Happy Admission Day Weekend

157 years ago, on Sep 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state.  In order to celebrate this great day, there was a somewhat understated presentation at the Capitol including a barbershop quartet and a color guard.  Maybe it’s just my Calicentric viewpoint, but I think is a day that we should celebrate with a little more oomph.  There should be fireworks and parades and lots and lots of drinking.  In fact, this is a day that we, as Californians, should reflect on the greatness that is our state, and how fortunate the other 49 states are to have us.

I mean, think about it.  California provides 60% of the fresh produce, 35% of the commercial lumber, 68% of the wine, 90% of the movies, 80% of the attractive people, and 100% of the “California Cuisine” in America.  (all of these stats are made up, and therefore, totally true)  We need to celebrate all that is California this weekend.  Fly your Bear Flag in front of your house.  Shout “Eureka” a lot.  And don’t ever forget that you live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world.

51 thoughts on “Happy Admission Day Weekend”

  1. I’ll be celebrating in my own special Cali way. Since I don’t have a Bear Flag, Imma gonna paint my beer belly somethin’ spiffy and jiggle it whilst waving a hearty hello with my 12 gauge shotgun to passersby.

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  2. I would imagine that even though this should be a big deal in California, that it most likely isn’t for fear of the political backlash. The addition of California to the Union is not one of the more popular events for many in this state, for various reasons.

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  5. I love you, California, you’re the greatest state of all.
    I love you in the winter, summer, spring, and in the fall.
    I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore,
    I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.

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  9. The original settlers came to this state because gold was discovered. Greed is the basis of the state’s origins.

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  12. Lynn:
    The gold rush definitely brought more people to California and increased its popularity. But once Mexico “lost” the land after the Mexican-American war (aren’t we still fighting this? heh) in 1848 early settlers started moving to California for various reasons. I think of of the major reasons was because the federal government was forking over free land to people who were willing to work the land. I think it was around 320 acres. That would create quite the incentive for people who owned nothing, to have a chance at something. Besides, the gold rush didn’t really start until 1849. So I’d say the opportunity to create a new life for yourself was a huge reason. Plus, it being a free territory (I mean slave free) was a big pro for my ancestors.

    RunnerGirl:
    I think Lynn is correct in referring to non-native people as the “original” settlers. Native-Americans were just that native. The indigenous people weren’t really settlers. Unless you are referring to their original migration from Pangea. If that is the case, then I guess they’d be the original settlers. =)

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  13. California, a prophet on the burning shore
    California, I’ll be knocking on the golden door
    Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
    Rising up to paradise, I know I’m gonna shine.

    You’ve all been asleep, you would not believe me
    Them voices telling me, you will soon receive me
    Standing on the beach, the sea will part before me
    Fire wheel burning in the air!

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  14. Runner Girl,

    I knew there were native people here before the gold rush… that’s why I referred to those who came here after gold was discovered as “settlers.”

    The article doesn’t mention where Indians might have come from before they moved to this area. If Indians have always been here, then they wouldn’t be considered “settlers.” definition of settler: one who settles into a new region. (I looked it up). The article mentioned that about 100,000 people came here from all over the world after gold was discovered. They are definitly “settlers!”

    Of course, since there were Spanish here before gold was discovered, the Spanish would actually be considered the first “settlers.”

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  17. Used to be a major holiday, with big parades, etc. Would make a helluva lot more sense to recognize our State with a parade and other celebration than it does to justify some of the “crazy” (but perhaps politically correct) parades and celebrations that we have!

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  18. I’ve known many people who moved here not because they had to, but because they wanted to.

    California is supposed to be the Promised Land.

    I used to ride the California Zephyr train from Sacramento to San Francisco; then ride the Amtrak bus across the bridge. The people on the bus from various parts of the country were always excited about seeing San Francisco for the first time: they had a sense of wonderment on their faces. I think San Francisco is cold, foggy and crowded. I knew someone who grew up in San Francisco and rode the cable car to school every day… and was surprised to find out that cable cars are a tourist attraction. This person told me that she didn’t feel like a tourist on the cable car… she just felt cold.

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  19. Our Bear Flag has been waving proudly all weekend, so we’ve done our share of celebrating. And yes, sac-eats is a stickler for proper flag etiquette, so it does come inside at night.

    Each weekend as we return from biking to the farmers’ market, I usually comment that I’ll gladly pay too much for a home for the luxury of being able to make a short bike ride for quality produce year-round.

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  20. We can have big Admission Day parties once people get down with the idea of appreciating the whole state in all its big vivid multicultural glory. What’s a better way to show off the many sides of California than a parade?

    California itself is (and has been) many things: Gold Mountain, New Helvetia, Alta California, and by many accounts one of the most densely populated areas on the north American landmass before the arrival of Europeans (and European diseases.) California is a big state and a big metaphor and it has room for all of us forty-niners and californios and everyone else in it, getting ’em all out on the street waving bear flags seems like a good way to bring them together, aside from the mild risk of a riot.

