Willie Brown | The Adobo Chronicles

Sacramento, California – Yesterday, the western span of the Bay Bridge was officially named Willie L. Brown Jr Bridge in honor of the former San Francisco mayor and speaker of the California State Assembly.

Well, that didn’t sit well with two-time California governor, former state attorney general and former Oakland city mayor Jerry Brown . “I have as many titles attached to my name – not to mention my longevity in public service – as my good friend Willie,” Jerry said, “so why am I not being afforded the same honor, at least as far as the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge is concerned?”

The new eastern span of the Bay Bridge (foreground)

Jerry is reportedly planning a personal visit with Oakland city officials, including incumbent mayor Jean Quan, to lobby for his own bridge of fame. Quan said that naming the eastern span of the bridge after Jerry Brown makes absolute sense. “If this happens, then people can call the entire bridge, both eastern and western spans, simply ‘the Brown Bridge,’ ” she added.

In the end, it is the state legislature, not local officials, that will make the decision.

We’d like to get our readers’ comments: Should the eastern span of the Bay Bridge be named after Californa Governor Jerry Brown? .

Sacramento, California – Previously, The Adobo Chronicles reported on the duel between the Asian Mayors of San Francisco and Oakland over naming the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan wants the new span to be named Oakland Bay Bridge because it sits in the eastern side of the Oakland-San Francisco border. On the other hand, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee says that because the new span casts its shadow over Yerba Buena Island which is in San Francisco, the span should be named San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Now that the new span is open, the name fight has shifted to the West. The California State Assembly passed a resolution that would name both the eastern and western spans of the bridge after former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. The resolution was proposed by Assemblyman Isadore Hall III, D-Compton and Assemlyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco.

The resolution is expected to clear the State Senate as well.

Three former San Francisco Board of Supervisors presidents sent a letter to the Senate arguing against the move, saying that renaming the bridge violates the Senate’s policy against christening roadways after people who are still alive – and that naming the bridge after the oft-controversial Brown is “inappropriate.”

Asked about his reaction to the proposed name change, California Governor Jerry Brown said, “I am not totally against naming the bridge after my good friend Willie, but I would prefer that instead of naming the bridge ‘Willie Brown Bridge,’ it should simply be named ‘Brown Bridge.’ This way, my supporters and my grandchildren and great grandchildren can claim that the bridge was named after me.”

Willie Brown is distancing himself from the issue, at least pubicly.