Top Opinion
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David Hussey 2012/06/17 19:29:24
+4Good on you Clint! Gay marriage is just a partisan wedge issue dragged out come election time to divide the public and shift attention off the real issue.... namely that both sides are effing us big time.
He knows when he is right and he knows when he is wrong. He resigned as mayor of Carmel when he knew he was terrible at it. You have to admire a man like that.
You can eat the peanuts out of my coke any time Clint.
(coke and peanuts being the ultimate drink in my opinion)
Everyone should have this survival kit in their home at all times, Lol
great American double standard.
Disagree with a Liberal on any issue, and you're a fundamentalist bigot, a misogynist and/or a homophobe. Doesn't have to make sense... only chaos.
Matters of fiscal responsibility, national security and non-interventionism take on racial implications simply because our chief policymaker is black.
No debates-- only shout-downs. Not our fault-- yours.
I live in both camps, but I'd rather be known as a Conservative because this is where grownup decisions are made-- regardless of our apparent record on social issues. Without an economy, a military and the willingness to mind our own business, all the social issues become irrelevant. (see below)
As much as I would like to see people happily married to those they love --regardless of gender-- it's a major can of worms.
While there *are* kooky, anti-gay slogans being hurled, there is also a laundry list of serious implications and conflicts that arise from the half-assed way this whole thing has gone down. It was shrugged off by the Feds and shoved through by the States... just in time for elections. It's a quick fix that leaves unwary citizens open to all sorts of political mischief.
But the climate for rational discussion is not good, lately. Too many gleeful witch-hunts.
The feds shrugged it off and certain states shoved it through in various forms with no eye toward uniformity or reciprocity. Gay unions aren't universally recognized across the US.
That's a big deal, but there are all the Federal rights and guarantees that don't apply AT ALL to gay couples. This includes matters of federal tax status, citizenship, social security, pension plans, insurance, liability for debt, eligibility for welfare/disability, testimonial privileges, child custody and medicate status.
And the UCMJ is yet another can of worms, if any service members are involved.
To elaborate on a few of these things, here's a Ctrl-V from the Wiki (emphasis mine):
------the quote starteth here----- :O)
Legal costs associated with obtaining domestic partner documents to gain legal abilities granted automatically by legal marriage, including power of attorney, health care decision-making, and inheritance.
A legal spouse can inherit an unlimited amount from the deceased without incurring an estate tax but a same-sex partner would have to pay the ESTATE TAX on the inheritance from her/his partner.
Same-sex couples are NOT eligible to fi...
The feds shrugged it off and certain states shoved it through in various forms with no eye toward uniformity or reciprocity. Gay unions aren't universally recognized across the US.
That's a big deal, but there are all the Federal rights and guarantees that don't apply AT ALL to gay couples. This includes matters of federal tax status, citizenship, social security, pension plans, insurance, liability for debt, eligibility for welfare/disability, testimonial privileges, child custody and medicate status.
And the UCMJ is yet another can of worms, if any service members are involved.
To elaborate on a few of these things, here's a Ctrl-V from the Wiki (emphasis mine):
------the quote starteth here----- :O)
Legal costs associated with obtaining domestic partner documents to gain legal abilities granted automatically by legal marriage, including power of attorney, health care decision-making, and inheritance.
A legal spouse can inherit an unlimited amount from the deceased without incurring an estate tax but a same-sex partner would have to pay the ESTATE TAX on the inheritance from her/his partner.
Same-sex couples are NOT eligible to file jointly as a married couple and thus cannot take the advantages of lower tax rates when the individual income of the partners differs significantly.
Only 18% of companies offer domestic partner health care benefits.
Taxation of same-sex spouse health insurance benefits when provided by an employer, unlike like benefits provided to a heterosexual couple
Higher health costs associated with lack of insurance and preventative care: 20% of same-sex couples have a member who is uninsured compared to 10% of married opposite-sex couples
Inability to protect jointly-owned home from loss due to costs of potential medical catastrophe
Inability for a U.S. citizen to extend citizenship to same-sex partner
While state laws grant full marriage rights (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont) or some or all of the benefits under another name (New Jersey, Washington, California, etc.), these state laws do NOT extend the benefits of marriage on the Federal level, and most states do NOT currently recognize same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions from other states.
------end of quoted material-----
Here's a couple of links, if you're into it. It all needs to be hashed out. Plus, there's the matter of re-defining "a marriage" as the phrase is known in law. You can bet there will be legal implications there, as well-- there are ravenous lawyers already working on it.
In any case, it's all about winning votes without actually doing anything.
People deserve better than this. It pisses me off that he's half-assed another huge project like Guantanamo, Afghanistan, healthcare, TARP and his ill-conceived 'green' agenda, and will certainly win votes for his efforts.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-enc...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin...
Sorry for the length on this pig. Guess I'm not making it any shorter by tacking on an apology, eh? :O)