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  21. Why are we even part of the US, anyway? They rely on us a lot more than we rely on them. Besides, much of the rest of the country offers us not much more than lynchings, mediocre unhealthy food, hateful and selfish Republicanism … I think it’s time to secede.

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  22. JLT is, of course, referring to either the great food-producing Central Valley… or perhaps to My Special Islamic Bakery in Oakland. Either way, I agree. Time to usher in a new era of blind and short-sighted liberalism!

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  23. JLT: do you forget that a lot of the recently recalled food (spinach and carrots to name 2)has come from california farms? or satendar singh being beaten and killed for being gay or hindu? do you forget about republican senator dave cox passing out lapel pins at the capitol, in the legislature, while the president of mexico was visiting our state that read “no mas” when we were having immigration debates about 1 1/2 years ago? yeah, california is soooo advanced. a beacon even.

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  25. Um, yes, of course some of the recalled food was from California. But proportionally, California food is far safer.

    Yay for myopia!

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  26. There isn’t much help for California’s most vulnerable people.

    Last Christmas Eve, I saw two men sleeping on the sidewalk and an elderly man looking through the trash for plastic bottles and aluminum cans. People sleeping on the sidewalk and looking through the trash is what I see every day. That is part of what California is all about.

    Then there are the 7 million adult citizens who don’t have health insurance, and even more who don’t have dental insurance. That is also part of what California is all about.

    Some Californians care about those less fortunate… some try to help… but not many.

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  28. Lynn..

    I know many, many, many organizations who help the less fortunate out. Sac has a ton of them. The problem is, even homeless people want to live here because of the weather.

    If you’d like to help in some way, you can go to the food bank on Sunday mornings and make lunches for the homelss..it’s quite the operation. The food bank always needs help. We donate food and sandwich bags on a regular basis. Volunteer at St. Marys house or St. Francis house, or volunteer to cook brunch Sunday mornings at St. Johns shelter for women and children. Epicurean Paulie rounds a group up to do just that (and they buy the food)..or help at The Mission or The Salvation Army shelter. The Guest House/El Hogar offers free mental health care and TLS offers help finding housing. I could go on and on…and on.

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  29. Melly,

    Thank you for your post.

    I once saw a legless man in a wheelchair taking a nap in the midtown area. He didn’t have any belongings. I saw him again about a week later. I haven’t seen him since.

    There was a homeless woman who was at a corner on Howe Ave. for about two years. She had a shopping cart filled with her belongings. She’s not there anymore. I would have helped her except that I didn’t know what to do.

    When the temperature was below freezing during the winter, the city opened warming centers. Some people were in the warming center were interviewed on TV. They were very grateful for a cot in a heated building. Some of them said that they usually slept in their cars.

    Is permanent housing really available for everyone who needs it?

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  30. Lynn, check out http://www.volunteersac.org or http://www.handsonsacramento.org — they’re both resources that match volunteers with opportunities.

    You might also check out the Non-Profit Resource Center, which is also an excellent resource to find out what the various non-profits in our region do and the type of governance and training they need to exist: http://www.nonprofitresourcectr.org.

    If you’re genuinely interested in making a change, consider making the commitment by serving on the board of a non-profit so you’re part of the needs assessment and budgeting process. This helps you know that you’re getting the most of your hands-on hours.

    You seem particularly interested in homelessness. Might I suggest visiting http://www.cottagehousing.org to learn about how they’re helping alleviate homelessness and see how you can be part of their efforts.

    Since you seem so passionate about this, please think about making a long-term commitment to the organization(s) you choose to pursue.

    Yes, organizations appreciate the one-time donations and every-once-in-a-while volunteer help, but they really need people to commit to specific tasks for a minimum number of hours per week/month, in addition to contributing to fund raisers, annual funds, capital campaigns, endowments, and planned giving in estates and wills.

    Don’t forget about the reliance on major gifts (million $ +) from the business world either — those go a LONG way, and a lot of our greatest resources wouldn’t exist without corporate support.

    Think about blood donation, too — that one pint every few years is great, but they really need people to get on the every eight week rotation for whole blood (less time for blood components.)

    The last thing I want to hear is that “not many” people want to help others, as there *are* MANY of us who spend hours each week of our personal time lending our business expertise and rolling up our sleeves to tackle some of the toughest problems facing our community — not to mention giving blood on a regular basis and being educated voters.

    Read here about how Sacramento leads the state in volunteer hours, but we’re still far behind the rest of the nation:

    http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/268593.html

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  31. I belong to a group that volunteers to chase legless guys in wheelschairs. We meet down at the “Y” every Sunday. The same group also takes homeless peoples’ shopping carts, and donates the stuff inside to Goodwill. We also collect blood from these same people, for further donation! In exchange we provide free “mental health counseling” and a homeless dog. Everybody wins, and we feel really good about giving back to the community of California’s most vulnerable.

