A Bid to Restore Cross to Seal

Supporters of restoring the cross that was removed from Los Angeles County’s official government seal announced on Monday a third attempt to put the matter to a countywide vote.

The issue sparked heated protests in September when the county Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to remove the gold cross that had adorned the seal since 1957 rather than defend it against a threatened lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Since then, two efforts that relied largely on volunteers at churches to raise enough signatures to qualify the issue for a countywide ballot have failed.

But the backers of the latest initiative said they have learned from their mistakes and will draw enough political and financial support to gather the necessary 170,606 signatures to put the issue before voters in June 2006.

“This is part of the heritage of the city of Los Angeles and the county of Los Angeles, and you can’t change your heritage,” said Warren Duffy, a retired radio talk-show host and communications director for the Los Angeles Culture and Heritage Coalition, a private organization that backs the effort.

ACLU officials and others criticized the cross on the old seal as an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The Board of Supervisors replaced it with a drawing of the San Gabriel Mission.

The effort to restore the old seal has won support from county Supervisor Mike Antonovich, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, a coalition of local pastors and businessman Bert Boeckmann.

Boeckmann, owner of Galpin Ford, said he planned to donate money to the effort, but he would not say how much.

Despite drawing vocal support early on, previous petition drives suffered from a lack of money and professional organization. Countywide initiative attempts rarely make it on the ballot, and the latest venture is likely to also depend on raising enough money to hire professional signature gatherers.

The petitions must be turned in by Sept. 26.