Call to
Action
Petition
to amend CA bill AB1453 to relocate the State Veterans Cemetery from the OC
Great Park
It you want to join us, here is what you can do to help (Follow steps A, B, and C, the map showing the current proposed location of the cemetery is at the bottom of this page. We think the proposed location is WRONG):
A. Please call, fax
and e-mail the following government offices. In the
order of effectiveness: phone call, fax and e-mail
Here is what you can say when you call:
“Please issue an executive order to amend bill AB1453 to relocate the State Veterans Cemetery from the OC Great Park because it is at a wrong location, too close to homes, a high school, and the urban center, and at a highly populated area.”
They may ask you for your name, address and phone number, just give it to them. They just want to verify you are a real person, and not a telemarketer.
Note: When calling people other than the California Governor, change the first sentence to “Please amend bill AB1453 to relocate…” This is because only the governor has the power to issue an executive order. Of course, you can make other modifications and use your own language.
Samples letters for you to use as fax, and e-mail to each office is at the end of this web page.
Here are the offices that you need to call, fax and e-mail:
1. The California Governor’s office:
Governor of California
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Web page to submit e-mail:
https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php
2.Senator Mimi Walters
California 37th District (R)
30 Executive Park, Suite 250
Irvine, CA 92614
Phone: 949.223.5037
Fax: 949.223.5487
Web page to submit e-mail:
http://district37.cssrc.us/content/my-offices
3. Assembly Member Mathew Harper
California 74th Assembly District (R)
1503 South Coast Drive, Suite 205, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 916-319-2074
Web page to submit e-mail:
https://ad74.assemblygop.com/addresses
4. Assembly member Donald Wagner (Co-author for AB1453): Assemblymember.Wagner@assembly.ca.gov, Tel: 714-665-6868
3496 Irvine Boulevard, Suite 504
Irvine, CA 92602
5. Assembly member Tom Daly (Co-author for AB1453):
Tel: 916-319-2069
Web page to submit e-mail:
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD69
6. VA Inspector General: 1-800-488-8244
http://www.va.gov/opa/contact.asp
7. Peter J. Gravett, Secretary of the California Department of Veteran Affairs
Tel: 800-952-5626
California Department of Veterans Affairs
1227 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
P.O. Box 942895, Sacramento, CA 94295
Web page to submit e-mail:
https://www.calvet.ca.gov/Pages/contact-by-email.aspx
8. Bill Cook, Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Committee Chairman
9. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs State Veterans Cemetery Grants Program webpage: http://www.cem.va.gov/grants/index.asp
10. Veronica Dolleschel | Senior Management Analyst
& Michelle Grettenberg
City of Irvine | City Manager’s Office
1 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA 92606-5207
Phone: 949.724.6424
E-mail: VDolleschel@ci.irvine.ca.us; mgrettenberg@ci.irvine.ca.us
B. Sign
this online petition:
C. Help us
to get signatures for our petition:
You can use the flyer and signatures
sheets that you can download from this link:
D. Sample
letters:
You can use the sample letters that you
can download from this link:
Sample letters:
Petition to Relocate the State
Veterans Cemetery from
the OC Great Park
To:
Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Governor of California
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Web page to submit e-mail:
https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php
Dear Governor Brown,
I am a resident in the City of Irvine, California. I am writing to you to petition for the relocation of the State Veterans Cemetery from the OC Great Park. Please issue an executive order or an amendment to bill AB1453 for this relocation.
With
all due respects to veterans, we do support any and all necessary and suitable veteran cemetery sites.
However, we question the compatibility, feasibility, and its underlying politic
motivations on such oddly located cemetery site that is in the center of a
highly populated city, neighboring to residential area, and adjacent to a future
high school.
Irvine
is a highly populated and diverse city with about 40% of the population as
Asians, and this cemetery site is located very close to the urban center. Most
of the residents lived next to the cemetery are Asians. In Asian culture, the
location of the cemetery is very important. It is a taboo to place cemetery
next to homes or close to urban area. Even the emperor's tomb is built far away
from urban areas.
Veterans
fight for us, die for us, we absolutely respect them, but I am pretty sure they
fight so that we can have freedom to voice our opinions, so that we can live
happily on this land of free, and the home of the brave. I am sure once they
really understand Asian cultures and know it is a taboo to put cemetery to
homes or close to urban areas, they will work with us to find a better location
for everyone.
There
was little or no notices regarding this proposed cemetery in Asian languages
from all levels of government agencies. As a result, most of the Asians
residents (including me) did not know about this cemetery until October, 2014.
We feel shocked about the proposed
cemetery and blindsided. We feel our culture and views have not been
respected and our voices have not been heard.
Dear
Governor Brown,
I
urge you to do the right thing, and:
- Immediately stop any funding for the design and construction of this cemetery until a comprehensive communications with Asian communities, and an acceptable agreement by all parties has been reached
- Set up a search committee to search for a suitable alternative site for the State Veterans Cemetery in the Orange County. We love to help you in this search too since we do want our veterans to have a good cemetery site.
- Issue an executive order or an amendment to bill AB1453 for this relocation.
Veterans Cemetery from the OC Great Park is at a wrong location, and is right Next to Residential Area and a Future High School!!! Please help us to relocate the cemetery to a suitable location!
