Bill Text: CA AR44 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to the Panama Canal.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-30 - Read. Adopted. (Page 5739.). [AR44 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AR44-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: HR 44 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Medina
JUNE 5, 2014
Relative to the Panama Canal.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, The Country of Panama is located at the strategic nexus
of two globally important trade corridors forming both a land bridge
connecting North and South America, and controls the Panama Canal,
which links the North Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea, with
the North Pacific Ocean; and
WHEREAS, With the backing of the United States, Panama seceded
from Colombia in 1903 and signed a treaty with the United States
allowing for the construction of the canal; and
WHEREAS, In 1904 the United States took over construction of the
canal from the French, and opened it as a transcontinental passage on
August 15, 1914. Ownership of the Canal transferred from the United
States to Panama in 1999. The Panama Canal is a true engineering
marvel of the early 20th Century, lifting ships 26 meters up to and
down from Gatun Lake through the use of electric mini-locomotive
"mules;" and
WHEREAS, The construction of the Panama Canal cost approximately
four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) and resulted in the loss
of over 25,000 lives, but opened a route across the Isthmus of Panama
through the ports at Panama City and Colón that saves ships, which
must navigate between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to reach their
ports of destination, days at sea and 13,000 kilometers of travel;
and
WHEREAS, Plans were made for a grand celebration to mark the
official opening of the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914, including
the launching of an international fleet of warships on New Year's Day
1915, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, which would then have traveled
through the Panama Canal and arrived in San Francisco for the opening
of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a world's fair- like
celebration; and
WHEREAS, The beginning of World War I caused the cancellation of
the grand festivities at the canal, and a more modest ceremony was
held whereby a simple cargo boat, the SS Ancon, piloted by Captain
John A. Constantine, made the first official canal transit, without
the anticipated crowd of international dignitaries in attendance; and
WHEREAS, The Panama-Pacific International Exposition took place as
planned between February 20 and December 4, 1915, providing both an
opportunity to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and for
San Francisco to showcase its recovery from the 1906 earthquake.
While the Palace of Fine Arts is the only building still standing
from the exposition, among the exhibits at the exposition
highlighting the new east-west route were the first steam locomotive
purchased by Southern Pacific Railroad, which is now on display at
the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the Liberty Bell,
which traveled by train on a nationwide tour from Pennsylvania, and
a telephone line that was established from the exposition to New
York, enabling people across the country to hear the Pacific Ocean;
and
WHEREAS, In 1913 the United States Post Office issued a set of
four postage stamps to commemorate San Francisco's Panama-Pacific
International Exposition with designs depicting a profile of Vasco
Núñez de Balboa (1[), the Pedro Miguel Locks of the Panama Canal (2
[), the Golden Gate (5[), and the discovery of San Francisco Bay (10
[), and reissued the stamps in 1914 and 1915. The United States
Congress also authorized the San Francisco Mint to issue a series of
five commemorative coins consisting of the 1915S silver
Panama-Pacific half-dollar and four gold coins; and
WHEREAS, The Panama-California Exposition was held at Balboa Park
in San Diego, California, from March 9, 1915, to January 1, 1917, to
celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, and to highlight San Diego'
s location as the first American port of call for northbound ships
that passed westward through the Panama Canal. Several of the
buildings constructed for the Panama-California Exposition, including
the Cabrillo Bridge, the California Bell Tower, the California State
Exposition Building, and other related buildings that are maintained
by the San Diego Museum of Man, still stand today as historic
landmarks and as symbols of the 100-year history California shares
with Panama and as symbols of trade; and
WHEREAS, California's two-trillion-dollar economy is the eighth
largest economy in the world, and has benefited from increased
international trade provided for by the use of the Panama Canal,
contributions from immigrants from Panama, and new investments by
foreign businesses and entrepreneurs; and
WHEREAS, Now after operating for almost 100 years, over 13
thousand ships use the Panama Canal annually, making it one of the
main maritime trade routes, and connecting more than 140 maritime
routes through 1,700 ports and 160 countries, which are primarily
used by the United States, China, Chile, Japan, and South Korea; and
WHEREAS, Panamanians approved an ambitious plan, which is
estimated to cost five billion three hundred million dollars, to
double the capacity of the canal by 2015, strengthening the global
goods movement network and supporting direct trade between Panama and
the United States; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That on the
occasion of the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Panama
Canal and the 495th anniversary of the founding of Panama City, there
is a cause for reflection and celebration of the unique and
beneficial relationship between the United States and Panama, and
there is a call for a renewed commitment to enhancing the economic,
cultural, and trade relationships between the State of California and
the Country of Panama; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President of Panama and to the author for
appropriate distribution.
