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'In God We Trust' City Hall Price Tag: $3,000 to $4,000

The council will debate how and where, exactly, to display the national motto.

Deciding to display the words "In God We Trust" in the City Council's chambers brought out nearly a dozen of public commenters and

On Tuesday night, though, the debate gets more technical.

Plastic or brass lettering?

Above the city seal or below it?

The staff report on the item says that the display will likely end up costing between $3,000 and $4,000, largely dependent on the material of the lettering. That money was not included in the fiscal year 2010-11 operating budget and thus will have to come from current account balances or be designated for next year's budget, in which case installation wouldn't happen until July 2011.

Scroll the photo gallery with this article to see a few of the rough possibilities envisioned by city staffers for where the motto could be shown. And check out the attached PDFs for a discussion of the options and for a collection of pictures from other cities that voted to show "In God We Trust" on government property.

The council meeting starts at 7 p.m. in .

Maria Moffa Levenson April 5, 2011 at 02:45 am
Not everyone in Lake Forest trusts in God. Not everyone here is Christian. It's racist!
Harry April 5, 2011 at 02:05 pm
$3K to $4K for letters?! What a total waste.
Maria Moffa Levenson April 5, 2011 at 02:35 pm
Harry, I agree whole heartedly! That money could go into improving the city. Heck, it's already on our currency, why do we need it on some placard/wall, etc? Less is more, so leave the space blank!
Loves Lake Forest April 5, 2011 at 02:59 pm
My questions:
1. How does this serve to improve the community of Lake Forest? 2. Could the money be used to serve the community in a more necessary way? (What/where are the underfunded community needs to which the money could be legally allocated?)
Danny Ferguson April 5, 2011 at 03:21 pm
Budgets are already tight, so why spend that much money for an overpriced sign that doesn't even reflect the sentiments of all citizens?
Mike West April 5, 2011 at 05:56 pm
I don't feel that we need to spend the money to have "In God We Trust" in the City Council Chambers. Why has it become such a big deal for cities to now display that in their Council Chambers? The 3K to 4K that it will cost could better be used for something else within the community.
Besides "Who" one "Trusts" in is up to each and every individual that is a member of Lake Forest. We can not and should not push one opinion on everyone else. And by the way, I do believe in God and chose to acknowledge him in my own way.
Maria Moffa Levenson April 5, 2011 at 08:50 pm
How many of the citizens actually have been to, or intend on visiting the council chambers in their lifetime? All of us may or may not trust in God, but right now, I'm not trusting our city council! After the scandal in the city of Bell, do we need to really waste money like this?
JK April 5, 2011 at 09:57 pm
I know alot of people here don't care about God.I'm one that does care, that is my right.
I also see what everyone is saying. the money is tight, we have a great city here. Let's spend the money where it is needed now, The City and the people who live here. And it's not "Racist" come on now.
Mark April 6, 2011 at 12:17 am
Racist is not the correct term, racism is bigotry by race. When this term is endorsed by government it is religious bigotry, one of the two accepted forms of bigotry in this country.
Mark April 6, 2011 at 03:39 am
Once again, the only two open minded council members offered to place a message of inclusion and the religious bigots who dominate the council have rejected it in favor of pushing one step closer to a religiously based government. These three also continue the big lie tactic, that if they simply say that it has nothing to do with religion then they think people will believe it. Anyone who thinks that the phrase "In God We Trust" is devoid of religious meaning is an idiot.
Judy Curry April 6, 2011 at 11:57 pm
The separation of church and state is for the benefit of both. As a Christian, I think this issue is a waste of the city's time and money. I would rather see the city council members quietly living their faith rather than put on this show.
Shripathi Kamath May 18, 2011 at 08:43 pm
Lake Forest residents should read this, it is related:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/05/what_it_takes_to_stand_out_in.php

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