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  34. Runner Girl,

    I appreciate the information in your post.

    I went to the cottage housing website. They have strict rules about the homeless that they help. I also talked to someone from another nonprofit and asked how they help the homeless. They have the same rules. They don’t just offer housing to the homeless. The homeless must stop drinking and do whatever else the nonprofit wants them to do. At least nonprofits are trying to help.

    It’s too bad that there aren’t laws that guarantee housing, food and health care to all… that way there won’t be any less-fortunate people who need help.

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  35. Wait, there really is a place called the ‘Y’ ?

    I thought that woman with the clipboard asking me to “Come down to the Y and give it a try” was trying to get in my pants.

    How embarrassing…

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  36. “It’s too bad that there aren’t laws that guarantee housing, food and health care to all… that way there won’t be any less-fortunate people who need help.”

    Hahahahahaha!! Yeah- lets just raise minimum wage to $1 million a year- We’ll ALL be rich!! And the NERVE of some private organizations- demanding that people FOLLOW CERTAIN RULES, in exchange for free stuff. OUTRAGOUS! Whose gonna march with me? We’ll all get drunk and demand free chips and place to sleep it off!
    The marching chant:

    WE’RE POOR, WE KNOW, BUT WE AIN’T GONNA GO!
    WE NEED… FREE STUFF…
    FREE STUFF ‘TILL WE’VE HAD ENOUGH!

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  37. um…actually the cottage housing program isn’t free, they do pay rent.

    Some cities have started a “housing first” approach to chronic homelessness, and it is proving effective, because by providing housing they greatly reduce the need for emergency services like ER visits, jail, psych wards. This is because the chronic homeless (those on the street the longest, with the most serious problems) tend to cost the most–but they are the hardest to treat because they’re on the street. Get ’em off the street, and issues like sobriety, mental illness, physical disability etc. quickly become a lot easier to address. The city of Denver used this system and saw so much cost savings (and such a decrease in homeless on the streets) that they’re providing several hundred more “housing first” units.

    Sacramento is on the cusp of starting just such a system–if the city’s plans come to fruition there will be about 1000 units of “housing first” housing in the next decade, which, ideally, will translate to about 1000 fewer chronic homeless on the street.

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  39. wburg,

    “Housing first” sounds like a good idea. I read that a typical medium-sized city has about 7,000 homeless. Hopefully someday all of the homeless will have a place to live.

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  40. I have always wondered in the “Escape from New York” plan would work. Just take a place like the state of North Dakota put up a wall and stick all of the Homeless and/or criminals there let them create there own world. If they can stick 40 kids in a town and create a TV show, why not a few million people in a state.

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  43. we could just change what homeless means and viola! problem solved. sort of how bush says the economy is getting better by changing what poor and hungry means. i belive it’s now being called a poor state of food security. brilliant!

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  44. We tried that already, actually, with a different group. We just called them “reservations.”

    As I recall, it didn’t work out so well.

    Point taken..(although my first comment was meant as a joke..)

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  45. reservations didn’t work because we kept taking them back andmaking them smaller. andofcourse that whole pesky humanity thing that pings in our guts every so often. though i think republicans have it surgically removed at birth.

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  46. It’s the ol’ “this is gonna hurt a lot for a second” vs. “this will annoy you a little for the rest of your life.”

    Conservatives seem to have the ability to withstand short term pain for long term gain. Liberals put off the bad as long as possible, until it can’t be tolerated any more.

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  47. Politicians don’t even talk about building housing for the homeless, because what politicians do is respond to lobbyists. Of course the homeless don’t have any lobbyists.

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  48. Elias Elizondo is a lobbyist for the homeless. Maybe politicians realize that money wasted on the never-ending “homeless” black hole could be better spent on, oh, I don’t know… SATAN? Or silly things that help those who actually CONTRIBUTE to society, like clean water and beaches, smooth roads, a sports arena, medical care for disabled puppies, larger (and heated!) mud/jello-wrestling pits, etc.

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  49. Turty: “It’s the ol’ “this is gonna hurt a lot for a second” vs. “this will annoy you a little for the rest of your life.” ”

    Exactly! Using the “housing first” model to provide housing for the chronic homeless will require some initial investment, but in the long term it will save money on emergency services, free up available resources to better serve the non-chronic homeless (people who become homeless for a short while but don’t stay on the street) and solve the problem by turning “homeless” into housed people.

    It’s a far more fiscally responsible, conservative solution than continuing to pretend that they’ll just go away if we ignore them hard enough, while straining the resources of emergency rooms, crisis centers, jails, and shelters.

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  50. Wow. Way to douche-up my “up with California” vibe. Thanks a lot. I’m going to go wrap myself in my Bear Flag and head up to the hills.

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