Van Gorder's equality resolution for Napa; City Council Meeting March 17

[Update: corrected Renee Fannin's email address at bottom of post]

[Editor's Note: Found this floating on Facebook and couldn't find the original source on the City Council's website. If you know the link to an official source of this draft, please send via email or comments.]

Meanwhile, here is a purported draft of the "equality resolution" that City Council Member Mark Van Gorder is proposing to the Napa City Council at their meeting on March 17th at 3:30p:

DRAFT OF RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION R2009__

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NAPA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AFFIRMING THE EQUALITY OF ALL FAMILIES

WHEREAS, the California Supreme Court is currently deliberating the validity of Proposition 8 and the legal marriages of 36,000 Californians hang in the balance, the City of Napa ("City") takes this opportunity to affirm the equality and validity of all families; and

WHEREAS, a majority of Napa County voters rejected Proposition 8 because it takes away a fundamental human right from a minority group of people and is discriminatory at its essence; and

WHEREAS, the City celebrates the vast diversity of its citizens, seeks to be a safe, healthy and tolerant place for all citizens and their families, strives to be a community that offers equal opportunity, free from hate and all forms of discrimination, and recognizes and appreciates the significant contributions of its many lesbian and gay citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Napa, as follows:

1. The City does not support discrimination and finds that all people regardless of gender should be able to enter into the legal contract of marriage and receive the same social and legal benefits and recognition as conferred by the State of California.

2. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Napa at a public meeting of said City Council held on the____ day of______, 2009, by the following vote:

Seeing how opposing commenters are reacting on the Register's site (impeach him! off with his head!), he (and we) are going to need to make sure and show our support strong next Tuesday. Unfortunately, it's smack-dab in the middle of the afternoon.

Here's what Join the Impact Napa is recommending:

1) Please invite all your Facebook friends and ask them to invite others too!

2) Beginning on Thursday, March 12, please call and email members of the City Council urging them to support this important resolution. Remind them that we elected them to FULLY represent us and we expect them to stand with us on this. Let's please be sure they are flooded with input from our community and our supporters! It's important to keep the pressure on up until the time of the meeting! If they say they haven't seen the resolution, forward it to them!

Mayor Jill Techel - 707.258.7876 - jtechel@cityofnapa.org
Vice Mayor Juliana Inman - 707.258.7876 - jinman@cityofnapa.org
Councilmember James Krider - 707.258.7876 - jkrider@cityofnapa.org
Councilmember Peter Mott - 707.258.7876 - pmott@cityofnapa.org
Councilmember Mark van Gorder - 707.258.7876 - mvangorder@cityofnapa.org

3) Show up for the City Council meeting on Tuesday March 17th at 3:30. We know (and they know) it's an inconvenient time for most of us who are working as productive citizens, but we need everyone (and your friends!) there. Please gather at 3:30 outside City Hall. We'll go in together when the council starts discussion of the resolution. There will probably be an opportunity for public comment, so your voice will be heard, as will those who oppose our freedoms. We have a strong and courageous ally in Mark van Gorder, so come stand together with us in asking Napa's City Council to say NO to discrimination!

If you want more information, you can contact any of the following:
Deb Stallings, deb@debstallings.com
Renee Fannin, rfannin907@aol.com or 858-353-2422
Mark van Gorder, mvangorder@cityofnapa.org