan does not deserve a day...
perhaps if only named to broken
money pipe...greed.

[My opinon means nothing]

I'll remember to throw up on that day.

[J Harris]

Not everyone reveres Ronald Reagan. We already have an entire freeway named after him (without input from voters), not to mention various airports, schools, and what-have-you.

The state's economy is in the toilet and we need the governor proclaiming celebratory days and diverting funds to 100th birthdays? Seriously?

[Los Angeles Native]

Reagan Day. Really? Like I needed another reason to have disdain for Schwarzenegger...

[drkoelper]

Tornadoes28: "[Cesar Chavez] was a labor union leader, not a civil rights activist like some people claim."

Sorry, but that's like demanding that people consider Father Damien de Veuster, now recently canonized by Pope Benedict XVI as St. Damien, only as a pious and dedicated Catholic clergyman, and not as a universal human rights activist who fearlessly took issue with the "civilized" political establishment on behalf of the long-suffering lepers of the former Kingdom of Hawaii.

Truly, I fail to see how being a labor leader and civil rights activist are mutually exclusive positions, especially since Mr. Chavez's tireless efforts on behalf of migrant farm workers all too frequently and simultaneously involved both activities.

Please don't let your obvious bias toward organized labor blind you to the great achievements of Mr. Chavez. He was a great and humble man who dedicated his life to serving and helping the poor and downtrodden of this state, and I'd not begrudge the dedication of a day to his honor and memory.

[Ironman Carmichael]

The Reaganites truly won't stop until this whole country is renamed for their idol.

But hey, as long as Ronnie Claus leaves a generous supply of Jelly Bellies under my pillow the night before (assuming I've been a good boy), I won't complain much.

[Ray]

Now I admire Ronald Reagan and he certainly achieved many accomplishments that still resonate to this day.

But he also committed some weighty mistakes like the Iran-Conntra scandal and granting amnesty to the 3-5 million illegal aliens in 1986, which then led to this massive influx of 12-20 million illegals.

I just don't think he's in the same league as Abraham Lincoln, FDR, George Washington, James K. Polk,....

Besides, it was Nancy Reagan who's the real power behind Ronnie. Whenever Nancy tells Ronnie to do something, he'll do it, as if by automation. As an example, when Reagan came home to SoCal on his last full day as president, to retire after completing 2 terms, he stopped by the USC campus to attend a celebration dedicated to him. Somebody threw a Trojan helmet to him as a courtesy and Ronnie caught it and wore it. Everybody in USC went wild. Nancy hunched over to Ronnie and told him to take off that helmet because, according to her, he looked like a fool. You could see a mood change, and he did as he was told and took it off. I remembered that.

[Dario]

What an insult to Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk and John Muir.